EBME Forums Forums Management Training APPENTICES.

It’s all gone now, Mate.

By the way I, too, have worked with a Romanian engineer (called Niculae, naturally), in a well-known desert kingdom. He was ex-TV trade (they still fix them over in Romania, apparently) and a first class guy in every respect as far as I was concerned.

Don’t worry, it’s not only you. I too find the attitudes of many young people difficult to fathom. But there again, they didn’t have the opportunities that you and I had (…like doubling around the square at Arborfield, for instance).

But what’s all this about “coming out of the back room”, John? Don’t you go out and do “PR” on the wards then?

"like doubling around the square at Arborfield, for instance"
Not if you wore blue:)

Geoff

PR with wards no problem, I just wish the high and mighty knew what we did and supported a bit more. As long as you keep the brown stuff and the fan remote from each other they don't seem to want to know?????

Max

My Electro-Med course was with `Blue Jobs' (their first one at SEE Arborfield). I was the only native on the course. One question that I had from them as I showed them over one of the Centurions was `Where's the cooking facilities then?)

All the best to all Old Hands and Apprentices alike for 2005 and the future and all that it holds.

John

John, please check your private messages.

About more exposure for the department, surely our illustrious managers are taking care of that side of things? After all, most (who I know) seem to spend a great deal of time attending meetings with other groups within their hospitals. Don’t get me wrong, though, they’re welcome to it as far as I’m concerned. But, as I’ve said many times before, I believe that it’s management’s job to manage. So, if there’s any failing to “spread the message” within the hospital, then surely we know where to point the finger?

As a Christmas card to the MDSS dept at my location said.

" We know what you do is important, we just don't know what the hell it is."

A fair summation of the insight of a large proportion of clinical staff.

Most people will only realise what you do when it stops happening.

Simpo

"Sand Sand Everwhere, God Its Dull"

We currently run a level 3 modular training program for clinical technologists, and from April we will be running a BTEC diploma in clinical technology, again based at level three (ONC equiv). Our program is currently being utilised by the NHS Northern apprenticeship scheme and other NHS departments across the UK.

This practical based course has taken two years to develop and is based upon the MoD training scheme, covering seven modules, anaesthetics to X-ray.

www.Cap-medical.co.uk

John and Geoff,

Arborfield is not dead, the apprentices have moved upto Catterick, SEAE( formerly SEE) is still going strong but will eventually move to new grounds in Pompy as part of a tri-service training establishment, but not untill 2008 ish. It seems the NHS do not have a scooby doo about training their own. However I am sure if they completed our training courses or fail them (we do fail people), they would end up with something akin to Arborfield trained techs. Strange however that we are not allowed to have failed students running around the car park with a bin on their heads shouting I am a failure....

Is that because of the Car Parking fees generated at Kiddy ?? then Rob ??

Nice one, Tony.

Hello, Rob (I was wondering when you were going to seize your chance!). The Apprentices College at Arborfield that John and me were referring to was already gone when I was de-mobbed from there in 1983! Better take a look at www.arborfieldoldboys.co.uk Mate.

But, let’s look to the future. I for one applaud what you and your people have achieved at Kidderminster (even if it did take two years ).

Rest assured that although it’s sometimes fun to “set the bait” on the website, those of us who know the score are very much in support of what you are trying to do. “Biomed” in the UK has been in dire need of a properly structured training set-up for as long as I can remember. Meanwhile, please take a look at your private messages.

Getting back to the original topic, would it be beyond the realms of fantasy to challenge the NHS Trusts collectively to agree to funding whereby we could expect to see an apprentice placed in every EBME department of any size?

Surely a standard curriculum could be established, including (for example) attendance at Falfield, followed perhaps by progressive training at establishments such as Kidderminster, and some manufacturer’s service courses?

And what about on-line training possibilities, and “open learning”? Are we set up for that yet, Rob?

But what about all the other stuff usually included in apprenticeships, like “day release” for electrical and electronics theory, workshop practice and maths etc? City and Guilds on-line, or what? Come on, let’s hear from you! What’s the plan for the techs of the future?