The TrainingZone podcast: March 2015

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This month Jon and Kate solve the digital skills crisis, the NHS tech problem and even have a crack at Fermat’s Last Theorem they’re feeling so confident. Sue Husband drops in to talk about National Apprenticeship Week. Links to the stories: Corporate skills gap poll question, Fiona Quigley’s Twitter CPD slideshare, NHS digital skills, STEM […]

L&D news round-up: 19 March

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News time – Forbes take a swing at leadership from leftfield, and there is of course a mention of the Budget. The future of people development: coaching for better results – The Bangkok Post Apprenticeship Week: We can celebrate a revolution in the UK’s skills market – City AM Recipes for Effective Leadership – Don’t Look Too Far! – […]

L&D industry insight special: Nick Boles MP on #NAW2015

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It’s National Apprentice week this week, and we met skills minister Nick Boles MP at the offices of AR experts Holition to talk about the benefits of an apprenticeship scheme and a whole lot more. Beneath are a couple of images from Mr Boles’s visit.   It’s National Apprentice week this week, and we met […]

TrainingZone interviews: Skills Minister Nick Boles MP for #naw2015

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National Apprenticeship Week is in full swing, but we still got a good few minutes with a man in demand: Skills Minister Nick Boles MP. For more on National Apprenticeship Week have a look here National Apprenticeship Week is in full swing, but we still got a good few minutes with a man in demand: […]

Five top tips for SMEs hiring apprentices

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As the eighth National Apprenticeship Week takes place, Michael Taite gives his top tips for SMEs who may be considering hiring apprentices. The eighth National Apprenticeship Week takes place this week. From 9-13 March, up and down the country, businesses, schools, colleges and training organisations will be organising events and activities to celebrate the positive impact […]

Training for the future: The challenges faced by today’s school leavers

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Fay Gibbin offers her views and advice on the many challenges faced by school leavers when considering which academic path to take – especially in light of the current lack of support available to them when choosing their career options. In a competitive employment market saturated with young, qualified and ambitious job seekers, it becomes […]

L&D news round-up: 26 February

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News time! Leadership, skills and the colonisation of Mars all get a look-in. Enjoy. How to solve the UK’s skills shortage – The Telegraph With Big Data, HR Departments Too Often Get Short Shrift -Wall Street Journal Survey Examines, What Do Employees Think About Leadership Ethics? – Forbes Flexibility comes with pop-up leadership – The National Google tapping into UK […]

L&D industry insight: Sue Husband

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Recently we caught up with Sue Husband, director of the National Apprenticeship Service about the upcoming National Apprenticeship Week. Recently we caught up with Sue Husband, director of the National Apprenticeship Service about the upcoming National Apprenticeship Week.

Caring as a career: The changing face of apprenticeships in the Early Years Sector

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Fay Gibbin, training manager at Busy Bees Training offers her advice on recent developments, options available and what to expect from apprenticeships in childcare. There are fewer career choices more rewarding, or challenging, than childcare. Your daily activities revolve around the wellbeing and development of future generations, and the part you play in their early […]

News: Apprenticeships on the rise again

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The number of apprenticeship vacancies hits a high as the nation’s employers back a new generation of workers. Data released today reveals a 28% increase in apprenticeship vacancies posted online on the apprenticeship vacancies website between August and October 2014 (Academic Year Q1 2014/15) compared to the same period the previous year. 46,920 vacancies were […]

L&D news round-up: 27 Nov

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Ok news lovers – it’s your favourite day of the week. Look beneath for tasty news nuggets of L&D goodness from all over the web.    Don’t call me a leader – The Financial Times Bernard Garrette espouses the value of business schools. British companies struggle to find domestic workers with right skills – The Guardian Making […]

Traineeships: Creating ladders of opportunity

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Paul Farrell looks at the benefits of traineeships and apprenticeships in the battle against youth unemployment. The economic recovery is boosting the number of job opportunities across the UK, but there is a danger that young people are being left behind. Figures released by think tank Public Policy Research (IPPR) have revealed that, despite the overall […]

The latter-day journey of the lifelong learner

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Andrew Cooksley takes a look at the evolution of the vocational training system, from its humble beginnings as a straightforward pathway from education into employment, to the flexible support system for lifelong learning it offers today. Traditionally perceived as a straightforward pathway to help 16- to 24-year-olds access the workplace straight from school, the profile […]

L&D industry insight: Nathan Pearson-Smith

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In line with lifelong learning month, we recently interviewed Pearson Recruitment’s Nathan Pearson-Smith about the past, present and future of apprenticeships.   L&D industry insight: Nathan Pearson-Smith on apprenticeships by Trainingzone on Mixcloud   In line with lifelong learning month, we recently interviewed Pearson Recruitment’s Nathan Pearson-Smith about the past, present and future of apprenticeships. L&D […]

News: Apprentices offered fast track to career in government

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A group of 200 school leavers are today starting civil service apprenticeships, as part of the government’s Fast Track Apprenticeship scheme. The initiative, which was launched in 2013, is open to 18 to 21 year-olds who are interested in a career in the civil service but don’t want to go to university. The government hopes […]

The TrainingZone podcast: September 2014

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This month we come to you from Learning Live, the LPI’s recent conference focused on all things learning. We talk cloud attacks, teaching primary school kids to code, and Nathan Pearson-Smith joins in to discuss apprenticeships. Links to stories: Have you studied a MOOC this year?, The iCloud hack, five year olds to be taught […]

The TrainingZone podcast – August 2014

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No guest interview this month, so Jon and Kate take an extended look at the news from around the web. Apprenticeships, gadgets, GCSEs, Skillsoft, is there nothing these two can’t cover? Links to the stories: face-to-face or online?, infographics for learning, self-employment in UK is booming, gadgets or sleep?, top 30 apprenticeship employers Subscribe free […]

National Apprenticeships Week: TZ interviews Karen Woodward

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It's National Apprenticeship Week this week, and we got in touch with Karen Woodward from the NAS (National Apprenticeship Service) to tell us about everything that's happening and how businesses can get involved. What’s different about National Apprenticeship Week this year? National Apprenticeship Week 2014 (3-7 March) is all about great apprenticeships. It will focus […]

Employers: Own your apprenticeship training

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Apprenticeships are under the spotlight with funding reforms currently going through government consultation. James Taylor from Tribal Group examines what this means for employers. Following the Richard Review of November 2012, the government is conducting a consultation on funding reform for apprenticeships in England with the consultation ending on 1 October. Three proposed funding models […]

Why we need to shout about apprenticeships

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They're getting more and more popular, but we still need to raise awareness. Robert Bowyer talks apprenticeships. Company-run apprenticeship schemes are by no means a new phenomenon. Why then, in an era when youth unemployment remains stubbornly high, are so few businesses offering this option to would-be employees? Despite 99% of all businesses being SMEs, […]