Internet:
Over recnt years there has been a major increase in the amount of households with internet access. This is down to a number of reasons. Families require the internet for every aspec of their everyday life:
-The Worker = Will need internet access for communication. (Email, messaging.) Also to gain data/reasearch.
-The Shopper = Will use the internet to order food,clothes to the house (most likely to be free delivery or a small charge.) This gives people more time, to spend on what they want to do. (A leisure activity).
-The children = Use it for school work. For reasearch on a topic, or emailing work done at school to home. And more likely for recreational use, to play games etc.
Another reason for the increase of internet users is the introduction of broadband. Which is a quicker internet connection. (10 times faster). This is another time saving method as itasks can be done quicker. It also frees up the house phone line, which is cheaper to run and then the house wont miss any important phone calls.
Having internet access also allows people to work from home. Especially if they work with computers or a job that doesn’t require supervision or equipment. As the persons boss can see (via webcam) and get in easy contact about the work.
Home / Away Based:
Home based leisure activities such as watching tele, games consoles are very prominent in new technological developments as people are prefering to stay in with friends rather than going out. As it is cheaper and can do more things.
But there is still a large demand for equipment and devices. Such as Personal C.D players (more recently MP3 players). These allow people to listen to their favourite music whereever they are. Eg: On the train to work, or out on a jog. These wpuld come under away based activities as they are used when out/away from the house.
As technology is improving consistently it is hard to predict the future of it. But as everything is becoming cheaper more and more people will have everything. Which might mean people wouldn’t have to leave their homes!!
Disposable Income
Disposable income is the money that is left over after all the necessaties have been paid for. Such as rent, food and household bills.(Electricity, gas). The amount left over is the money that can be spent on choice. This is dispoasble income. Obviously the more money left over that you have the more activities you can do.
And for people who have a low income (such as the unemployed and retired) new government initiatives provide subsidised or maybe free activites.
I think that people are spending more and more amounts of money on leisure activities because they enjoy them, and it helps them to relax and forget about pressure that they may be facing at work.
This rise of spending is very good for the leisure industry. As it lets companies that own/run leisure facilities earn more money, which again allowsthem to update and enhance the facilites. Which lets customers have an improved trip.
The main reason for people having more disposable income is that they are earning more money at work. And maybe having less costs. Such as lower rents, and cheaper food.
In the future I think that the increase in disposable will become more steady and not so rapid. This is because of the amount of people ending up in debt through credit cards and loans. Which start small and end up that people end up losing everything.
Demographic Changes
This factor includes the age, size and distribution of the population. This has largely affected the leisure industry . This is because people are living a healthier life style now. Also the levels of healthcare have improved due to technology and extra finances.This all adds up to people living longer and therefore more retired people. Who have lots of free time. Subsquently facilities like museums, art galleries and historic buildings are benefiting from the larger numbers of older people because they are the group that are most likely to visit them.
This has meant that the other parts of the leisure industry have had to alter to gain the elder generation as their customers. This is vital to do this as the retired age range will generate the most profit as there are more retired people than others.
In the future people will live for longer because of better healthcare. This means that the country will grow older. So the leisure industry will have to cater for this age group.
E2:
Hypothesis:
Describe fully the scale of the UK industry and its economy and social importance. Include statistics/data. .
The Leisure and Recreation industry has an impact on the country’s economy in terms of consumer spending and employment.
I am going to discuss four different areas to show the effect and significance of the national industry. The four areas used to analyse the industry are consumer spending, employment statistics, participation trends and cultural + social significance.
Consumer spending
The UK economy benefits from the leisure and recreation industry, as it’s a major source of income. Roughly estimated at £147 billion per year. If the demand for leisure goods continues to rise, then the level of spending will increase.
Although this number is very high it is important to note that some of that spending is overseas for holiday goers. Which cant be classified as part of the UK industry.
E2:
Describe fully the scale of the UK industry and its economy and social importance. Include statistics/data. .
The Leisure and Recreation industry has an impact on the country’s economy in terms of consumer spending and employment.
I am going to discuss four different areas to show the effect and significance of the national industry. The four areas used to analyse the industry are consumer spending, employment statistics, participation trends and cultural + social significance.
Consumer spending
The UK economy benefits from the leisure and recreation industry, as it’s a major source of income. Roughly estimated at £147 billion per year. If the demand for leisure goods continues to rise, then the level of spending will increase.
Although this number is very high it is important to note that some of that spending is overseas for holiday goers. Which cant be classified as part of the UK industry.
E3:
The structure of the U.K Leisure and Recreation Industry.
There are three main types of ownership in the U.K Leisure and Recreation industry. They are:
- The public sector.
- The private sector.
- Voluntary sector.
