Are work placements the best way onto the career ladder?
After the popularity of his article on university alternatives, Nathan Pearson-Smith focuses on the concept of work placements. Work placements, or internships as they are more commonly known, are becoming increasingly used by large companies to trial potential employees within businesses before employing them on a more permanent basis. A work placement is simply a […]
An introduction to higher apprenticeships
Kevin Streater explains the concept of the higher apprenticeship, introduced by the previous government a couple of years ago. In his recent series on the history of apprenticeships, James Flanagan discussed the development of apprenticeships as a means to develop the skills that industry requires. Modern apprenticeships are successfully operating at scale at levels 2 (intermediate) […]
When is a trained coach a competent coach?
If you are seeking to become a coach, the myriad of qualifications on offer can be overwhelming. University of Cambridge’s Keith Nelson explores just how qualified you need to be before you can start practising. There are some people who see a qualification in coaching as a quick-fix ticket to becoming a professional coach. The […]
How much core-business knowledge should our leaders have?
Nowhere more than in the leadership arena do you need to be a subject matter expert. Amanda Goodall makes the case. One of the unanswered questions in business is how much a leader needs real hands-on, nut-and-bolts knowledge of the core business. Does Ian Powell, chairman and senior partner at PwC, have to be a […]
Moodle myths, busted
Is Moodle coming of age? Elearnity‘s Adrian Jones tells the community how best to put the software to use. For the last ten or more years, the corporate learning management market has been dominated by specialist LMS providers. Whilst new entrants emerge on an ongoing basis, corporate LMS procurement projects are dominated today by the large […]
How to have an attitude of gratitude at work
It’s an ongoing mission to find the ideal working environment. Liggy Webb, as always, has some great tips for anyone wishing to improve their situation. For many of us we spend the biggest proportion of our lives at work and in many cases, more time than we spend at home and with our friends […]
How performance psychology blends in with workplace learning
Ever wondered how to get that extra edge on your performance at work? Geoff Greenwood tells us. As organisations face up to solution demanding customers in distant fragmented markets, often with declining support resources, it is clear that a new approach to performance is needed. Training professionals have addressed the technical needs of their staff […]
The new world of Know-NOW learning
Have you got the Know-NOW? Paul Service surveys the ever-changing world of L&D. The world of training has evolved enormously over the past 20 years, but are you aware of how to feed the new hunger for 'Know-NOW' learning across your business? 20 years ago if you needed to learn a new skill, you went on a […]
Should line managers coach?
Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. Robin Hoyle trains his sights on line managers. Whenever I write about line managers being crucially important to effective L&D (which I do, often) I fall into the trap of describing the role I want them to take as being a coach. A few recent experiences have […]
Adult Learners’ Week: Whatever you do, keep learning
To tie in with this Adult Learners’ Week (12 – 18 May), we’re publishing an article a day from L&D practitioner and workplace wellness guru Liggy Webb. To round off the week, Liggy’s advice is: keep learning. One way to become a more effective learner is to keep learning. If you are learning a new […]
Adult Learners’ Week: Learn and grow
To tie in with this Adult Learners’ Week (12 – 18 May), we are publishing an article a day from L&D practitioner and workplace wellness guru Liggy Webb. Today, Liggy tells us how to learn and grow. I have outlined here a few tips and advice that can help you to learn better and more […]
Why do we evaluate professional development?
If you’re new to the concept of evaluation then read on. The Open University’s Viv Nunn gives us an introduction and talks us through the benefits. What is evaluation? "Evaluation is the comparison of actual project impacts against agreed strategic plans." (Janet Shapiro ‘Monitoring and Evaluation’, CIVICUS) Evaluation is a journey – it […]
Adult Learners’ Week: Learning styles
To tie in with this Adult Learners’ Week (12 – 18 May), we’re publishing an article a day from L&D practitioner and workplace wellness guru Liggy Webb. Today, learning styles. It is useful to understand that we are all different and we will learn in different ways. Knowing and understanding your learning style can make […]
Forget me not: So what is goal-based learning?
Rob Hubbard explains why most isolated learning interventions are doomed to fail – and what you can do about it. Do you remember everything that you come into contact with? No? It’s just as well. If you consciously remembered every sight, sound, touch, smell, taste, feeling and word you would probably lose your mind. We […]
How to choose an LMS and ensure its successful implementation
Rob Caul provides a checklist of the key steps for selecting and implementing a Learning Management System. There are few more important decisions L&D and HR managers have to make today than in the selection of their Learning Management Systems (LMS). Get it right and you are providing the foundations for learning and development […]
TNA – or Training’s Needless Activities pt2
Robin Hoyle concludes this focus on the shortfalls of Training Needs Analysis and what we can do about it. There’s the secret – the ability to observe someone doing something and recognise the essential activities, skills and behaviours which define what good looks like. I was team training with a colleague some years ago. At […]
TNA – or Training’s Needless Activities pt1
As part of our monthly theme, Robin Hoyle focuses on the shortfalls of Training Needs Analysis and what we can do about it. Training Needs Analysis. Sounds like a good idea – you check out what skills you need, assess your workforce, define the gaps and deliver some programmes to meet the requirements. Easy. What could possibly go […]
Perry Timms: “Formal training can be a very blunt instrument”
Ahead of his slot at next week’s HRD conference, Perry Timms takes us through his version of 70:20:10. Say the words ‘workplace learning’ or ‘workplace training’ to someone who is not an HR or learning and development professional, and the chances are they will immediately think of a conference, an external training day, or a […]
Education and workplace L&D – how different are they?
Vicki Cable shares her views on what both education and the corporate sectors can learn from each other. We’ve all heard of the saying that first impressions count and that you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Well this is even more the case when you do freelance training in the […]
Making development work across cultural boundaries
Clinton Wingrove and Catherine Mercer Bing conclude their feature on development with or without elearning. Read on and see what you think. In part one of this article, we explored the pros and cons of elearning and pull-learning on the internet. We identified that, whilst these are robust contemporary tools for supporting knowledge sharing and acquiring […]
