First Courses of the Year

Today I have taken down last year’s wall planner and replaced it with 2013, filed away my 2012 diary and installed my new one for 2013. The really boring bit was transferring all the bookings from the back of my 2012 diary onto the wall planner. This is all the 'back room stuff' that is essential to the smooth running of a business, but no-one sees it going on.

There is something very satisfying about swivelling round on my chair and seeing all those little coloured dots on the planner. I can see that the business is definitely safe for another year. This is a thought not all business people or employees are lucky enough to have at this time of the year. I get the feeling that someone up there is looking after me! On the other hand, repeat business could be just because I am good at what I do?

The first course of the year is a nice easy 2-day session. It is module 3 of the Front Line Managers Technical Programme, (FLMTP), one of a stable of courses offered by +Tim Watts.

This course encompasses all the technical parts of the Machineman Development Programme, (MDP), and in some areas, goes deeper. Its aim is to make the senior managers aware of what their people on the MDP have been exposed to, and to help them prepare for the searching questions that may now be asked, and the practices that may now be challenged.

The second course is one of my favourites, it is a 2-day introduction to papermaking, or as we have formally titled it, ‘Orientation Course in Papermaking’. 

Its aim is to be friendly and fun, while getting across the broad concepts of papermaking and to provide an understanding of the jargon used by Papermakers.

The course is aimed at those new to the industry, and those on the periphery of actual papermaking, so, engineers, accountants, sales, buying, HR, suppliers and customers. This course is accredited by the National Skills Academy (MPS), and so all attendees receive a nice shiny Certificate.