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BITES is based in excellent
premises in the village of Maud in rural Aberdeenshire. It has a warm welcoming atmosphere with a
small, friendly and dedicated team who work hard to ensure that everyone who comes to BITES has the best
learning experience that they can have. With the latest of technology available BITES can provide, as
they promise, learning and training for everyone
Learning for the local and wider Community is what
BITES is all about. Whether you're eight or eighty years old there's something for you at
BITES. Courses are tailored to various ability levels and there is always someone on hand so that you
can ask questions or get assistance. We offer a wide range of courses, to help beginners come to grips
with their computer, or more advanced learners move forward into today's exciting world of Information
Technology.
Training for business with BITES is different. We make sure that what you
need to learn is the primary focus. We believe that targeted training makes sense for learners and for the
business that is paying for it. Have you been on a course where the content is too simple or too
advanced? BITES training avoids this problem by tailoring each course to customer needs with practical
work and, where required, nationally recognised qualifications.
The BITS Club is an after school club
aimed at school age children. On one level the club is about helping youngsters build confidence in
using the computer for school work for example to prepare presentations and talks, or research homework on
the Internet. But its much more that that, its a great opportunity for children to learn about the
interesting world of IT in a friendly safe environment, to discover all the exciting possibilities that
computers offer for creativity and learning. It's also a great place to make friends and have a lot of
fun.
Once regarded as the "technophobe generation" it's interesting to note that a
recent report identified the over 50's as being the fastest growing age group of Internet users. New
research has revealed that these "Silver Surfers" now make up over 25% of web users in the UK and
14% are over 70! BITES values its older learners and works to make learning accessible and interesting for
more senior people.
ABOUT BITES
Situated in quiet peaceful rural
surroundings, the BITES building is a very accessible place for everyone, with all facilities on one level.
With ample parking just yards from the door it all adds up to a stress free experience. The relaxed
atmosphere continues inside with pleasant neutral colours being the theme of the decor, and a warm welcoming
attitude from the staff. BITES is a purpose built training centre which provides modern computer and IT
learning facilities whatever your needs may be.
Whether you are looking for academic qualifications
to find a new career, business training or just want to learn something new, BITES can help. They are
accredited by OCR which means they aspire to the same academic excellence as you would find at Universities
like Oxford and Cambridge. This same scheme links BITES to the RSA an organisation which works to remove
barriers to social progress, a principle that BITES supports wholeheartedly.
The Trainers at BITES
understand that people might be nervous about learning. That's why they make time to chat to people who
come on courses. They realise that to begin to learn you need to feel relaxed and comfortable. They
understand the importance of help and support and providing a listening ear. BITES prides itself on the fact
that learners are never left alone to struggle with a problem. There is always someone there to provide one
to one assistance and reassurance.
BITES has been supported by many generous companies and
organisations over the years. They are sincerely grateful to their funders who have allowed BITES to develop
and grow into the successful, forward thinking company that it is today. The logos that appear at the bottom
of this page represent just some of these benefactors. To everyone who has given financially, in kind, and
of their own time and effort BITES would like to say a heartfelt "Thank You". Another group
of vital importance to BITES are the volunteers who help in so many ways to ensure that the company runs
smoothly and effectively. Without the volunteers in fund raising, teaching and running the Management Board
BITES would never be able to offer the level of attention and service to its clients that it does.
LEARNING
Learning at BITES is
different. It's not like a college or school. You learn at your own pace with as much one to one
help and support as you need. Groups are small and people are friendly. Courses are designed so that you
don't spend hours staring at the computer screen. Questions and requests for help are always welcome,
because that's the way that people learn. Whatever your skill level from beginner to expert,
there's always something interesting and useful for you at BITES.
5 good reasons to learn with BITES
1. From 2 hours a week needed for a course
2. It's affordable, rewarding and fun
3. You can progress to Higher Education
4. You could get a well paid job in IT
5. Boost your confidence and self esteem
BITES is a happy place to be. You'll always receive a warm welcome and the pleasure of being
with people who want to learn in a relaxed and stress free atmosphere. Project Manager Denise Belshaw says
"If I pass by the learning room and I don't hear laughter, first I'm surprised because it
happens all the time here, next I want to know why, because learning should be an enjoyable experience not a
chore." One learner at BITES, Lorna Stirling remarked "I was made to feel welcome and I feel great
now about using digital photos."
