Samaritans Launch Training Scheme to Cut Workplace Stress
The Samaritans have launched a training programme to tackle workplace stress.WorkLife will add to the existing communications skills courses offered by the Samaritans, providing “active listening skills” for managers and teams.The programme explores challenging work situations anonymously through a series of fictional characters.The charity this week launched a series of road shows in Edinburgh to […]
TUC Works With DfES To Boost Workplace Learning
A workplace learning programme which should help 250,000 employees per year has been launched.Unionlearn aims to boost workforce skills across England and will focus on literacy and numeracy training.The project is a partnership between the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and the Department for Education and Skills (DfES). It will aim to improve employer support for […]
What Happened Next? Conflict Management. By Sarah Fletcher
With great power comes great responsibility (apparently), so what happens when your promotion causes a communication breakdown with your co-workers? Can you train staff to respect your new position, or is peacekeeping a priority? Find out What Happened Next when a TrainingZONE member sought tips from the Any Answers forum. By Sarah Fletcher Promotion provokes […]
US Surges Ahead of Europe on Training Spending
Training levels in Europe are falling as the US continues to surge ahead on skills investment, the world’s largest human capital report reveals.The study of over 15,000 US and European organisations found that relative levels of spending on training are higher in the United States, as European expenditure has fallen year by year.In Europe, the […]
What happened next? Dealing with Drugs. By Sarah Fletcher
How do you handle an employee whose drug-fuelled weekends are spilling over into working hours? Find out What Happened Next when member Claire Fitzgerald asked Any Answers how to make her workplace a pill free zone. By Sarah Fletcher How do we stop the downward spiral? “A valued member of our team has a really […]
Linking Training to Business Needs: The Secrets of HMRC Revealed. By Sarah Fletcher
Linda Martin, Head of Learning at HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) spoke to Sarah Fletcher about HMRC’s learning and development challenges, how they measure the success of their training investment and crucially just how they tie in their training to business needs. HR Zone Q1: How has the learning and development (L&D) strategy at HM […]
Businesses Demand Skills and Education Overhaul
Businesses are calling for a major overhaul of how workforce development is funded in order to create more skilled staff.The report from the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) shows that UK firms are dissatisfied with the way government subsidies are allocated. The study recommends that training providers other than colleges are included in the funding […]
Inductions That Work – Slashing Staff Turnover By 90%
Running Inductions that WorkInduction programmes are regularly highlighted as crucial for employee retention and a skilled workforce, but all too often they can be, as TrainingZONE member Nik Kellingley puts it, “poorly thought out, poorly implemented, cut short due to “business demand” – and these courses may actually reduce performance, value and morale.”We asked Kellingley, […]
Online Support Boosts Teaching Skills
Twice as many teachers and lecturers are being given access to information and advice that should boost the skills of UK education.The Teacher Support Network has launched an online programme offering confidential email coaching for its 17,000 users.Chief Executive of the organisation, Patrick Nash emphasised the value of such efficient support for education.“Teacher Support Online […]
Lack of Financial Training is Business Time Bomb
The majority of UK business managers have not received any formal, financial training, new research reveals.Sixty-eight per cent of the 650 managers quizzed said they have never had any formal training, according to e-learning solutions provider Intellexis.More than three quarters (76%) of organisations in the Midlands and Wales fail to provide training for their managers, […]
Inadequate Training Hampers Change Efforts
Poor training and development programmes are affecting the success of organisational change initiatives, new research warns.According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), organisations experience major restructuring every three years, yet their training processes are not sufficient to cope.This is reflected in market feeling, as employers are showing little confidence in the competency […]
Training Contract Wins: January to March 2006
Who are the major players of the training world? Read on to find out who is scooping the major training contracts this year. Ellion Technology wins online contractGlobal human resource development firm Rhema Group has hired Ellion technology solutions to create an online programme of learning resources. Due for launch in June 2006, it will […]
BA Staff Up-Skill to Avoid Strikes
British Airways (BA) is to equip staff with the necessary skills to manage services in the event of further strike action with its in-flight caterer.Seven hundred flights were grounded last summer when Gate Gourmet staff undertook unofficial strikes against the airline. BA plans to train its own staff to use the caterer’s loading trucks to […]
Financial Services Back IT Skills
The financial sector is increasing its investment in IT training to satisfy the requirements of regulatory compliance, a survey claims.According to the study by training provider Thomson NETg, financial businesses boosted spending on IT in 2005, the first time since the post-2000 slump.A large chunk of this has funded e-learning programmes, which the training body […]
Financial Sector Gets Skills Boost
The Financial Services Skills Council (FSSC) is launching a programme to solve the skills issues faced by financial services companies.The Skills Bill is a national scheme spread across 18 months, which intends to improve the performance of businesses in the financial services sector.The FSSC plans to quiz employers on what skills they require from their […]
What Happened Next? Fresh Ways To Motivate Staff. By Sarah Fletcher
Finding activities to inspire unmotivated staff can prove difficult. In the next edition of this new series What happened next? we report on the results and lessons learned by a member who sought solace in the Any Answers forum. By Sarah Fletcher Motivating staff – anyone been to circus school?“I’m looking for ways to give […]
New Starter Training Could Save Billions
Poor employee induction processes is costing UK business £2 billion in lost productivity, sapping a valuable skills pool.According to learning solutions provider Thomson NETg, failing to prepare a new employee can create low morale and productivity and can cost companies billions of pounds in recruitment costs.Mike Summers, director of Thomson NETg, suggested that by providing […]
Skills Row Continues
Nearly three quarters of businesses (72%) say workers should gain more skills in order to compete in the marketplace.Around half of the respondents, disagree, however believing that skills levels are sufficient for current needs.According to research by Manpower of around 3,200 UK employers, this difference of perception affects both performance assessment and the emphasis upon […]
Weak Management Blamed for Poor Productivity
The government must rethink its approach to workplace efficiency if it is to allow the UK to close the productivity gap with other countries, warns the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).The UK still lags behind France, Germany and the US in terms of productivity, according to figures due to be published this Thursday […]
Free Thinking: Drawing people in
Martin Shovel of CreativityWorks urges trainers to stop talking and get drawing; read on to learn more about the power of pictures. Imagine this nightmare scenario … you’re caught short in a foreign city, many miles from home. You don’t speak the lingo and they don’t speak yours. You’re desperate to find the nearest loo. […]
