The height of Diplomacy

Another outstanding PA joined the ranks of the Diploma elite yesterday when Tina Skilton, PA to the Controller of the RAF Benevolent Fund, received her certificate from Laura Richardson, 'PA of the Year' and herself a Diploma holder.

Of the programme, Tina said: “The Diploma was unquestionably challenging and APA do well to pack so much knowledge exchange into just 3 training days and 3 work-based assignments between the two modules; but this fast pace is essential for busy PAs with only a limited amount of time available to be away from the office. It could appear daunting but good PAs can handle a little pressure and the course is definitely representative of the modern PA role and gives out a host of career enhancing information and practical tips. I am proud to have been recognised as a professional PA and even prouder to now have the letters DipPA after my name to help enforce the point that I am serious about my job and keen to demonstrate my continuing career development."

Gareth Osborne of APA said: "Tina is a highly experienced senior PA working in a demanding environment. Her commitment and passion to learn new thinking and best practice is a credit to her and her employer alike. I'm glad she found it challenging and as a credible award it shouldn't be any other way."

APA

Please send your PIN by return

Nearly one in five credit card users choose their birthday date as their PIN number, research indicates. Of those, 67% said they need a memorable number.

21% admitted that they had given their PIN to a friend and 3% to a work colleague. Of those in relationships, 64% admitted that their partner knew their PIN number.

Although 11% of those surveyed had been the victims of identity fraud in the past, the study suggested that poor choice of PINs was indicative of a general lax attitude towards credit card security in general. Over half of those with multiple credit cards had the same number for every card, despite the obvious security risk.

The study comes at a time when personal information is more freely available than ever. With millions of people in the UK using social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace, it is becoming easier than ever to obtain data such as birth dates.

Gareth Osborne said: “My Bank recently rejected my credit card when I was in Europe and told me I had to tell them when I was away from home. The Police tell me that you should only tell people you absolutely trust when you are away from home. So that rules the Bank out!”

Shelley, APA

Time to dig deep

APA has welcomed a number of measures included in this week’s Comprehensive Spending Review. Plans to increase the number of adult apprenticeships by 50 per cent to 75,000 a year have gained APA’s backing, as have measures geared at moving towards a low carbon economy and the commitment to improve the infrastructure of the country.

In addition, the £530 million directed from the Government and the BBC to put in place superfast broadband pilots is something small businesses are calling for, as is the new investment in the Post Office network. However, APA feels the government still needs to do more to demonstrate how it aims to stimulate growth.

Gareth Osborne said: "We all know times are tough and will be for years to come and our members understand that to reduce the public sector deficit, these cuts had to be made.”

"The business community is vital to a sustainable recovery and it needs to be encouraged to take on new members of staff to help tackle high unemployment and the huge costs to the economy that creates. As every business knows, cutting costs is only par of the solution. To create growth you have to enable cash to flow. The national economy is no different.”

APA will be meeting with Ministers over the coming weeks to share Member’s views.

APA

New Diploma Corps

More delegates attended APA Diploma courses this week in preparation for the next round of Diploma examinations in November and December.

Gareth Osborne of APA said: “I never cease to be amazed by the diversity of talent amongst PAs. They continue to demonstrate an ever increasing array of skills and the confidence and competency to provide outstanding support for their Bosses in the achievement of their strategic goals. This was a particularly strong group and I have high expectations of them as they progress through their Diploma training.”

Shown left are: (L-R) Julie North, Michelle Luggar, Jordana North and Marguerita King.

APA is taking booking now for the Winter/Spring round of qualifications starting in January and dates and location details for all 2011 course are available on the website. APA has over 70 courses scheduled across the UK next year, as well as courses in Germany, Sweden and the US.

APA

Home Wi-Fi can be hacked in seconds

Wireless internet networks in millions of homes can be hacked in less than five seconds, a recent study has claimed.

According to new research, a quarter of private wireless networks do not have a password and an ‘ethical hacking’ experiment in six cities, using freely available software, found almost 40,000 home Wi-Fi networks to be at high risk. There are also concerns about the security of those who use free Wi-Fi networks offered by coffee shops and other businesses. The study, commissioned by card protection and insurance firm CPP, highlighted a ‘cavalier’ attitude to keeping data safe.

According to the findings, nearly a quarter of private wireless networks has no password attached, making them immediately accessible to criminals. This is despite 82 per cent of Britons thinking their network is secure. The report also found that hackers were able to ‘harvest’ usernames and passwords from unsuspecting people at a rate of more than 350 an hour, sitting in coffee shops, restaurants and other open access facilities. The result could open up their identity and banking details to enable raids on their accounts. The hackers could also use the Wi-Fi access to tap into illegal pornography or upload and download stolen music and movies without being traced.

Nearly a fifth of wireless users say they regularly use public networks and Internet fraud experts warned users that any information they volunteer through public networks can easily be visible to hackers.