LINK TO LEARNING COURSES PAGE
SILVER BITES
At BITES they believe you're
never too old to learn and whether you're a juvenile in your fifties, a retired person in your sixties,
or a seeker of knowledge in your seventies or eighties, there's something for you at BITES. Many
older people love keeping in touch with family and friends by e-mail and the Internet, others enjoy the
freedom of shopping on line. Still others would like to keep up with their grandchildren and be able to
follow the changes in the world of computers and Information Technology.
Among senior learners the
Digital Camera courses have proved to be very popular. These cameras don't need a film or processing so
they are very cheap to run. You can see the results right away and then you can e-mail them to friends or
family, put them onto a DVD so that you can watch them on your TV accompanied by your favourite music. You
can make greetings cards with them or just print them out and put them into a photo album as you would with
ordinary photographs.
Older people have a vast wealth of experience and knowledge which often comes
to the fore in class discussion and can help younger learners be more focused and encouraged.
Senior
learners often enjoy the social aspects of BITES, meeting up for a cup of tea and a chat between classes and
making new friends with fellow learners. BITES is very proud of the achievements of their "Silver
Surfers" and many return to learn new things regularly
THE BITS CLUB
The BITS Club is an after school
computing club aimed at school-age children. It is held at BITES Training Centre in Maud after school until
5:30pm and costs £10 per child (£5 per hour). BITS Club is aimed at children who need help with
building confidence in using a computer for school work, for example to prepare presentations and talks, or
to research topics on the Internet.
BITES offers a fully
supervised friendly environment where your child can receive tuition, time to practice, and friends to share
ideas with. We can build a fun program for your child based on their individual needs, for example:
The Basics building confidence with using the mouse, keyboard, & the windows environment. The
Internet supervised access and tuition in how to use search tools effectively to research school
topics. Touch-Typing as taught in the final years of primary school. Databases to support schools
projects. Desktop Publishing e.g. to create posters and greetings cards. Spreadsheets to help with
mathematical topics. Presentation Tools to prepare for presentations and talks. Word-processing
e.g. to write stories and illustrate them with pictures.
Hi kids, my name is BITS your friendly robot
guide to the great after school club called BITS...hey, same name as me! Do you want to learn about all
the fun you can have with computers? Want to learn about Bebo? Do you like making up your own
stories and adding pictures? Want to make great presentations to show at school or to your friends
about dinosaurs, or space, or ponies, or anything you like? Sometimes we have party days or do other fun
things. If you're older you might want help with computer based homework such as spreadsheets or
databases. Whatever you want to do or know BITS is the fun way to learn.
TRAINING
Everything about BITES says
"professional" and "quality". From the purpose built Cottingham Suite, a training room
with 10 new IT workstations, to the state of the art IT equipment including BITES own network server. From
the friendly welcome, to the business oriented training courses. Whatever your business training need, BITES
has the answer. Since BITES is accredited and approved by the British Computer Society you can be sure that
the qualifications you receive will be useful and valued in any business.
Business training at BITES
comes in two forms. Trainees are welcome to attend the BITES learning centre in Maud, In House , to use the
excellent services OR BITES trainers can come to your workplace and instruct your staff using your
computers, what BITES calls Outreach. Each method has its own advantages. You can find out more about these
advantages if you look at the webpages which cover these subjects.
10 Good Reasons to choose BITES
1. Well experienced trainers offer full support
2. Training room or on-site, your choice
3. Courses graded in levels of difficulty
4. Nationally recognised qualifications
5. Quality training, affordably priced
6. One-to-One or Small Groups
7. Tailored packages available
8. Practical, targeted, flexible
9. Full / half day or evening
10. Fully accredited centre
LINK TO TRAINING COURSES
IN HOUSE TRAINING
Business Training at the BITES
centre is a world away from the training experience you might receive in a college. First, training
groups are much smaller which allows people to ask more questions and the Trainer has time to observe and
support each trainee. Second, all the facilities are available on one level making access easy and
inclusive. Third, BITES has a comfortable relaxation area where you can make a cup of tea or coffee and
relax between training sessions
BITES training includes course materials which can be taken by the
trainee into the workplace for reference when returning to the office or business premises. The excellent
modern computer equipment allows the Trainers to demonstrate each facet of a software package to the best
advantage. You may have particular requirements to train in a particular version of software, such as
Microsoft Office 2003, which you may be running on the computers in your business premises. BITES is happy
to ensure that the training given is compatible with the software you use.
