Fear of Flying course takes off at Waterford Airport

European Aviation College welcomed the first new “recruits” to its inaugural Fear of Flying course which took place at Waterford Airport.

The one day course was developed to help people overcome their fear of flying, a condition that affects one in five people.

Gillian Chiavacci, Head of Training at European Aviation College, congratulated the recent graduates on completing the course.  She said, “We are very proud of our first graduates of the Fear of Flying course and hope that this allows them to have more pleasant flying experiences in the future.  20% of the population suffer from aviophobia or as it is more widely known, fear of flying.  Although it is quite a common phobia, it can be restrictive and debilitating particularly to those who need to or want to travel abroad.”

“Our first group of course participants all experienced varying degrees of aviophobia.  Some found flying uncomfortable and often nerve-wracking, while others were simply unable to get on a plane due to stress and anxiety at the prospect of flying.”

“What we gathered is that the biggest factor in the fear of flying is the fear of the unknown.  Another common condition was claustrophobia as many of our course attendees felt uncomfortable at being in a confined area for several hours on a flight.”

The practical course examined topics such as what causes a fear of flying, how airplanes work, behind the scenes at an airport and ways to reduce anxiety before flying.

The course is delivered by experienced airline pilots.  Waterford pilot Sean O’ Griofa, Course Instructor with EAC, commented “By the end of the day, all of our participants had a real grasp of how to overcome their fears, through a simple understanding of how planes work, and how to deal with stress and anxiety.”

“By familiarising our attendees with the workings of the aircraft, the causes of turbulence, an explanation of in-flight noises, dealing with anxiety and flight preparation the fear associated with flying became less insurmountable.”

If you would like to find out more about the European Aviation College’s next Fear of Flying course, visit www.europeanaviationcollege.ie, call 051 843436 or email info@europeanaviationcollege.ie.

A model business for selling on line!

There is no disputing that the future for many industries is to move to on line sales. The benefits of an expanded market, lower costs and improved technology reducing barriers to entry make on line sales an extremely attractive proposition.

Many agencies such as Enterprise Ireland and the Local Enterprise Offices consciously support digital marketing campaigns directed toward on line selling. It results in business growth, export growth and increased employment.

This is why the start of 2015 is a perfect time for Emma-Jane Power, co-founder of PicStash to give her ‘Top Ten Tips for selling on line’ on Thursday January 29^th. 

Following on from the success of these lunches with speakers such as Des Whelan of WLR fm, Louise Grubb of Q1 Scientific, Ronan Mulligan of Mulligan’s Pharmacies and John Noonan of Flahavans, Emma’s tips are sure to be eagerly received by Waterford businesses keen to develop their on line sales.

These ‘Top Ten lunches’ are a series of networking events on the theme of ‘My Top Ten Business Tips’ delivered by successful local business people and occurring once per month. Each lunch will outline a speakers’ views on a specific topic and take place in the Bistro in the Tower Hotel from 12.30pm to 2pm.

There is a considerable pool of business talent and experience in Waterford and the Local Enterprise Offices hopes to harness this expertise to inspire Waterford’s new and existing business communities.  

As a former model for international brands such as Nike, Riverrock Water, Escada and Paco Rabanne, Emma decided to set up her first business in her late 20's. The idea was to change how brands interact with both traditional and digital media. Making PR more affordable and relevant to brands and media in the Digital Age is a key aim of the company. “Our goal is to be the first go-to resource for any brand to get huge media exposure,” says the Waterford local.

From humble beginnings in her attic, the PicStash now employs over 13 people in Ireland and has a presence in over 7 countries worldwide. It has a list of over 40 international clients including Harvey Nichols, Littlewoods, Sony, Philips and Harvey Norman. Many indigenous companies are also represented, including Meadows & Byrne, Butlers Chocolates and Dubarry.

The cost of this event is €8.50 and booking is essential. For more information or to register your interest please contact your Local Enterprise Office in Waterford on 051-849905 or email info@leo.waterfordcouncil.ie

NAS Training Centre and Alphazone offer personal and business enhancement courses

New Year usually heralds the adoption of one New Year resolution or other.  It’s not uncommon for people to enter the New Year with a set of goals for a healthier lifestyle and a healthier worklife balance.

If you are facing into the New Year dedicated to making a change for the better in your personal or business situation, the latest courses at the NAS Training Centre, Cleaboy Business Park, may be the solution to suit you.

The NAS Training Centre has partnered with Alphazone to launch its Change and Enhancement series of workshops which take place over the coming months.

The courses, LifeSkills4U, Personal Change and Enhancement and Business Change and Enhancement are delivered by Michael Connolly, Licensed NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) Master Practitioner and life coach.

According to Michael, “NLP is a powerful system of thinking that can accelerate the achievement of your personal and professional goals.  In effect, NLP is a powerful change management tool that transforms the way people think and act to have the greatest impact both professionally and personally.”

“These courses have been developed to allow people to realise their full potential, to understand the workings of NLP and to effectively make the changes that will make the difference, not only in one’s personal life, but in the workplace too.”

This latest addition to the NAS Training Centre portfolio copper-fastens the Centre’s reputation as one of the region’s leading training venues.  Danette Connolly, Director NAS Training said, “At NAS Training we are continually working with strategic partners to develop new training courses.  Partners such as the Irish Times, U.C.C., I.I.T.D and now Alphazone provide a training agenda that has a broad appeal to individuals, groups and businesses.”

If you would like to find out more about the courses on offer at the NAS Training Centre call 051 333960 or check out www.nas.ie