Action Learning: a practical guide – review

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Title: Action Learning: a practical guideAuthor: Krystyna WeinsteinPublisher: Gower, 1999Format: Paperback, 256 pagesISBN: 0566080974Buy this book from the TrainingZONE – Blackwells bookshop.This book is just what it says it is a practical guide on action learning. It provides, in a straightforward style, very good coverage of the subject, which will be of benefit to anyone […]

Colleges respond to ALI report on work-based learning

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In response to the Adult Learning Inspectorate’s report, Judith Norrington, Director of Curriculum and Quality at Association of Colleges, commented: “This is the first time that 3,000 private training providers have been subject to the same public inspection demands as colleges. While inspection reports so far show that 95% of lessons in colleges are satisfactory […]

LSC gets poor review from IoD

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The Learning and Skills Council for England (LSC), has made little impression in its first year, according to the Institute of Directors (IoD). The IoD policy paper, Skills, reports the results of a survey of 302 IoD members.Results– The LSC or one of its 47 local subsidiaries had contacted just 13% of IoD respondents. This […]

IoD calls for more plumbers and fewer media studies graduates

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In a new policy paper the Institute of Directors has called for several major reforms to the education and training facilities in this country.Main recommendations include:– the replacement of the one size fits all secondary school system by a clearly selective system with a proper vocational pathway developed alongside a tightened-up academic pathway– the scrapping […]

Engineering sector moves towards a skills council

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The Sector Skills Development Agency has approved the first expression of interest for SSC development. The proposals came from employers in the engineering, science and engineering technology sectors and involved a high level of employer support and financial commitment from all parts of the proposed sector. Following the announcement, Christopher Duff, chief executive of the […]

LSC chief calls for confidence in training policy

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John Harwood, the Chief Executive of the Learning and Skills Council said today that for the sector to achieve the step change in participation levels it must create the confidence for that investment to take place.Mr Harwood said that raising participation of 16 – 18 years olds to over 90% was the vision of the […]

Twenty definitions of, and seventy five preconditions for, successful negotiation

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In this feature, TrainingZONE author Andrew Gibbons offers some tools to understand and improve negotiation. These are the result of a negotiation activity I use a lot, that requires small groups to firstly define using flip charts, ‘successful negotiation’ then identify the seven most significant preconditions for successful negotiation. Then the two groups negotiate to […]

12 million UK workers had no training last year

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Research by MORI for KnowledgePool has suggested that 44% of workers had not received any training in the last year. Only a third of workers said that their employers had delivered the training they promised.However, workers themselves assigned great importance to training. Almost a quarter said that training opportunities were their principal consideration when applying […]

The Motivation Handbook – review

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Title: The Motivation HandbookAuthor: Sarah Hollyforde and Steve WhiddettPublisher: CIPD ISBN: 0852929250Buy this book from the TrainingZONE – Blackwells bookshop.Ever wondered why people behave in a ‘certain way’? What motivates them? How do you get Kevin-in-accounts to perform better? Give him a swift kick in the pants – or a cup of coffee? Why is […]

50% of financial sector employees not getting training, says new survey

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A survey carried out by recruiters Joslin Rowe, has revealed that one in two people working in the professional and financial services sector have received no training at work in the last 12 months. This backs up other recent reports which have shown that a significant number of people are still not being offered adequate […]

Review of ICT labour market available online

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e-skills UK (formerly the e-skills NTO) has published the first in a series of quarterly reviews of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) labour market. The aim of these reviews will be to provide an up-to-date and definitive understanding of the trends and issues that impact any group with an interest in the current or […]

Blended learning in practice – Training Solutions preview

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Ian MacDonald, Assistant Chief Constable, National Police Training, will be talking at the Training Solutions conference (19-20th June) on how the force’s Strategic Command Training programme found blended learning to be a very practical solution in a complex situation. In advance, he gave TraiingZONE some reasons. TrainingZONE How did you come to use blended learning?Ian […]

Training improves performance!

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Well, you would have hoped so, but it’s good to have evidence. According to a major new survey by the Federation of Small Businesses, there is a direct relationship between training and business performance.The FSB study “Lifting the Barriers to Growth in UK Small Businesses” received over 18,000 responses, and provides unequivocal evidence that businesses […]

Employers care about skills before youth

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A survey carried out by the EEF (Engineering Employers’ Federation) found that found that manufacturers take skills and ability to do the job, rather than age, into account when making decisions on recruitment, promotion and retention. Where age by itself was taken into account, this was usually in relation to heavy physical tasks. Key Factors– […]

Careers failing to live up to childhood dreams

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As part of the promotion of adult learners week, Learndirect have released the results of a survey revealing that ninety-seven per cent of adults feel that they have not achieved their childhood dreams, and over half (51%) of workers are actively seeking a change in direction. Research that looked into the career dreams and ambitions […]

Adult Learners’ Week

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This week is Adult Learners’ Week. This promotion aims to provide a focus for hundreds of practitioners from all sectors – public, private and voluntary – who run thousands of events throughout the country, sharing their enthusiasm, knowledge and skills with over a million people. If you want to know more about this week’s national […]

Graduates lack skills for work

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Following on similar research in September 2000, the Chartered Management Institute, supported by the London College of Printing and the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising, has undertaken new research into graduate key skills and employability.Results– 75 per cent of managers questioned think that the IT skills of graduate recruits are good in this year’s survey. […]

Ditch corporate values – Training Solutions preview

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Octavius Black, managing director of the Mind Gym, will be speaking about the future of learning at work on Day 2 of the Training Solutions conference (19-20th June). Here he explains why giving employees learning opportunities is a good alternative to imposing a corporate culture. Ditch the valuesAnyone who thinks that rolling out a corporate […]

E-Skills NTO evolves

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The e-skills National Training Organisation (NTO) has become e-skills UK. e-skills UK builds on the extensive experience and expertise of the former NTO, with increased focus on employers’ needs and targeted action. As the industry representative body for IT skills, e-skills UK works with employers, educators, government and many other valued partners to understand, articulate […]

£10bn – the cost of poor basic skills

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TUC General Secretary John Monks has stated that workers’ lack of basic skills are costing the UK £10bn a year in lost productivity and that government should help employers provide training. “One in three British workers do not have basic qualifications and one in five have problems with basic literacy and numeracy. This lack of […]