I was reading through the minutes of our predecessor "Cambridge Agricultural Training Group" from 26/02/87 tonight.
Past and Present, Three of our valued customers were on the committee then and remain loyal customers in 2009, :EW Pepper, Trumpington Farm Co. and P & O Harrold.
The business ran 55 days of training over the preceding year (1986), we now run over 200 days per year!
The turn over of the business was £8,000 - it is now ten times that amount but how we manage to achieve that figure without the funding from the govt through ATB is something of a challenge. A big thank you to those who continue to renew your membership each year.
The subject of funding for skills training was discussed, (some things never change)
I hope to produce some more of our history on line as an archive and acknowledgment of our story. Look to our website for more facts and figures from the past.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Friday, April 10, 2009
Towing the Line
We often get asked about training and preparation for tests involving towing. The Highways Agency has produced a video to explain and illustrate some of the issues involved. If you want to discuss preparation for the B+E test or feel you just want a refresher on towing and reversing, be it a horsebox, caravan or 10 tonne grain trailer please feel free to contact us, as these are training sessions we quite regularly hold.
Click HERE for that video
Click HERE for that video
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Expansion
It seems odd to write about expansion at this time but that is what has happened. Our business has always been split into the practical hands on bit of instructing for our own group and other providers. We then have the important bit for our customers of organising and setting up training courses and programmes.
The trouble is this all takes time - so we have invested in office systems and staff. What does this mean for you? Well the paperwork generated from every course (what ever happened to the paperless office?) is now sorted as soon as we start on a course, certificates are processed in the same manner. Just a quick warning - we will be doing the same with invoices as well!
This miracle of organisation is Sue - you may well speak to her on the phone if you dial the office.
At the same time we are looking at ways to use our website, e-mail and the post office more effectively to help with communications about courses and related "stuff". You may already have received our e- newsletter, although some versions mysteriously translated into Latin on their way through the internet.
We have some important news about funding to announce during March - use the subscribe link at the bottom of this page to be notified as soon as we are in a position to release details.
The trouble is this all takes time - so we have invested in office systems and staff. What does this mean for you? Well the paperwork generated from every course (what ever happened to the paperless office?) is now sorted as soon as we start on a course, certificates are processed in the same manner. Just a quick warning - we will be doing the same with invoices as well!
This miracle of organisation is Sue - you may well speak to her on the phone if you dial the office.
At the same time we are looking at ways to use our website, e-mail and the post office more effectively to help with communications about courses and related "stuff". You may already have received our e- newsletter, although some versions mysteriously translated into Latin on their way through the internet.
We have some important news about funding to announce during March - use the subscribe link at the bottom of this page to be notified as soon as we are in a position to release details.
Friday, February 13, 2009
BASIS points and Agronomy update.
KWS are hosting the following event at Thriplow on 26th March. Please contact us for details of cost and further information. (12 Basis points)
• Practical impacts of the European Parliament decision on
pesticide authorisation.
• Implications of the High Court decision in favour of Georgina
Downs V's DEFRA regarding the protection of neighbouring land users from
pesticide drift, and the subsequent decision by DEFRA to appeal the
against the ruling.
• New NVZ rules and forthcoming Revised RB209 - the implications
for fertiliser use.
• Agronomy and crop protection challenges of the 2008/9 season so
far.
• Spring crop protection decisions in combinable crops.
Time will also be allowed to cover other issues that arise from
individuals.
• Practical impacts of the European Parliament decision on
pesticide authorisation.
• Implications of the High Court decision in favour of Georgina
Downs V's DEFRA regarding the protection of neighbouring land users from
pesticide drift, and the subsequent decision by DEFRA to appeal the
against the ruling.
• New NVZ rules and forthcoming Revised RB209 - the implications
for fertiliser use.
• Agronomy and crop protection challenges of the 2008/9 season so
far.
• Spring crop protection decisions in combinable crops.
Time will also be allowed to cover other issues that arise from
individuals.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Do You Need a Database?
When I started with CATraining 3 years ago a new "Training Database" had just been purchased. It was supposed to be the answer to all our problems.
Three years later and we are emerging from the nightmare of our database. As some of you may have discovered certificates for courses have arrived late and notifications have been inconsistent.
I apologise but the reason is quite simple. We were trying to let the system run us rather than vice versa. While I have been grappling with the database from hell, Su has diligently been sorting out the paperwork in the time honoured way.
We now have a solution, the customer and paperwork drives the computer, not vice versa! Make no mistake we need the computer to do the number crunching and remind us when we need to let you know about certificate expiry or where that missing certificate is but all this comes from the efficient filing of course paperwork.
