This blog was written by guest blogger, Louise Tythe, Professional Skills Trainer with the IET
Lifeskills are very popular events that are run by Local Network Representatives all over the UK.
As a Professional Skills Trainer for the IET, part of my role is to deliver the Lifeskills events. In 2014, I delivered 32, Lifeskills in our UK Networks. I am aware that there are some Networks who are not taking advantage of these great events, and I want to help engage everyone in these essential workshops.
Our free, UK based, Lifeskills workshops are designed to provide a brief introduction to 17 key topics, relevant to any professional looking to enhance their skill set. Our generic Lifeskills workshops focus on key soft skills, allowing us to complement the more technically-focused events produced by the IET.
The IET supports the delivery of Lifeskills as part of our drive to increase skills and professionalism in the engineering sectors. Many of the topics covered will assist anyone looking to become professionally registered, as they link in with of the competencies set out in the UK-Spec.
Members and non-members are encouraged to attend, and they provide a great opportunity to network and meet new people in your region. In addition to this, you can also record your attendance of a Lifeskills as part of your Continuous Professional Development (CPD).
Each Lifeskills will give you 3 hours of CPD.
For those Networks who have not yet hosted a Lifeskill, I have put together a short guide on how to run a successful Lifeskill event.
The Booking Process
Booking is kept very simplistic. All you need to do is email our Lifeskills Organiser, Krystyann Clarke, in our Professional Development team at lsbooking@theiet.org.
On this initial email, all you need to include are:
This can then be booked in with the trainer. We require a minimum of eight weeks’ notice for a Lifeskills event.
Booking form
Krystyann will email you a short booking form to complete and send back to us. On this form you will confirm the date, time, venue and topic for the Lifeskill, along with your contact details. Once we have received your completed form into our inbox, we will confirm the booking.
Advertise the event
You can then leave it to us to create the event registration on the Plus4 events registration system. Once this is done, we send you the URL link to set up an event calendar with the workshop information on. This is how your event is advertised – in addition feel free to put up posters and promote the event in other ways that you may think of.
Complete the joining instructions
Once a minimum of 15 delegates have registered for your event, we will email you a simple joining instructions form to complete and return to us. On this form we need you to complete all of the venue details, start/finish times, maps and directions for the event. Krystyann will then send these out to the delegates two weeks prior to the event.
Feedback
Following the event, Krystyann will send out an online feedback survey to all who registered. Feedback is collated using the Plus4 system.
So, now you have your event booked in, here are some useful tips to ensuring that your event is a success:
Book your venue
It may sound obvious; however, it is essential that you book your venue as soon as you can to ensure that it is available on the date you have booked with us.
Choose your venue wisely
For a successful Lifeskill event, you will need to book a room big enough to hold the maximum of 30 delegates. As Lifeskills run in the evenings, check that your venue is open late enough for the event. Most events run from 18:00 - 21:00 so book the room until 21:30 to allow plenty of time for everyone to leave.
Advertise
Advertise your event as much as you can. We need a minimum of 15 delegates to register, in order for the event to go ahead. The sooner you advertise the event, the more people will know about it!
Layout of the room
Most of the Lifeskills run more effectively with a ‘cabaret’ style layout if possible. Groups of 4-6 people per table, ensuring that all delegates are able to face the front to see the screen. Auditoriums and lecture style theatres with static or no tables are not ideal, as most of the Lifeskills are interactive and require group work.
Equipment
Check what equipment the venue can provide for you. As a standard we need a projector and screen available to us, along with a flip chart stand and pad. Everything else (Laptop, flip chart pens, workbooks) will be provided by the trainer.
Refreshments
Most Lifeskills events provide refreshments on the night. This is dependent on what budget you have for this. As a standard I would suggest having water, tea and coffee available as a minimum. Some networks provide other refreshments such as sandwiches and snacks; this is the decision of the individual network and not a requirement. It is a nice idea to include on the joining instructions what sort of refreshments will be available on the night, to allow people to prepare accordingly.
Communicate
Throughout the booking process and leading up to your event, it is essential that you respond to any emails from Krystann and the trainer, as soon as possible. By doing this, we can ensure that any obstacles can be overcome as soon as possible and also support you throughout the process to ensure that the event runs smoothly. We understand how busy you are and that organising events can be time consuming, perhaps having a second person to take on elements of the event for you will help share the load.
Signs
Help the delegates find your event, by displaying IET signs directing them to the room.
Be there on the night
It is essential that either you or a representative attends the event. As you organised it, you are the best person to meet and greet your delegates, promote further events and answer any questions that people may have about your local network.
By following the above hints and tips, you should have a very successful event.
Feedback from previous successful events:
Here is some recent feedback from some of our delegates that have attended Lifeskills:
“As usual, an enjoyable and informative event. Thank you”
“Trainer was knowledgeable and ensured participants were involved in discussions”
“The event was useful and many of the attendees contributed to make the participation effective. The speaker was clear and could relate to the audience. I shall be looking to attend future life skills events.”
“The content was ideal; concise, easy to digest and well presented by the trainer. The location is perfect for me as was the early evening timeslot as it did not interfere with my working day. That this type of event is free, or included in my membership, is simply unbelievable. Good work IET!”
“A surprisingly informative event. An absolute must for all IET members.”
“Excellent - important topic for professional registration as a Chartered Engineer. Convenient room and location for the course.”
I look forward to adding you to our list of active networks and working with you soon.
For further information on IET Lifeskills and other IET courses, please visit:
http://www.theiet.org/membership/career/courses
Lifeskills are very popular events that are run by Local Network Representatives all over the UK.