Each of these has their own advantages and disadvantages, and have different objectives.
Public:
The public sector is any business or service that is funded by the government (taxpayers).
Private:
The private sector is greater as it is every business. They have a different object compared to the public sector. Which is that they are trying to make money (profit), whereas the public sector is providing a service.
Voluntary:
The voluntary sector is made up of people who do things
(Local football clubs) for the intrinsic values they gain from them. They do these activities for the fun and enjoyment that they get from them.
Within all three of these types of ownership there are 6 different components. They are:
The private sector:
The owners of private sector businesses are shareholders for major firms. Or sole traders for more local businesses. But they all share the same main objective, which is Profit Making. They make profit from the money generated by the customers who have bought their product, or used their service.
The main areas of the private sector in the leisure and recreation industry are:
- Retail sales.
- Catering and accommodation.
- Entertainment.
- Home-based leisure.
- Health and Fitness.
An example:
An example of home-based leisure is the home-video company Blockbuster. They lend videos and D.V.D, which people watch at home. They then return the video or D.V.D and the service/transaction is complete.
So Blockbuster’s main objective is to hire out videos and make as much profit. To boost their profits they also sell sweets by the exit of the store, which is an attraction.
Shareholders financed the company. And it now runs on its retained profit. So the advantages that they have are that they aren’t in debt (loan).
E4:
Arts and Entertainment:
Public Sector:
The Arts Council:
The main purpose of the Arts Council is to distribute government funds to groups/clubs they see appropriate. It also gives advice as well as funds. It is suited to the public sector as it is using the taxpayer’s money. It also gives assistance to local/small arts groups. The funds are also used to allow public access to the arts groups and so it is easier to participate in them.
Libraries:
The purposes of libraries are to lend out:
-Books
-CD’s
-Records
-Cassettes
-Videos
-Internet Access
-CD ROM’s
Only books are free to borrow but the other items have a small supplement fee. Libraries are part of the public sector as they are a free service and it would be very difficult for somebody to make a profit out of a library as a business.
Art Galleries:
Display exhibits for the benefit of the public. It is part of the public sector as it allows anybody to enter.
Concert halls Theatres:
They host live performances such as bands, and also One-Off events. They provide entertainment for the public. The voluntary sector is also well represented in this sector.
Home Based Leisure:
This sector is all activities that take place in the home. Companies such as Blockbuster provide a service that takes place at home. (Videos, DVD’s and games). This is an example of a private sector company. Other home-based leisure activities are voluntary. Such as doing gardening or cooking. A public sector example would be a library, which is similar to blockbuster as it lends items out but is free of charge.
Arts and Entertainments
Public Sector
Concert Halls
The main purpose is for live performances and ‘one off’ events. They provide entertainment for the public. The voluntary sector is well represented in this area. Private sector organisations usually fund these organisations with sponsorships and donations.
Theatres are suited to the public sector as there are 51 West End theatres in London, making them easily accessible for the public. There are a large number of people in the area therefore theatres will attract people wanting to go to away-from-home leisure activities.
A local example for a theatre would be the ‘Hazlitt’ in Maidstone.
Libraries
The purposes of libraries are to provide books, records, cassettes, CD’s, DVD’s, Videos and CD-ROMs. Nowadays you can even access the internet from libraries. They are suited to the public sector as it is a service for the public and it would be difficult to run as a business to make a profit. It provides a service for people on low budgets. The resources are shared in libraries. Local examples of libraries would be the Paddock Wood Library and the Larkfield Library. There are even mobile libraries, which are large vans which travel around to small villages.
Art Galleries
Art galleries provide exhibits and historical materials for the public. Museums also come under this category. They are suited to the public sector because they allow all of the public to enter (usually at a small cost or for free) and are available most of the year.
Private Sector
Cinema
Cinema comes under the private sector and examples of cinema companies include, UCI and Odeon (such as the one in Knights Park, Tunbridge Wells and Lock Meadow in Maidstone). They are under the private sector because it is not open to everyone some people are excluded. The objective of these companies is to make a profit, and they go about this by charging suitable prices for people to watch the film. The growth of cinemas in the private sector has grown due to new multi-screen cinemas. Out of town cinemas that are situated in leisure complexes have great advantages; this is because they are located by leisure facilities such as gyms, pubs and bowling centres, which attracts a larger number of people.
Bingo Caller
A bingo caller is responsible for randomly selecting and calling numbers during each game, ensuring the players are constantly entertained. The workload is varied, and they need good organisational skills and a clear understanding of the rules. There can be many different games running in a short time frame.
A bingo caller may work:
- for one of the large bingo chains
- at an independent bingo club
- at a holiday camp
- on a cruise ship.
