COVID-19 LEARNER INFO

 

I wanted to write to you all with some updates at Hawk Training. The second week of Government lockdown has now been completed and we are all starting to get used to new ways of working.

 

These are uncharted waters for us all, there has been no bigger challenge to us as a society in recent history and I personally want to assure you that we at Hawk have the agility, the resilience and the passion to continue to support you on your apprenticeship.

 

I would firstly like to start by thanking my dedicated and skilled colleagues at Hawk.  I have been staggered by the sheer determination and perseverance they have all shown.  The way my colleagues have handled themselves and responded to the situation, has made me feel very proud to be the Managing Director of Hawk Training.

 

The good news is, that as a result of the teams’ efforts, I am pleased to confirm that our programme offer is now entirely remotely accessible. Our tutors are equipped to deliver 121 support sessions remotely, as well as deliver workshops online through a variety of platforms. In addition, we have introduced an online enrolment process, therefore individuals wishing to join our apprenticeship programmes to develop their knowledge skills and behaviours can still continue to do so.

 

Secondly, I would like to personally thank you, our apprentices, who have continued to engage and communicate with us and adapt to our new delivery to meet your needs. I know that these are challenging times for you all and in particular those of you who work within the NHS or are key workers. Please be assured that we are doing all that we can to support you through this period and where possible, we will continue to provide you with the learning and development support that you need now and in the future.

 

The welfare and wellbeing of your employees / our apprentices

We are seeing an increase of learners who are needing wellbeing and safeguarding support at this current time, and we want to ensure you that we are here to support you through this tough time, if needed, through our Learner Support Team. If you do need support, please do speak to your tutor or email one of our learner support team  stephanie@hawktraining.com or sherron@hawktraining.com

 

To help overcome some of the worries/concerns right now, we will be launching free webinar access for our learners covering emotional resilience and managing stress which we hope to go in some way to support some of the needs we are identifying.  

 

Furloughing

We recognise too that for some of you, your employer has had no option than to place you onto furlough. I wanted to give you my personal reassurance that we as a training provider will continue to support your learning and development during this time. Apprentices can continue their apprenticeship programme even whilst furloughed and we advise that learners take this time to continue to develop their skills using our online learning resources and remote delivery tools. Therefore, if you have been furloughed, please do let us know so that we can continue to support you both with progressing on your apprenticeship, but also the other learning opportunities we have added to support you at this difficult time free of charge. 

 

Redundancy

In these extraordinary times some employers have no other option than to make staff redundant. We want to support you if you find yourself in this position and as such, we would ask that you inform us if you have been made redundant. ESFA funding rules state that learners can continue on their programme up to 6 months following redundancy (funded for 12 weeks). We may also be able to support in sourcing alternative employment opportunities by referring you to employers within our community who are looking for new staff.

 

Delivery access and remote delivery update

We are now booking apprenticeship learners onto our online workshops. Workshops are open to all apprentices. The link to these can be found below. We ask that you discuss the workshops that are outside the current scope of your apprenticeship with your tutor to identify additional workshops that meet your needs. For workshops for the apprenticeship you are on, you are welcome to enrol now. The workshops, with registration details can be found here


What next?

Please be assured that we are doing our very best to continue delivering a high-quality service and will continue to keep you and your employer updated. If you do have any serious concerns you wish to discuss, please do contact us, either via your main Hawk representative or email hello@hawktraining.com

 

I would like to thank you for your continued support and hope that you, your colleagues and loved ones stay safe and well.

     

Helplines

 

If you suspect you have COVID-19 please call: NHS 111

 

In addition, the Department of Education has now launched a new helpline to answer questions about COVID-19 related to education. Staff, parents and young people can contact the helpline as follows:

 

Phone: 0800 046 8687
Email: DfE.coronavirushelpline@education.gov.uk
Opening hours: 8am to 6pm (Monday to Friday)

Please keep up-to-date with the latest government advice regarding COVID-19 here.

 
We will continue to update you on all the above as part of regular update communications.


If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.