As a Professional Skills Trainer for the IET, part of my role is to deliver the Lifeskills events. In 2014, I delivered 32, Lifeskills in our UK Networks. I am aware that there are some Networks who are not taking advantage of these great events, and I want to help engage everyone in these essential workshops.
Our free, UK based, Lifeskills workshops are designed to provide a brief introduction to 17 key topics, relevant to any professional looking to enhance their skill set. Our generic Lifeskills workshops focus on key soft skills, allowing us to complement the more technically-focused events produced by the IET.
The IET supports the delivery of Lifeskills as part of our drive to increase skills and professionalism in the engineering sectors. Many of the topics covered will assist anyone looking to become professionally registered, as they link in with of the competencies set out in the UK-Spec.
Members and non-members are encouraged to attend, and they provide a great opportunity to network and meet new people in your region. In addition to this, you can also record your attendance of a Lifeskills as part of your Continuous Professional Development (CPD).
Each Lifeskills will give you 3 hours of CPD.
For those Networks who have not yet hosted a Lifeskill, I have put together a short guide on how to run a successful Lifeskill event.
The Booking Process
Booking is kept very simplistic. All you need to do is email our Lifeskills Organiser, Krystyann Clarke, in our Professional Development team at lsbooking@theiet.org.
On this initial email, all you need to include are:
- Dates that you have in mind for the event
- Which topics you would like (from our portfolio)
- Name of your Local Network area
This can then be booked in with the trainer. We require a minimum of eight weeks’ notice for a Lifeskills event.
Booking form
Krystyann will email you a short booking form to complete and send back to us. On this form you will confirm the date, time, venue and topic for the Lifeskill, along with your contact details. Once we have received your completed form into our inbox, we will confirm the booking.
Advertise the event
You can then leave it to us to create the event registration on the Plus4 events registration system. Once this is done, we send you the URL link to set up an event calendar with the workshop information on. This is how your event is advertised – in addition feel free to put up posters and promote the event in other ways that you may think of.
Complete the joining instructions
Once a minimum of 15 delegates have registered for your event, we will email you a simple joining instructions form to complete and return to us. On this form we need you to complete all of the venue details, start/finish times, maps and directions for the event. Krystyann will then send these out to the delegates two weeks prior to the event.
Feedback
Following the event, Krystyann will send out an online feedback survey to all who registered. Feedback is collated using the Plus4 system.
So, now you have your event booked in, here are some useful tips to ensuring that your event is a success:
Book your venue
It may sound obvious; however, it is essential that you book your venue as soon as you can to ensure that it is available on the date you have booked with us.
Choose your venue wisely
For a successful Lifeskill event, you will need to book a room big enough to hold the maximum of 30 delegates. As Lifeskills run in the evenings, check that your venue is open late enough for the event. Most events run from 18:00 - 21:00 so book the room until 21:30 to allow plenty of time for everyone to leave.
Advertise
Advertise your event as much as you can. We need a minimum of 15 delegates to register, in order for the event to go ahead. The sooner you advertise the event, the more people will know about it!
Layout of the room
Most of the Lifeskills run more effectively with a ‘cabaret’ style layout if possible. Groups of 4-6 people per table, ensuring that all delegates are able to face the front to see the screen. Auditoriums and lecture style theatres with static or no tables are not ideal, as most of the Lifeskills are interactive and require group work.
Equipment
Check what equipment the venue can provide for you. As a standard we need a projector and screen available to us, along with a flip chart stand and pad. Everything else (Laptop, flip chart pens, workbooks) will be provided by the trainer.
Refreshments
Most Lifeskills events provide refreshments on the night. This is dependent on what budget you have for this. As a standard I would suggest having water, tea and coffee available as a minimum. Some networks provide other refreshments such as sandwiches and snacks; this is the decision of the individual network and not a requirement. It is a nice idea to include on the joining instructions what sort of refreshments will be available on the night, to allow people to prepare accordingly.
Communicate
Throughout the booking process and leading up to your event, it is essential that you respond to any emails from Krystann and the trainer, as soon as possible. By doing this, we can ensure that any obstacles can be overcome as soon as possible and also support you throughout the process to ensure that the event runs smoothly. We understand how busy you are and that organising events can be time consuming, perhaps having a second person to take on elements of the event for you will help share the load.
Signs
Help the delegates find your event, by displaying IET signs directing them to the room.
Be there on the night
It is essential that either you or a representative attends the event. As you organised it, you are the best person to meet and greet your delegates, promote further events and answer any questions that people may have about your local network.
By following the above hints and tips, you should have a very successful event.
Feedback from previous successful events:
Here is some recent feedback from some of our delegates that have attended Lifeskills:
“As usual, an enjoyable and informative event. Thank you”
“Trainer was knowledgeable and ensured participants were involved in discussions”
“The event was useful and many of the attendees contributed to make the participation effective. The speaker was clear and could relate to the audience. I shall be looking to attend future life skills events.”
“The content was ideal; concise, easy to digest and well presented by the trainer. The location is perfect for me as was the early evening timeslot as it did not interfere with my working day. That this type of event is free, or included in my membership, is simply unbelievable. Good work IET!”
“A surprisingly informative event. An absolute must for all IET members.”
“Excellent - important topic for professional registration as a Chartered Engineer. Convenient room and location for the course.”
I look forward to adding you to our list of active networks and working with you soon.
For further information on IET Lifeskills and other IET courses, please visit:
http://www.theiet.org/membership/career/courses