Bingo callers will usually work an afternoon or evening shift. Flexible hours are a feature of the job. As bingo is a leisure activity, clubs are open every day, except for Christmas day. Callers need to be prepared to work during weekends and national holidays.
Salaries range from £8,000 for a new trainee, up to £18,000 for an experienced bingo caller.
Bingo callers should be:
- confident, with a natural stage presence
- happy interacting with people from different backgrounds
- clear speakers with numerical skills
- observant and reliable.
Opportunities exist throughout the country. There is likely to be an increase in careers for skilled bingo callers, with large entertainment venues opening nationwide, and other gambling venues like casinos expanding to include bingo.
It is possible for bingo callers to be under 18 years of age, although gambling and licensing laws can restrict opportunities. Most start work on the hospitality side, progressing into calling once they have gained experience. Many employers offer in-house training.
There is no upper age limit. People skills, authority and reliability are valued by employers.
Large clubs and bingo chains offer good prospects. Advancement to senior positions depends on experience and commitment. A clean criminal record is required if callers want to move into club management.
Brewery Worker
Beer making involves a number of different stages:
- weighing and measuring the ingredients
- the mixing and fermentation process
- monitoring quality
- labelling, packing or loading.
Brewery workers might be involved in the whole process, or just certain stages.
Beer making starts with mixing malted barley, hops, yeast, water and sugar, and uses automated machinery to make sure the product is consistent. Brewery workers could be operating machinery, monitoring the temperature and quality of the beer, and even testing samples.
Brewery workers usually work about 39 hours a week, and normally work shifts. Breweries are noisy, hot, steamy places, with strong smells.
Salaries range from around £16,000 to £32,000 a year.
A brewery worker should be:
- practical with good manual skills
- reliable and responsible about hygiene, health and safety
- willing to work with machinery
- numerate (for weighing).
It is important to be:
- good at teamwork
- prepared to do a job which may be physically demanding.
There are now fewer job vacancies for brewery workers because of the increased use of machinery. People do not need any particular qualifications to be a brewery worker, but it is helpful to have GCSEs/S grades in English and maths. There are no age restrictions, and most people start at over 18 years old because of the shift work involved.
Training for brewery workers is often carried out on the job, but there are also NVQ or equivalent qualifications available.
Brewery workers may be promoted to supervisory level if they gain enough experience.
Circus Performers
Circus performers include aerial performers on trapezes and high wires, acrobats, tumblers, jugglers, stilt walkers, clowns and mime artists. They work in traditional, touring circuses, at festivals and outdoor events, and in staged, musical performances in theatres and other arts venues. As well as performing, they spend a lot of time keeping fit, practicing new routines and rehearsing their acts.
They work very flexible hours. Performances may be during the daytime and in the evenings. Performers also rehearse and attend classes and auditions during the day. They often travel extensively - with a touring circus or between performance venues - and stay away from home when performing.
Salaries range from around £10,000 a year for new circus performers, to more than £25,000 for very experienced, well-established performers. Most work freelance, and are paid fees per contract or performance.
A circus performer should:
- have a very high level of fitness
- be highly skilled in their performance area/s
- be lively, confident and outgoing
- be agile, healthy, hard-working and energetic
- be adaptable, enthusiastic and determined to succeed
- want to perform and entertain, regardless of working conditions
- be open to new ideas
- be able to adapt performances to accommodate different audiences
- be aware of health and safety regulations.
There are no formal academic requirements to be a circus performer. Some are born into circus families; others learn their skills through specialised courses organised by circus training organisations. There is no upper age limit, but a high level of fitness is required.
The Circus Space, Circomedia and Skylight Circus Arts offer a range of training courses. There is a foundation degree and BA (Hons) degree in Circus Arts, and a BA (Hons) degree in Theatre Practice - Circus. The Circus Space have a professional membership scheme and offer opportunities for the continuing development of skills.
There may be promotion opportunities for performers on long-term contracts, eg to solo performer. Freelance performers progress through establishing a strong reputation and consistently performing to a high standard.
Doctor: GP
General practitioners (GPs) diagnose patients' health problems by examining them, either in the surgery or at the patient's home. As well as investigating physical symptoms they need to take into account psychological and social factors.
Having made a diagnosis, they may give general advice, prescribe medicine or treatment, conduct minor surgery or refer the patient to a specialist consultant for tests and further diagnosis.
GPs should:
- have an interest in science and concern for the well-being of patients
- have excellent communication skills
- be able to work under pressure and make quick clear decisions.
Most GPs work 50 to 60 hours a week, involving a morning, afternoon or early evening surgery, and home visits. Many GPs work Saturday mornings, and most do some emergency on-call work.
The average income of a GP is around £56,000.
