Welcome to First Steps!
 

A site for geologists

Please click here to see some of the things geologists do www.firststeps.eu.com/p11-videos

Courses and training for geologists, geotechnical and geo-environemntal engineers are listed below.


Courses and Training

The founders of First Steps had worked for many years with engineers and geologists in both the UK and the Continent, and through this experience had acquired considerable knowledge of the needs of industry and employers, and the shortfalls developing between those needs and the training received by many completing first and higher degrees.

One of our purposes is to help those wishing to enter geotechnical engineering and its associated disciplines and we can do this by assisting those with degrees who wish to progress their career in geotechnical and environmental engineering and their related disciplines with appropriate courses of education and training. We also wish to help those who are attracted to gaining employment in land drilling for geotechnical and geoenvironmental ground investigations, either as their chosen career or as a formative stage in a geotechnical career.

We contribute to the NVQ in Land Based Drilling and the NVQ in Laboratory and Associated Technical Activities (LATA) as well as to the MSc Professional Engineering course for the Royal Engineers at Chatham.

Our training programme provides opportunities for one-day, two-day and three-day courses, which can be provided in-house if desired. Further, First Steps owns and manages the Geotechnical Industries Post Graduate Specialised Award which offers a National Certificate approved and regulated by the UK Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. A hall-mark of First Steps courses is that they are hands-on

One day, two day and three day courses are available and can be provided in-house if desired. In addition First Steps has sole rite for the Geotechnical Industries Post Graduate Specialised Award which offers a National Certificate approved and regulated by the UK Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. All courses are hands-on and contain substantial elements of practical work.

It is a characteristic of First Steps courses to spend approximately half the time teaching the subject in question and half the time practically applying what has been taught, so that attendees can leave at the end of the day knowing they can use the skills acquired.  All courses are taught by those academically and professionally qualified in the subject.
Courses currently available are listed in the table below. Please click on a button of interest to obtain a booking form and return it to us by e-mail to reserve a place on a course.

To view a list of courses that have been provided and others that are currently in preparation, view our course details

Mission Statement

1. First Steps helps those seeking work to gain suitable employment in geotechnics and its allied subjects. It wishes to respond to the diverse skills used in geotechnics by assisting those who wish to change their employment and so bring the knowledge gained in another discipline, into the geotechnical profession.

2. First Steps helps those either seeking or developing a career in geotechnics by providing education and training to those who need support in relevant technical subjects, including the basics of soil mechanics, physical hydrogeology, geological mapping and map interpretation, and the descrition and logging of soil and rock.

3. First Steps retains its technical edge by engaging in research and consulting, and writing technical papers to be published in geotechnical journals, and books. It welcomes collaboration with academic and industrial partners.