Green Light for First Skills Academies
Four UK industries – manufacturing, construction, food and drink, and financial services – have been given the go-ahead to set up the first National Skills Academies.It’s hoped that the academies will train tens of thousands people each year, helping to create jobs and tackle significant skills shortages in the four sectors.All four industries currently have […]
Feature: Language Skills – Ignore Them at Your Peril
The UK doesn’t have a tremendous reputation for linguists, but with the increasing pressures of globalisation, businesses need staff with foreign language skills more than ever. James Pitman, MD for Rosetta Stone UK looks at how e-learning can be a cost effective method of learning new language skills. One of the most prevalent issues facing […]
NHS Training Focus on Violence Against Staff
The NHS has launched a new training syllabus aimed at tackling violence against frontline staff in mental health and learning disability services.Promoting Safer and Therapeutic Services was developed by an NHS Security Management Service to provide training in recognising, de-escalating and managing potentially violent incidents, and aims to improve staff and service-user safety. From early […]
£3m Boost to Union Learning Fund
Around 70,000 more people are expected to benefit from training and development at work this year due to £3 million in new contracts recently awarded by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), through the Union Learning Fund. A large proportion of the funding will go towards setting up and training a network of Union Learning […]
Training Gets Tills Ringing in Retail
Eighty-five per cent of shoppers would leave a store for another if sales staff do not fully understand the product they are selling. A telephone survey, commissioned by the Adult Learning Inspectorate (ALI), asked 1000 people about their expectations of retail staff and found that over two-thirds of those questioned (67%) said they had gone […]
Dramatic Take on Diversity Training at Co-op
The Co-operative Group is employing drama to promote the concept of respect at work and counteract issues of bullying and harassment.Using drama-based training workshops, the group has put 140 senior managers through the course, and will continue to train 65,000 of its employees using a specially commissioned training film.“Organisations cannot afford to ignore bullying and […]
New Induction Standards for Care Sector
Skills for Care, the strategic development body for the adult social care workforce in England, has launched a new set of Common Induction Standards (CIS). The new standards are designed for people entering social care, and those changing roles or employers within adult social care and were developed to reflect recent changes to the NVQ […]
Training by Text Message
A training company is set to use text messaging to reinforce learning when delegates return to their normal roles.The service from sales training company TACK International provides regular ‘bite sized’ reminders and advice to help delegates apply what they’ve learned on their sales training programmes once back in the office or the field. Delegates receive […]
New Chartered Status for Health and Safety
A new Chartered Status for health and safety practitioners will lead to better business decisions and safer workplaces, the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) has said.To achieve chartered status, practitioners will have to undertake Initial Professional Development (IPD) and enrol on mandatory Continuing Professional Development (CPD). There’s also an open book assessment and […]
Free Skills Check Up for Engineering Firms
Engineering employers who need to improve the skills of their employees are being offered a free assessment to help them identify the future skill needs of their workforce. SEMTA, the Sector Skills Council for science, engineering and manufacturing technologies, is piloting a scheme aimed at engaging with engineering companies in England that employ fewer than […]
Skills Wish of London Firms
Nearly half of London’s business owners put skills at the top of their wish list according to the findings of a new survey of over 900 small and medium sized businesses in the capital. Undertaken by Business Link for London, the small business advice and support service for the capital, the survey revealed that 43% […]
The Way I See It… Honing Telephone Skills
The survey ‘Buyers Views of Salespeople 2005 – Changing Perceptions’ by TACK International found that 69% of buyers rate the quality of telephone communication from supplier salespeople as merely ‘fair to poor’. Hugh Alford of TACK looks at the lessons that can be taken from its findings. All sales contact with the customer requires thorough […]
Supermarket Embarks on Intensive Training Programme
Supermarket chain Sainsbury’s is rolling out an intensive training programme for all its staff as part of a strategic overhaul.The retailer is launching a £10m marketing campaign called “Try Something New Today”, fronted by Jamie Oliver. It will include all areas of the company’s operation with staff training at its core. Justin King, Sainsbury’s chief […]
Training Key to Tackling Workplace Bullies
Training is the most effective method of countering workplace bullies, according to a study by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI).A survey of 512 executives across public and private sectors found that bullying is rife with psychological intimidation seen as the biggest problem. The research found that the most common forms of bullying are misuse of […]
Brown Spells Out Commitment to Skills
Chancellor Gordon Brown reiterated his vision for a high-skills Britain, this week.Speaking at the TUC Conference in Brighton, Brown said that skills were essential to Britain remaining competitive on the global stage. “It is because increasingly it is the skills of working people that gives companies value and gives nations comparative advantage, that new principles […]
UK Skills at Risk from Complacent Bosses
Complacent employers are ignoring the training and skills needs of their staff and could pose a long-term threat to the UK’s economy, according to a major new study. Three in five employers admit that problems are looming as the workforce ages while the level of training remains static, according to the report, commissioned by Skills […]
Trainer’s Tip: Conflict Resolution
How do you prevent a difference in opinion becoming a full-scale conflict? Rich Lucas has some advice. I’m an approved self protection instructor, we deal with conflict resolution with an ABC methodA – Avoid conflict if possible, prevention is the best cure.B – Breathe deeply, don’t take it personally or get upset.C – Control your […]
Employers Commit to Training as Skills Shortages Bite
Nearly all employers feel that skills shortages are having a negative impact on their business, according to research from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).The survey, of 1,000 UK employers, found that 86% said that shortages had impacted on performance over the past 12 months. A third of employers described this negative impact as “serious”.The […]
UK Management Skills Gap with Europe
Formal management qualifications in the UK do not necessarily result in effective management skills, according to a study into management training and development in Europe. The six-country comparative study supported by the European Union, by authors at Brunel University and Birkbeck College also found that despite this shortcoming, human resources and development managers in the […]
Trainer’s Tip: Serving Up Time Management
This week’s tip from TrainingZONE member Myrta Stager, to be used at the start of a session on time management, demonstrates just how much delegates have on their plates. For an activity to demonstrate how much your audience has “on their plate”, provide each participant a paper plate and a stack of sticky notes. Pick […]
