Parkin Space: Firing A Client
Valentine’s Day is a great day on which to terminate a long-term relationship that has irretrievably gone sour. I just fired a client, and, as usual, I am left with pangs of guilt mixed with a bittersweet sense of liberation. It happens to all of us on occasion – a customer (external or internal) becomes […]
Train Line Managers or Lose Profits, says CIPD
Employers must train line managers or lose the return on investment from pay and benefits schemes, says the CIPD.According to research by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), 51% of companies quizzed believe salary and benefits packages are less effective because line manager skills are poor.Over a third (36%) of companies questioned cited […]
Feature: Beat the Retirement Brain Drain
One of the crucial organisational challenges facing of 2006, and beyond, is the fact that a lot of the working population is coming up to retirement age or already eligible for companies’ retirement schemes. Michael Kelleher looks at how the traditional exit interview can be used to help keep some of that crucial knowledge that […]
Graduate Skills Fail to Meet Expectations
Almost half of recruiters believe current vacancies will be left unfilled due to a shortage of capable graduates with appropriate skills.According to the Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR), 46% of the 222 organisations quizzed believe universities place too much emphasis on academic achievements at the expense of “softer skills”.Carl Gilleard, AGR chief executive, commented: “Employers […]
E-Learning Programme for Pension Scheme Trustees
The Pensions Regulator will unveil a free e-learning course aimed at pension scheme trustees at an event on 15 February.The programme is the first of its kind and is designed to help trustees with their learning, including studying the information requested by the Pensions Act 2004. This legislation requires trustees to be aware of pensions […]
Lloyds TSB Cuts Time to E-Learning
Lloyds TSB has managed to plan, develop, test and implement an hour-long e-learning course in less than three weeks.The bank’s fastest-ever implementation of e-learning was made possible by a Lloyds TSB-specific e-learning template, which cut the six weeks of testing that the bank usually undertakes when it adds learning content to its intranet.Val Laycock, Senior […]
Review: Time to Think: Listening to Ignite the Human Mind
Title: Time to Think: Listening to ignite the human mindAuthor: Nancy KlinePublisher: Cassell IllustratedISBN: 0706377451Price: £9.99Reviewer: Jacky Pratt, Accredited Practitioner CoachTime to Think is a book that changes behaviour. It has a simple, but powerful message, which is that the quality of our thinking depends upon the quality of another person’s attention when listening to […]
Guide to Employee References and Data Protection
A new guide to how the Data Protection Act applies to employee references is available from the Information Commissioner’s Office.The online guide includes good practice recommendations to help employers decide when employment references should and should not be released.It states that in most cases individuals have a right to a copy of information held about […]
Teamwork is Most Sought After Skill
Interpersonal and teamwork skills are the most highly sought after, according to a survey of 4,500 employers.A report, by Job Centre Plus, found that regardless of occupation, whether unskilled or professional, teamworking and interpersonal skills were highly sought after by employers.Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus Lesley Strathie said that the research would help the organisation […]
Apprenticeship Figures Rise
The number of young people successfully completing apprenticeships has risen by 29%, according to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). Latest figures from work-based learning providers and colleges for the academic year 2004/05 showed that 67,000 learners achieved their Apprenticeship Framework Certificate – 15,000 more than in the previous academic year. There was also a […]
Work-Based Learning Comes of Age – ALI
Work-based learning has “come of age” according to David Sherlock, Chief Inspector of the Adult Learning Inspectorate (ALI). But he warns that there is persistent under-achievement in key Government initiatives to get the most disadvantaged into employment. In his annual report, Sherlock praised work-based learning, which he said had undergone “a dramatic improvement in quality” […]
New Occupational Standards for Retail
Retail is the latest sector to publish its National Occupational Standards.Sector skills council Skillsmart Retail said the revised standards have been approved in all four UK nations and it is expected that National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) and Scottish Vocational Qualification (SVQ) units will be developed from the retail NOS by the end of January 2006. […]
New Online Directory of Occupational Standards
A new online directory aims to be a one-stop shop for trainers and employers looking up UK National Occupational Standards. The directory, from Skills for Business, contains information on occupational standards produced by the network of Sector Skills Councils and other standards setting bodies. Users can search the directory by keyword, by the SSC/standards setting […]
Award Recognnises Excellence in Adult Learning
The National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) is looking for organisations that can demonstrate originality, creativity and excellence in encouraging adults to learn.The Opening Doors to Adult Learners Awards, which take place in May 2006, are open to organisations across the UK that provide clear routes of progression for, and have a positive impact […]
Case Study: Diversity Training at Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust
An equality and diversity staff development programme is helping one of the UK’s leading NHS Trusts to place increasing value on equality and inclusion, and to reap the rewards of a diverse workforce. Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust is a busy and successful two-star Trust, which serves a population of around 350,000 in the […]
Two-Thirds of Staff Offered no Training
Three-quarters of UK employees are not given opportunities to progress and 67% are not offered opportunities for training and development, a new survey suggests. Statistics in a YouGov poll, commissioned by Jack Morton Worldwide, suggest that a substantial part of the workforce could be unmotivated. While on average only 17% described themselves as unhappy at […]
Brokers Boost Learning Uptake
Learning brokers – who act as matchmakers between individuals and organisations providing education or training – play a vital role encouraging the ‘education-shy’ to get involved in learning, according to a report by the Learning and Skills Development Agency (LSDA). Understanding learning brokerage states that learning brokers, such as union learning reps, personal advisers and […]
Training Spend Set to Rise
Not only do employers see training as priority, they’re putting their money where their mouth is with 80% of UK organisations planning to increase or maintain their training budgets in 2006. The finding comes from a survey undertaken by Capita Learning & Development during the recent Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) Conference.“These findings […]
Training Key to Staff Retention
More than half of Europeans would quit their jobs over training and development, a new survey reveals.The poll of 600 employers and 8,500 employees from 10 European countries by consultancy Watson Wyatt, found that 52% of respondents would quit if they felt that they were not getting enough training and development.And it seems that staff […]
Chief Executive of Union Academy Named
The TUC’s union academy has taken another step forward with the appointment of its chief executive. Liz Smith.Smith, the TUC’s current head of learning services, has spent most of her professional life working in education and trade unions. In 1998 she co-ordinated the TUC task group that created union learning reps and a special government […]
