Short Courses, Work Based Learning & Continuing Professional Development

The Faculty of Sciences at Staffordshire University offers work based training and professional updating courses to organisations locally, regionally and nationally. We work with employers to identify training needs and skills gaps in their organisation and to provide appropriate training to meet workforce skills requirements.

Often such training will be bespoke or tailored to meet the needs of the organisation and the learning needs of the employees though sometimes we may already have courses in our training portfolio which match employers needs.

Training can be delivered at the University, at an off-site venue or in the employer’s workplace as appropriate. Flexible methods of learning are offered including distance learning, to find out more about distance learning in the Faculty of Sciences visit the distance learning web pages.

We offer training which is accredited by appropriate professional bodies and also offer University credits for training courses including short bespoke training. We can also accredit other organisations training including employers in-house training programmes.

Additionally we may be able to accredit employee’s prior learning including work based learning that an employee may have already gained.

The Bioscience team offers education and training in Biological and Biomedical Sciences. Our short courses focus on the needs of professionals working within a wide range of bioindustries including pharmaceuticals and biotechnology companies, the health services, environmental consultancy and the education sectors.

The Certificate in Biomedical Science is aimed primarily at band 4/associate pratitioner level NHS employees and Health Professionals.

Our courses in Pharmacology range from awareness of drug interaction through to molecular characterisation of targets for neuroactive agents and can be tailored for your needs.
For further information contact Dr David Skingsley (d.r.skingsley@staffs.ac.uk)

• Clinical Mycology: Identification Of Fungal Pathogens Short Course
• Current Topics in The Diagnosis of Respiratory Infections
• Diagnostic Techniques in Immunology/Cytology Short Course
• Healthcare Science Management(PgC)
• Identification of Anaerobes
• Introduction to Leadership and Management in Healthcare Science
• Laboratory Diagnosis of Blood Borne Viruses/Viral Infection
• Laboratory Diagnosis of Parasites of the Gastro-Intestinal Tract
• Medical Microbiology for the Specialist Portfolio
• Molecular Biology for Microbiologists
• Molecular Techniques Short Course
• Neuropharmacology  
• Practical Techniques in Molecular Biology Short Course "From Genome to Gene"
  For details of our Molecular Biology provision contact Dr A Priestman (a.a.priestman@staffs.ac.uk)
• Safe Specimen Handling: Principles and Practice
• Understanding Antibiotic Resistance and Susceptibility Testing Short Course
• Update in Sexually Transmitted Infections

CPD for Biomedical Scientists :

Responding to the current training needs of biomedical scientists, we run a number of short courses focused in key areas such as sterilisation, infection control and antibiotic resistance. These courses are open to any scientist, clinician or health professional.
For further details contact Dr Pauline Gowland (p.gowland@staffs.ac.uk)

Bespoke training and CPD :

The Bioscience tutors offer expertise that enables us to create and tailor a range of education and training to your needs. Here is a short , but not exhaustive list, of the areas we currently cover:

    * Animal identification courses for ecological and environmental consultants
    * Updating in contemporary issues for teachers and College Lecturers
    * Reflective practice for professionals
    * Self and peer assessment in FE and HE
    * Travel health updating

Forensic Awareness Training Course

Team Building Course Using the Forensic Crime Scene House

The crime scene house faciltity at Staffordshire University is a first class learning environment, where you can exercise all the skills that are used in the workplace to build an effective team.

This innovative approach to staff development can be tailored to facilitate improved working relationships and operating procedures in your workplace.

'Do Forensic': Trauma Simulation for Teachers (PDF, file size: 137.74KB)

This course is designed for primary, Secondary and college teachers, lecturers and technicians.  It will provide ideas to simulate crime scene scenarios, how to simulate traumas using make-up and the preparation of simulated blood and injuries, creation of photographic evidence etc etc.  A resource pack will provide ideas for different key stages and the 'recipes' to aid you in making scenarios realistic.  Whether you are a Forensic Science, general science or drama teacher this course will aid you in adding realism in the classroom.  For further information or to book a place please download the course flier (PDF, file size: 137.74KB) or contact Sara Buckley at s.l.buckley@staffs.ac.uk

The Geography team offers training, updating and consultancy services across a wide spectrum.
From specific geographical techniques and applications [such as GIS, digital mapping, remote sensing, environmental hazards and tourism and the environment] through to wider issues such as climate change, environmental justice, rural sustainability, environmental management systems and sustainable business development. We are always happy to discuss your specific content and delivery requirements, and to try to tailor programmes that best fit with your needs.

Work-based Distance/eLearning – The Environment and Sustainability :

We have a number of training packages - each one full of information, resources and links - that are delivered by a team of experienced facilitators over the web. They will give you the background and the understanding that you need to keep abreast of the topic and all of our material is regularly updated.

Subjects include:

    * Environmental Legislation and Regulation
    * Industrial Wastewater Treatment - Trade Effluent Charging and Control
    * Setting up and Maintaining an Environmental Management System
    * Tools for Monitoring a Company’s Environmental Performance
    * Environmental Reporting and Auditing
    * Carbon Footprints and Carbon Offsetting
    * Air Pollution and Control
    * Contaminated Land Remediation
    * Sustainable Business Development
    * Healthy Lifestyles
    * Uses for Public Health Statistics
    * Analysis of Sediments and Pollen

Staffordshire University/Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management Online CPD Units

Staffordshire University and CIWEM have developed a new training experience for you. Using a web-based elearning format, allowing you to study at any time, and anywhere, that you have a web connection, our new on-line training units will provide you with valuable continuing professional development (CPD).