To become a doctor it is necessary to study for a medical degree, which takes five or six years. Medical schools welcome applications from suitably qualified mature students, but entry is difficult after the age of 30.
This is followed with one year of pre-registration training, then three years in the Vocational Training Scheme, to qualify as a GP.
Over 40,000 GPs work under contract for the NHS, and 80% of these work as principals in GP practices. Other employers are the armed forces and voluntary organisations.
Driver: Taxi
Taxi drivers may drive either 'hackney carriages' or 'private hire vehicles'. Both pick up passengers and drive them to their destination, charging a fare and taking payment.
Hackney carriages are licensed by local authorities. They are allowed to either wait at a taxi rank or drive around near coach and railway stations, airports, shopping centres, hotels, pubs and clubs, or any areas where pedestrians may want to hire a taxi. In London, they are the traditional black cab. In the provinces, they may also be saloon cars.
Private hire vehicles are generally normal cars. Private hire companies may serve the corporate market, specialise in airport transfers or pick up shoppers and get people home after a night out.
There are no restrictions on the hours taxi drivers can work. They sit at the wheel of their vehicle almost all day, and spend much of the time driving.
A successful driver working a 40-hour week in a major city could earn around £18,000.
Taxi drivers should:
- be experienced drivers
- have good memories, to get to know the area
- be able to pass a medical test, to show they are physically and mentally fit
- be numerate and literate.
There are an estimated 500,000 drivers of taxis and private-hire vehicles in the UK, although not all work full time. They can work in any part of the country, but most work is in the large towns and cities.
All drivers - hackney carriage and private hire - must get a licence to operate from the local licensing authority. Every licensing authority has its own conditions of licence.
Prospective drivers have to pass a medical to show that they are physically and mentally fit. Applicants usually have to pass a test on their 'Knowledge' of the routes in the local area; in London it can take up to three years to learn all the routes required.
In some areas, the local licensing authority runs training schemes to help prospective drivers meet the requirements of their licence.
If an individual starts by driving a company vehicle as an employee, they can progress to buying and driving their own. If they are self-employed, they can progress to become an operator and increase their earnings by running a private-hire firm, employing other drivers
Engineer: Mechanical
Mechanical engineers apply their engineering skills to the design, construction and application of an almost endless range of machinery. They also need a broad knowledge of other disciplines such as electronics and electrical engineering.
They can work in many areas of industry, such as:
- manufacturing - making engine components, textile machinery or aircraft parts
- processing - designing, making and operating industrial plant
- service - railways, steel, coal and power
- government - defence installations and scientific work.
Experienced mechanical engineers are usually either incorporated or chartered.
Incorporated engineers specialise in developing and applying modern technology to engineering applications.
Chartered engineers may be involved in research and development or manufacture and installation.
The normal working hours are 37 to 40 hours a week, although they may be longer depending on the project. Work environments may range from quiet, modern, open-plan offices, to factory production areas, which may be noisy.
Salaries range from around £17,000 to £42,000 or more.
Mechanical engineers should:
- be good at, and interested in, maths, science and technology
- be good at planning and organisation
- have a logical, inventive and inquiring mind
- have good judgement and reasoning skills.
Mechanical engineers can work in a wide range of industries. Some of the main ones include automotive, aerospace, marine, agricultural, chemical, civil, energy and medical.
Employers include local and central government departments, the armed services, manufacturers, research and development companies, IT companies, and public utilities (eg water, gas, electricity).
New entrants normally do a full-time engineering degree. The Institution of Mechanical Engineers and the Institution of Incorporated Engineers have mature candidate schemes for adults who wish to become chartered engineers,
Overseas, there are good opportunities with British firms of consulting or contracting engineers working for foreign governments, or with international oil and mining companies. Some mechanical engineers work independently as consultants.
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Nathan Anderson
ADDRESS 1 Knox Cottage
Kiln Barn Road
East Malling
Kent
ME19 6BG
TELEPHONE 01732 846203
DATE OF BIRTH 27 March 1988
(16 years old)
EDUCATION From September 1999 to June 2004
Mascalls School
Maidstone Road
Paddock Wood
TN12 6JE
QUALIFICATIONS
(Predicted Grade)
English GCSE C
English Literature GCSE C
Maths GCSE C
Double Award Science GCSE C
German GCSE C
Sports GCSE B
Buisness GCSE B
R.E. GCSE B
EMPLOYMENT Sainsburys
Ayelsford Industrial Estate
Ayelsford
Been working for 4 months to date. The work includes
MY QUALITIES I like to be helpful, punctual and efficient in what I do.
I am very fit.
I enjoy meeting and helping people.
HOBBIES I am a member of Putlands Leisure Centre and go to the gym 3 times a week.
I enjoy all things to do with sport and am joined to a football team. I also spend a lot of time social