So looking to the future we now have a system that works on all levels and for your benefit. We also now understand databases and Microsoft Access back to front so if you think you need to understand databases or that your Excel speadsheet doesn't do quite what you want it to do call us we might just be able to help.
Three years later and we are emerging from the nightmare of our database. As some of you may have discovered certificates for courses have arrived late and notifications have been inconsistent.
I apologise but the reason is quite simple. We were trying to let the system run us rather than vice versa. While I have been grappling with the database from hell, Su has diligently been sorting out the paperwork in the time honoured way.
We now have a solution, the customer and paperwork drives the computer, not vice versa! Make no mistake we need the computer to do the number crunching and remind us when we need to let you know about certificate expiry or where that missing certificate is but all this comes from the efficient filing of course paperwork.
So looking to the future we now have a system that works on all levels and for your benefit. We also now understand databases and Microsoft Access back to front so if you think you need to understand databases or that your Excel speadsheet doesn't do quite what you want it to do call us we might just be able to help.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Working at Heights Course Relaunch
Another busy week for us with news of developments we will be bringing you over the coming weeks. Thinking about it, where has the week gone??
What I want to talk today about is our relaunch of the Working at Heights Course Package. For the last 18 months we have been running courses to complement the Lantra Awards Working @ Heights Risk Assessment Certificate. With the experience of those 18 months we have redesigned our presentation and materials. We can also target the course to particular customer requirements through the development of a number of specialist modules. Utilising animations, new graphics, video and revised handouts we now have a product that we feel really delivers the important bits about Working at Heights in an entertaining and practical way.
Oh, and to deliver this and our other materials we have upgraded our presentation system to include a High Definition Projection system so our customers can see and benefit from the improved presentation we have designed to go with this course. All this at the same cost as last year - remember if you are a member of CATraining your discount has increased from 5 to 10% for the course, (certification excluded)
(We can provide this as a CATraining course (Lantra Awards registered) or provide it as a course c/w Lantra Awards registered instructor to other training providers - see dates opposite for our own Lantra Awards registered courses)
What I want to talk today about is our relaunch of the Working at Heights Course Package. For the last 18 months we have been running courses to complement the Lantra Awards Working @ Heights Risk Assessment Certificate. With the experience of those 18 months we have redesigned our presentation and materials. We can also target the course to particular customer requirements through the development of a number of specialist modules. Utilising animations, new graphics, video and revised handouts we now have a product that we feel really delivers the important bits about Working at Heights in an entertaining and practical way.
Oh, and to deliver this and our other materials we have upgraded our presentation system to include a High Definition Projection system so our customers can see and benefit from the improved presentation we have designed to go with this course. All this at the same cost as last year - remember if you are a member of CATraining your discount has increased from 5 to 10% for the course, (certification excluded)
(We can provide this as a CATraining course (Lantra Awards registered) or provide it as a course c/w Lantra Awards registered instructor to other training providers - see dates opposite for our own Lantra Awards registered courses)
Sunday, November 9, 2008
New Course announced -Practical Risk Assessment
New for 2009. CA Training Ltd - Practical Guide to Risk Assessments.
After talking about accident prevention in our last post here is one of the ways we hope to help in our aim to reduce injury and accidental death at work.
We already run a 1 day Health and Safety at Work in Agriculture and Horticulture (Lantra Accredited) Course. We are now launching our own One Day Practical Guide to Risk Assessment Course.
This consists of a morning outlining what you need to know and how to perform basic Risk Assessments. The afternoon is then a practical session where you undertake a Risk Assessment based on your own business using your knowledge and the information supplied in the morning.
Ideally suited to small businesses both landbased and others. Coupled with the Lantra 1 day Health and Safety Awareness Course this provides the ideal start to a good grounding in meeting your Health and Safety responsibilities at work.
Next Course dates:
Tuesday 20th January
Thursday 12th February
After talking about accident prevention in our last post here is one of the ways we hope to help in our aim to reduce injury and accidental death at work.
We already run a 1 day Health and Safety at Work in Agriculture and Horticulture (Lantra Accredited) Course. We are now launching our own One Day Practical Guide to Risk Assessment Course.
This consists of a morning outlining what you need to know and how to perform basic Risk Assessments. The afternoon is then a practical session where you undertake a Risk Assessment based on your own business using your knowledge and the information supplied in the morning.
Ideally suited to small businesses both landbased and others. Coupled with the Lantra 1 day Health and Safety Awareness Course this provides the ideal start to a good grounding in meeting your Health and Safety responsibilities at work.
Next Course dates:
Tuesday 20th January
Thursday 12th February
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