Free thinking: Out of the mouths of babes
We’ve a lot to learn from children about the simplicity of language, so use those high brow ‘impressive’ phrases in your next report or presentation at your peril. As Martin Shovel explains, less is definitely more. In the Marx brothers’ film, Duck Soup, there’s a scene in which Rufus T. Firefly (played by Groucho […]
Is the McDegree Next on the Menu?
A new not-for-profit consultancy is launching in March to assist employers wanting to develop their own higher-level qualifications.HE@Work will help organisations develop their in-house training programmes to meet the standards required by higher education institutions. Instead of being restricted to a company-specific qualification, employees will be awarded recognised and transferable higher education credit within an […]
Back to Basics: Good Handouts
What makes a good handout? What should you avoid? And are the days of paper handouts numbered in our waste-conscious, electronic age? Dawn Smith investigates. Handouts present trainers with some nice dilemmas. For example, there’s the thorny issue of how much to give out and in what form. For usability and eco-friendliness, a trainer may […]
Trainer’s Top Tips for Mental Fitness
In today’s tough business climate we’ve become very focussed on keeping our bodies in good order, but we often forget about keeping the mind in shape. We generally feel that our mental functions will look after themselves, but they require TLC and regular workouts to stay positive and sharp. Steve Miller, management and personal development […]
Ask the Expert: Top Tips for IT Training
The question: I am fairly new to my ICT trainer role and have to plan out and deliver training of Office 2007 to 250 people within the London office and also to numerous other international offices. I have no idea where to start! Does anyone have any tips/documents/roll out plans etc. I can use for […]
Union-Led Learning Trumpeted as “Magic Bullet”
The key to workplace learning is cooperation between the employer and the union, according to the TUC’s unionlearn.Liz Smith, unionlearn director, is due to set out her beliefs in a meeting at the College of North East London (CONeL) with the secretary of state for innovation, universities and skills, John Denham MP. Smith said: “Union […]
Free Thinking: Purposeful Presentations
Got a presentation looming? Don’t even think about it before you’ve read Martin Shovel’s advice… The road to lacklustre presentations and speeches is paved with good intentions. It often begins with a positive desire to stop navel-gazing and get stuck into the business of getting the job done, or it may simply be a […]
UK Must Rise to Finance Skills Challenge to Maintain World Leader Status
Union leaders, employers and minister for skills David Lammy have set out the skills challenge facing the UK finance sector at a seminar hosted by unionlearn, the TUC’s learning and skills organisation.The finance sector has grown by more than five per cent a year since 2002 and currently accounts for eight per cent of GDP. […]
Police Service Technology Conference Scheduled
The Police Service’s foremost forum on learning methodologies and their associated technologies – the Policing Learning Technologies conference – takes place on 2 April.This attracts leading learning experts from the Police and the wider community, with more than 12 speakers and 120 delegates expected for the day.According to a conference spokesperson: “Learning methodologies and technologies […]
More Progress Needed to Meet Britain’s Skills Needs, Says TUC
Official statistics released by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) show an increase in the number of young people and adults in work based learning and further education. But even more needs to be done, says TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber:“It is encouraging to see that the number of young people and adults achieving accredited […]
Advice Books Are for Christmas, Not for Life
Addiction to business self-help books is causing a shortage of leadership skills among UK managers, says a training and recruitment expert.Millions of pounds are spent on management guides each year in the UK and, with more than 100,000 business management titles currently listed on Amazon, they are sure to be popular stocking fillers.Stephen Seymour, of […]
Female Trainer Awarded for Business Steel
The female founder of a company providing training for unemployed steel workers has received a prestigious award for her outstanding entrepreneurial success.Emma Harrison, founder of A4e, was the overall winner of the NatWest everywoman Award, which recognises the most passionate and dedicated woman business owner whom the judges felt had overcome significant challenges to achieve […]
Search Starts for the Top Apprentice Employer of the Year
The search is on for the nation’s top apprentice employers as the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) launches its fifth annual Apprenticeship Awards. Employers of all sizes and from all sectors of industry are being asked to enter the prestigious national awards. Speaking at the launch in London, skills minister David Lammy MP, said: “Apprenticeships […]
Surviving and Thriving in Stressful Environments
Stress is an avoidable side effect of working – or playing – in a competitive arena. At its best, it can exhilarate and energise. But at its worst, stress crushes and drains. And it isn’t always caused by a major event like a cup final or company restructure, it can simply be the result of […]
New Chief for Nuclear Skills
The new National Skills Academy for Nuclear has appointed Jean Llewellyn as its chief executive.Llewellyn, in her role as head of Skills Policy for the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), has been involved in the nuclear skills agenda for the past four years.She was chair of the National Nuclear Employers Steering Group for two years, […]
Skills Shortages Hit Two-Thirds of London Businesses
Businesses in London struggling to meet their skills needs are increasingly looking overseas for both graduates and lower-skilled staff, according to the CBI and KPMG.Results from the London Business Survey show that two out of three firms in the capital (65%) expect to be troubled by skills shortages over the next six months, and the […]
Ask the Expert: Training Allowances
As organisations wake up to the pulling power of staff development for recruitment and retention, our experts assess the pros and cons of offering new starters a training allowance. Question: Have you heard of companies offering a training allowance to new recruits. For example a sum of money may be offered to allow a new […]
The Personal Touch Wins the Day in Business
Business is most likely to be won as a result of a face-to-face meeting than any other method, including social networking.The research, by Vodafone UK, reveals that just over half (57%) of business people win business via the traditional face-to-face method, dropping to just 34% who have won business by email. One in five managing […]
New Guide to Retail Qualifications
Skillsmart Retail has launched a ‘Guide to Retail Qualifications and Job Roles’ aimed at employers and learning providers as well as individuals seeking a career in retail. The new guide maps out the various qualifications available within retail and their corresponding job roles for each of the four nations. It also serves to demonstrate how […]
Accelerate your E-Learning
Eddie Kilkelly looks at how to accelerate the adoption of e-learning in your organisation and create the time and space for learners to use it. Two conflicting schools of thought exist on the subject of e-learning: Firstly, among buyers, that e-learning will rapidly be adopted and can be used to generate significant business benefits; Secondly, […]