Shelley, APA

The technology is revolting

Thanks to those members who rushed to let us know that the website had fallen over last night. When I checked it out, the error message said 'Broadband limit exceeded' which I now know means that we were getting too many hits for the access capacity we had in place! Naturally our service providers have increased this and normal service was immediately resumed. But what good news that our popularity continues to rise and more and more PAs are using APA as their primary source of knowledge.

Also on a technology front, we have had a number of spam posting in this section recently so Colin has been forced to introduce a mediation service before external posts are authorised. Sorry to all our regular contributors, like Tracy @ ICM, if your post doesn't appear immediately but be assured it will get through unedited - we love your comments.

Gareth, APA

PA professionals

A new round of training programmes for PAs began today with the PA Apprentice Plus course in London at One Alfred Place.

APA Director General, Gareth Osborne, said: “It is always great fun to engage with Members and non-Members and share with them some of the expertise that has evolved from our membership. Today’s programme was extremely well received and I am confident that delegates with go back to their businesses equipped with new tools and charged with ideas to improve their personal effectiveness and be better able to support their bosses to achieve their strategic goals.”

On the course, pictured left, are: Lisa Williams, Keira Tait, Heather Williams and Siobhan Hall.

For details of APA training and qualification programmes go to http://www.paprofessional.com/apa-training-and-qualifications-open-access.html/

APA

Reviving employment

The latest ONS unemployment figures published last week has revealed that there are now 2.45 million people out of work, a 20,000 drop in the three months to August. This represents a 0.1 per cent drop on the quarter while at the same time, the number of people claiming Jobseekers Allowance rose by 5,300 to 1.47 million.

Commenting on the latest figures, APA Director General Gareth Osborne said:

"The ONS figures show that the jobs market is starting to flatten with the growth in job placements at its slowest rate for a year. This raises real fears, especially in light of expected cuts in the public sector following the Chancellor's Comprehensive Spending Review this coming week. The focus must be on incentivising private sector employers to take on more staff and improving the support given to the worst hit groups, such as the near million young job-seekers.”

APA believes the jobs market will remain flat for the last quarter of 2010 and not show any appreciable improvement for the first two quarters of 2011 and only then if drastic action is taken to stimulate employment.

Gareth concluded: “Government has to look to the 3 million plus small and micro enterprises for help; if each took on just one person the unemployment problem would be allayed. To achieve this Government has to incentivise employment through tax breaks for the business and a honeymoon period on employment costs for the employer and employee. It is time for radical action to revive employment. If people earn, then they spend and that will intubate the economy.”

APA

Express Delivery

Great news in from our good friend and colleague, Emma Kernan Staines FAPA DipPA.

Emma said: “Our little boy, Rui Samuel, arrived very quickly into this world at 19.46 on Thursday evening weighing in at a chunky 3.9 kgs! Excruitiating but all happy and well.”

I am sure all Members will join the APA team and me in wishing Emma and her family, especially Rui Samuel, a happy and healthy life.

Gareth, APA

It's all a matter of hot air

The air that circulates in plane cabins is actually no more dangerous to a passenger's health than sitting in an office, new research has revealed.

Travelers often complain about picking up colds and viruses from flights. But medical experts in the U.S. attribute that achy sensation to the effects of lower oxygen and dry air inside a plane flying at 35,000ft.

According to a study by the National Research Council, an airplane is as likely to make you sick as any other enclosed environment, such as a cinema or an underground train. 'There is always an increased risk of infection whenever you enter a confined space, but an aircraft cabin is no worse an environment than the office you sit in every day,' said Dr Mark Gendreau, an aviation medicine expert.

He said cabin air was refreshed about 15 times an hour, compared with fewer than 12 times an hour in an office building. On most trans-Atlantic jets, the air is filtered through hospital-grade filters that are designed to remove 99.97 per cent of bacteria and the tiny particles that carry viruses. Cabins are also separated into ventilation systems covering every seven rows or so to limit the spread of germs through the plane.

Aircraft manufacturers admit the arid air on planes - necessary to prevent the fuselage from corroding - can cause humidity levels to dip below 10 per cent and make travel uncomfortable. But the next generation of planes are being made from composite materials that can withstand more humidity.

Shelley, APA

Petrol prices up

APA has joined motoring groups and transport companies in their condemnation of the 1p rise in the cost of a litre of petrol and diesel as damaging and unnecessary.

The new higher price at the pumps facing people as they start work on Monday is a result of a Labour fuel duty increase which was not overturned by the incoming the Coalition government.

Gareth Osborne said: "This increase highlights a series of contradictions that drivers find it hard to accept. Petrol and diesel prices today are at least 10p a litre higher than this time last year and are generating an extra 1p a litre VAT windfall for the Treasury. This pushes petrol prices to almost the level of the 2008 record high and simply continues the folly of creating more pain for less gain. This increase will add to the pressure on businesses, especially road freight companies, and could backfire and hinder economic growth."

APA will continue to lobby government on all increases that restrict the ability of business to recover its financial stability, recruit and employ more people and return to profitability.

APA