Tesco Wins First QCA Accredited Apprenticeship
Tesco is the first British retailer to have its in-house apprenticeship training scheme accredited by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA). The move means that the supermarket chain can now award NVQs to employees on its retail apprenticeship scheme.“We’re thrilled to be the first UK retailer to have our in-house training accredited in this way,” […]
Land Rover on Track with Apprenticeships
Land Rover is the latest company to receive a commitment certificate in recognition of the company’s commitment to skills development through apprenticeships.Together, Land Rover, Jaguar and Aston Martin form Ford’s Premier Automotive Group, which took direct control of the dealer technician apprenticeship programme six months ago. Since then, the group has significantly expanded the programme […]
Employers Delve Deep for Management Training
Companies are ploughing more money into leadership development, with people and performance management skills being key areas of investment.A study of 250 UK training buyers found that 42% reported an increase in their management training budget (up from 30% in 2003) with only 12% facing a reduction (22% the previous year). This was confirmed by […]
Managers Need Training in Business Benefits of Diversity
Line managers need training on the business benefits of diversity, according to a new report from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). The report, Driving Diversity Progress, states that organisations who do not take diversity seriously could face difficulties attracting the best candidates to fill vacancies, and risk damaging efforts to achieve their […]
The Way I See It… Proving the More in More Out Principle
Michael Brown, Principal Consultant with John Matchett Limited, argues that a small increase in your training investment can generate measurably better business impact. Ask any training professional whether they think evaluating the business return from training is a good idea and I guarantee you they will say yes. Ask them how many of their programmes […]
Scots Workers ‘Highly Skilled’
Scotland has lower skills shortages than other parts of the UK, but there are signs that business is failing to capitalise on the knowledge economy, according to a new report.Economic think-tank Local Futures, found that skill levels in Scotland are higher than most other areas of the UK, and are similar to those of the […]
Politicians Warned ‘Immigration Plugs Skills Gap’
Current political debate about immigration needs to take into account recruitment difficulties and skills shortages faced by employers, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has warned.The CIPD said its research showed high levels of recruitment from abroad, with employers using migrant labour to cover shortages of professional skills as well as filling low […]
Education Policy ‘Failing to Address Skills Shortages’
Government policies on education and training are doing nothing to plug the UK’s productivity gap, according to the Institute of Directors (IoD).In a speech to the Institute of Economic Affairs in Central London, director general of the IoD Miles Templeman, said that 25,000 pupils leave school with no GCSEs, contributing to 4.5 million people who […]
Three Million Plug Into Home Computing Schemes
The Home Computing Initiative (HCI) Alliance says that HCI schemes have became the fastest-growing employee benefit in the UK. Enabled by the Government’s tax exemption on loaned computers, HCI schemes allow employers to loan computing equipment to their employees for personal use at home as a tax-free benefit. More than 380 companies, employing over 3.6 […]
Skills Shortages Predicted to Continue
Skills shortages look set to continue in 2005, with latest figures showing a record rate of employment.Office of National Statistics figures show that the number of people claiming jobless benefits fell to its lowest level since 1975 in the quarter to December, while the number of people in work hit a record 28 million people […]
Case Study: Ford Revs Up Staff Development with E-Learning
Ford Motor Company has rolled out an e-learning portfolio to its franchisees to help ensure consistency of training among a potential audience of 225,000 employees. BackgroundRecently celebrating its 100th anniversary, Ford Motor Company is one of the world’s leading consumer companies for automotive products and services. The company’s major brands include household names such as […]
Call Centre Training Achieves Top Grade
Contact Centre Professional (CCP), which trains unemployed adults how to handle telephone enquiries in call centres, has been awarded a grade 1 “outstanding” by the government’s Adult Learning Inspectorate. The Newcastle-based firm was awarded the highest grade – achieved only by a handful of training organisations in the country – for its retailing, customer service […]
NHS Launches Training and Development Hotline
The NHS is launching a new helpline to offer advice on its Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF).The KSF defines and describes the knowledge and skills that NHS staff need to apply in their work to deliver a quality service. It provides a single, consistent, comprehensive and explicit framework on which to base the review and […]
Case Study: Royal Mail delivers First Class HCI Service
Royal Mail implemented the government’s Home Computing Initiative (HCI) to inject meaning to Chairman, Alan Leighton’s objective to make the organisation ‘a great place to work’. So far 22,000 employees have signed up heralding the scheme a success. About the businessRoyal Mail Group is a public limited company wholly owned by the government, comprising three […]
Bank Predicts Worsening Skills Gap in 2005
The UK’s skills gap is expected to stretch this year, making it hard for employers to fill technical positions. A fresh report by Lloyds TSB bank predicts that skills shortages could lead to labour market ‘bottlenecks’. In turn, it says, this could have an upward influence on wages for many skilled positions. According to a […]
IIP Tells Employers to Invest in Skills
Investors in People (IIP) are calling on businesses to put improvements in their employee’s skills high on the agenda and boost productivity in 2005.The appeal follows research by the Future Foundation which shows that whilst British bosses recognise the importance of employee development in delivering overall productivity, they are reluctant to invest in their staff […]
Mid-Size Companies Cite Skills Shortage as Key Challenge for 2005
Skills shortages are set to be one of the biggest barriers to growth for medium-sized companies in 2005, new research has revealed.A survey by KPMG and the London Chamber of Commerce of 1,000 middle market businesses in London found that 67% of companies felt that the high costs associated with employing staff and skills shortages […]
New Chief for UK Skills
Dr Graeme Hall has been appointed chief executive of UK Skills, the independent organisation which champions skills and learning for work through competitions, awards and events.Dr Hall’s new role is a promotion from his previous position as deputy chief executive, a post he has held since 2000.Chris Humphries CBE, chairman of UK Skills and director […]
Hospitality Industry ‘Failed by Education System’
The tourism and hospitality industry says it is being failed by the UK’s education system.According to a study by the Sector Skills Council for hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism, People 1st, 85 per cent of employers and trade associations in the industry feel that schools do not adequately prepare people for the world of work. […]
SMEs ‘Must Focus on Training’
Almost half of small and medium-sized enterprises have accused employees of having poor standards of education and training. A survey shows that 43% of SMEs have difficulties in recruiting because of inadequate levels of education or training in the workforce. Over a quarter (28%) said that both poor standards in education and inadequate training were […]
