PowerPoint Tips # 1 – created for TrainingZONE by Scott Stein
The first in a regular series of PowerPoint Tips written for TrainingZONE users by Scott Stein as part of our PowerPoint Resource Centre. Consistently, I get questions about how to make a presentation look better. A trainer recently commented to me that her PowerPoint backgrounds “look like a 3rd grader made them.” To create attractive […]
Try these for building language skills
As next year is the European Year of Languages, its a good a time as any to start looking at how the linguistic skills of your organisation can be improved.The Centre for Information on Language Teaching and Research (CILT)is responsible for promoting the event within the UK and has published a list of suggestions for […]
Interview of the month: Tony Green, Employment NTO
At the CIPD show last week, TrainingZONE took the opportunity to talk to Employment National Training Organisation (EmpNTO) Chief Executive Tony Green about some hot topics: namely, the process of revising the old TDLB standards, the incoming Learning and Skills Council, that old chestnut, ‘skills shortages’ and the Department for Education and Employment’s recent suggestion […]
Peter Honey Learning – launch of new resources website
Key learning and behaviour author, consultant and speaker Dr Peter Honey has relaunched his consultancy website to include some interesting learning-related interactive features.www.peterhoneylearning.com features the Learning Series, four modules concerned with learning styles, motivation to learn, learning environment and learning skills. Each module features a questionnaire, analysis and planning for the learner to work through […]
Institute of Training and Occupational Learning – eight months on
By Jeffrey Brooks. Director.The launch of ITOL in February of this year represented an act of faith by a small group of trainers who had met informally over many years to aid our own development. We had become increasingly frustrated by what we saw as a lack of support and encouragement for the recognition and […]
Skills shortages still on the up, says Reed
Problems with skills shortages in the UK are at a record three-year high, according to recruitment company Reed.The eleventh Reed Skills Index surveyed 550 organisations to establish the need for staff with particular skills across a number of industry sectors. It found that 72% of those surveyed were having problems recruiting staff with suitable skills, […]
Action needed to improve equal opportunities in training
The Training Standards Council (TSC) says that not enough work is being done by training providers to make training schemes accessible to all.The TSC says that although care is taken to comply with statutory requirements regarding equal opportunities, opportunities for increasing inclusion in training and employment are being lost, because it’s not just a case […]
Modern Apprenticeships suffer because of TEC funding, says TSC
Training and Enterprise Councils (TECs) have been thwarting the success of Modern Apprenticeships as a result of the funding methods they use, according to the Training Standards Council (TSC). According to TSC chief inspector David Sherlock, “weaknesses in funding mechanisms for modern apprenticeships are compromising achievement.” Sherlock sites the example of using the achievement of […]
Making sense of the f*** word!
Have you noticed that people are now using the F*** word more in public? I mean the word ‘feel’ rather than the other ‘f’ word! In the media particularly there is a resurgence of interest in people’s feelings. Questions are being asked of politicians and business people alike: “What do you feel about the plight […]
More money from DfEE for basic skills
Education and Employment Secretary David Blunkett has announced that an extra £150m is to be ploughed into training for basic skills over the next three years.Spending on basic skills will increase from £241m in 2000-1 to £403m in 2003-4, with additional funding for basic skills being provided through basic employment training for unemployed people, education […]
Countdown to the Learning and Skills Council launch
With the passing of the Learning and Skills Council legislation in July, the way is now clear for the launch of the new Council from April 2001 and the replacement of the existing network of Training and Enterprise Councils throughout England and Wales.TrainingZONE will be bringing regular news updates on all the implementation stages. However, […]
Recruiter CityJobs offering free on-line IT Training
Recruitment Company CityJobs is providing free on-line training to all those people registered with them looking for new employment opportunities. Those registered are then given a learning account, e-mail, educational search facilities and internet access to over 380 courses.The training is being provided by a company called ilearn.To and is expected to strengthen CityJobs position […]
More news of LSC developments
Local LSC developmentWith all local chairs now in place, announcements are expected in early September of appointment to the 47 posts of local LSC Executive Directors.To work alongside the local Directors, regional implementation teams are being established in all Government Offices to ensure that “dual running” of TECs and local LSCs can start as early […]
Key skills proposals during LSC transition
The Government is planning a major reform of key skills delivery within Modern Apprenticeships and the DfEE/NTO National Council has issued clarification of the transition arrangements.The main reforms will take place from September 2001 and until then new entrants must, as a minimum, meet the existing requirements for achievements in Key Skills. These are to […]
News and help with e-learning
From this week’s “Dispatch” from Brandon Hall:Real-world best practice in e-learningDownload your complimentary executive summary of the research report "E-Learning Across the Enterprise: The Benchmarking Study of Best Practices." It spans 10 US and foreign companies with the most significant e-learning success stories, including: Air Canada, Cisco Systems, Dell, Ernst & Young, IBM, Rockwell Collins, […]
Career Management: The forgotten element of HR?
In the world of HR and Training, career management doesn’t always make it to the top of the priority list. After all, if an employee is already in work with your organisation, is the attitude toward their career development more often than not based on what he or she can do for your organisation rather […]
University project ‘can do’ accreditation for work-based learning
The University of Derby and five FE Colleges in the area have launched a project aimed at bringing technologies in training to 60 local small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).The ‘Can-Do’ Project will link up with the University for Industry to promote the availability of work-based learning in SMEs through information and communication technologies in […]
Writing learning aims and objectives
We came across this simple little online course on the click2learn.com website recently and thought other TrainingZONE members might be interested. Just $16 gives you access to the course for a year.More than most professions, teaching requires keen organizational ability. In fact, teachers must know the general direction of a course before it starts, and […]
Oh, the irony….. or despair?
Within the mass of pages on the development of the Learning & Skills Councils, there is a Q&A on Modern Apprenticeships.One of the Key Skills, of course, is communication. One of the answers includes this sentence: “The first year will offer a minimum of five testing opportunities and be more frequent thereafter.”Can any reader (preferably […]
College lecturers go for strike ballot signalling wider unrest
Lecturers at Sheffield College are due to go for a strike ballot next week over reduncies resulting from a report into the management and finances at the college.The college employs 1,241 staff to serve a student base of 32,000.The Further Education Funding Council (FEFC) called for the report last December after the college failed to […]