5 good reasons to learn In House
1. Easy access for people and vehicles
2. Friendly atmosphere, relaxation area
3. One to One support from Trainers
4. Modern computers and equipment
5. Quality Training, Affordable Price
OUTREACH TRAINING
With BITES Outreach Training they
bring the same award winning training available at their Centre in Maud, Aberdeenshire to your door. BITES
Trainers ensure that they pay the same attention to detail and give the same level of support that you would
expect from a professional business training organisation, whether they work at their own premises or yours.
Experienced and knowledgeable trainers are the key to the excellent Outreach training service that BITES can
deliver and training can be tailored to suit you.
Outreach
Training helps to minimise disruption caused to staff work patterns which sometimes occur when people need
to leave the workplace for training. If you are a small business wisely investing in training you will
appreciate the problems caused when key personnel are absent. Courses can be tailored to match quiet
business times of the day, or evenings so that your business continues to flourish and grow. If further
training needs are identified by the skilled Trainers, to make your workplace more efficient for example,
these needs can be brought to your attention and quickly addressed, to make the most of your business and
meet changes in the IT world.
5 good reasons to learn by Outreach
1. We train you at your premises
2. Minimise staff time away from work
3. Training suits exactly your equipment
4. One to One support from Trainers
5. Quality Training, Affordable Price
VOLUNTEERS
When you look at what has been
achieved by the small team of staff and remarkable group of volunteers at BITES it reveals a charity
organisation with business roots and a professional attitude. BITES believes that IT should be made
available to everyone and for them to widen the scope of the people they reach they need volunteers.
Whatever your skills or experience if you have a few hours to spare each week they would love to hear from
you.
Even if you feel that you don't have a particular skill but you are willing to lend a hand,
please contact BITES. CLICK HERE
5 good reasons to Volunteer
1. Make new friends, find new interests
2. Volunteering is rewarding and fun
3. Gain experience for paid employment
4. Use your free time to make a difference
5. Boost your confidence and self esteem
Volunteers
help BITES in so many ways, here are some of their volunteers and what they do to make BITES a success.
Gary Addison (Secretary) - helps BITES with valuable accountancy advice and support.
Audrey
Alexander (Volunteer IT Trainer) - supports BITES by providing one-to-one training, with a focus on digital
photography -related software. She is also working towards her British Computer Society (BCS) European
Computer Driving Licence (ECDL), and works as part of the fund raising team.
David Duncan (Treasurer)
- is a former helicopter pilot with an all-consuming passion for computers and Lotus Elise sports cars.
Roy Henderson (Committee Member) - has the resource to administer hosting services - web technology,
e-mail secrets, etc. which he does with unfailing good humour. His technical expertise is invaluable to both
BCW and to BITES.
Alison Murray (Chairperson) - has taken on the role of chairperson after a period
in the role of vice-chairperson of both BCW and BITES. She now helps to co-ordinate fund raising events for
BITES.
Irene Rowe (Committee Member) - is happy to help with training, helps with administrative
work, and is part of the fund raising team. She is working hard at mastering the intricacies of Dreamweaver,
and is an ECDL invigilator and marker for BITES.
Maureen Stephen (Committee Member) - is a leading
light in BCW, and carried her enthusiasm forward to BITES She is the organisation's secretary, working
tirelessly as Project Manager on funding grants and administration.
BITES would also like to thank for their support and advice:
Maureen Stephen, Bridge CVS
Linda Singer, Grampian Opportunities
Sandra Turnbull, Computers & Integration, Inverurie
Duncan Leece, Boyndie Trust
Buchan Development Partnership: Dawn Brodie and Nicky Donald have been and
remain a constant source of helpful advice and encouragement.
LINK TO DISCLAIMER PAGE
CONTACT BITES
Address Information
BITES
Unit 2
Community Resource Centre
Old Mart Site
Deer Road
Maud
PETERHEAD
AB42 2NE
Telephone Information
01771 619181
E-Mail Information
denise@bitesonline.org
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