The assessments that enable you to demonstrate that you have met unit the learning outcomes are all aligned with the 14 Mandatory Competences that you will need to demonstrate when applying for CIWEM corporate membership.

So, why not gain CPD whether you are working towards completion of your application for CIWEM membership or just to improve your knowledge in the area.  These units have the benefit of tutor-support through Skype, email and by phone and provide both the background and detailed knowledge that you need to really understand the technologies that are applied to remove pollution from water.

Each tutor-supported unit includes the following:

• Access to an on line training unit containing teaching and learning content and linked to a wide range of other quality web-based resources
  

• Online support and feedback throughout the unit from a tutor with nearly 10 years experience supporting on-line learners, and who regularly reviews applications for CIWEM corporate membership and who has acted as a professional interviewer for membership applicants for many years

• A range of built-in self-assessment and self-evaluation questions throughout the unit

• One or more summative assessments [assignments] addressing all of the unit learning outcomes [LOs]

• Clear mapping of the above assignment(s) across a range of the CIWEM 14 Mandatory Competences [MCs] used when reviewing applications for corporate membership of the Institution

• Provision of individual feedback to each participant covering how well you have met the LOs for the unit, and reviewing the extent to which you have addressed the associated CIWEM MCs

• Suggestions about how you might consider modifying your thoughts to align responses more closely to the requirements of the CIWEM MCs

• A completion certificate for participants who successfully achieve all of the unit LOs

Each 24 hour equivalent unit runs over a period of 15 weeks and each 8 hour equivalent unit runs over 5 weeks. You will need to devote 2.5-3.5 hours per week as you work through each one - the precise time will depend on your prior knowledge and your depth of interest in the different topics being covered. Each unit is free-standing and can be taken either individually or in any sequence.

Look here for more information about content, costs, start dates and the online handbook for each of the courses currently on offer:

http://www.ciwem.org/units

CPD/Updating for Teachers :

We offer short updating courses for providing the ideas, information, examples and resources that will help you cover relevant areas of the curriculum from a contemporary and practical viewpoint. Please get in touch with us and we will try to provide a relevant and timely experience in the topics and issues that are of most pressing need to you. Subject-related themes that we have covered in the past include climate change, water pollution, contaminated land remediation, wastewater treatment technology, independent learning and enterprise/entrepreneurship in the curriculum.

Services to Small and Medium Sized Companies :

One of the Geography team is a UK Government Envirowise Helpline Advisor who specialises in providing practical environmental advice to small and medium sized companies, and helping them to realise their cost-saving waste minimisation plans. In conjunction with colleagues in the Institute for Environment, Sustainability and Regeneration, we can offer a range of consultancy and training support packages designed to help your business grow more sustainably and help it to prosper.

Further Information :

If you have any queries about the range of training, short course or updating services that we have available then please contact Dr. Glynn Skerratt [r.g.skerratt@staffs.ac.uk; Skype: Glynnn] or Sara Buckley on +44 1782 294 489.

The Psychology team located in the Faculty of Sciences have a vast range and depth of experience in the psychological sciences, from research methods and statistics through to health psychology and counselling, biological psychology through to education and cognitive development.

The following is a comprehensive list of the professional Work Based Learning and Continuting Professional Development courses we offer:

Advanced Research Methods in Health Psychology

Consultancy Skills (Health Psychology)

Introduction to Basic Counselling Skills

Optional Competencies (Health Psychology)

Professional Competence (Health Psychology)

Teaching in Health Psychology

We also offer four different courses for psychology teachers, leading to Certificates of Continuing Professional Development (CPD).  These are 30 credit  distance-learning courses which can help you to develop understanding of psychology and subject-specific teaching skills.  For more information on these courses, please click on the links below:

Applications of Psychology

Evaluating Approaches and Perspectives in Psychology

Teaching Research Methods and Statistics

Teaching the Psychology Core Curriculum

BESPOKE TRAINING AND CPD :

Understanding Mathematics Anxiety:
A short course for education professionals.
In addition to the recognised developmental disorders such as dyscalculia, teachers are often faced with students who are reticent to work with numbers, and in many cases the fear can be profound and affect all of their studies. In this short course, two experts on mathematics anxiety explain the psychological factors influencing it, and provide practical tips on recognising maths anxiety, on teaching numeracy, and on reducing student fears in the classroom. 
 
Introduction to Autism (DOC, file size: 28KB)
A one day workshop aimed at anyone who would like to know more about the Autistic Spectrum, including autism, Asperger syndrome, High-Functioning Autism and PDD-NOS. 
 
Autism in the Classroom (DOC, file size: 27KB)
One day workshop aimed at mainstream teachers and support staff who work with pupils on the Autistic spectrum. 
 
Challenging Behaviour and Autism (DOC, file size: 28KB)
One day workshop aimed at anyone working with people with Autistic Spectrum Disorders who need to know more about avoiding and containing challenging behaviour.
 
To book on any of these workshops in Autistic Spectrum Disorders please use this booking form (DOC, file size: 30.5KB) .  For further information contact Anja Rutten on a.h.rutten@staffs.ac.uk or telephone +44 (0)1782 294736/294643

The expertise available in the team allows us to create and tailor a wide range of training to your corporate needs.

To give you a flavour of the areas we can cover, here is a short and not exhaustive list:

    * Stress management
    * Time management
    * Health coaching
    * Executive coaching
    * Corporate coaching
    * Research methods (both qualitative and quantitative) for various professionals
    * Interviewing skills
    * Autism and Asperger’s awareness
    * Health and well-being for teachers

If you have particular training needs, please discuss them with Dr Mark Forshaw, Work-Based Learning/CPD Lead for Psychology (m.j.forshaw@staffs.ac.uk) or Tel. 01782 294661.