ALP calls for jobcentres to be privatised
The Association of Learning Providers, which represents almost three quarters of the organisations awarded contracts to deliver the coalition government’s Work Programme, has now called for the nation’s jobcentres to be privatised. The payment-by-results contracts, which are worth up to £5bn over the next seven years and are intended to try and get the long-term […]
What does the future hold for EMA and Start-Up Britain?
The coalition government has slashed the £560m Education Maintenance Allowance to £180m, while backing a ‘StartUp Britain’ initiative that some industry experts are skeptical will make the necessary impact. Michael Gove, the Education Secretary announced yesterday that EMA, which provided 650,000 16- to 19-year-olds with grants of between £10-30 per week to continue their studies, […]
The three Cs of defining and implementing a vision
Do you have a vision for your organisation? If you’re struggling, Jo Lord can help you with that. Research into why businesses succeed or fail reveals that the presence (or lack of) a clear and shared vision is often at the top of the list. A compelling vision is one that captures the organisation’s core […]
Architects for learning
To coincide with the release of his new book, ‘The New Learning Architect’, Clive Shepherd explains to the community about his theories of learning design. Architects as we usually know them An architect is someone who creates the plans from which others build. An architect of buildings designs environments for living. Only rarely will they […]
Skills commission launches inquiry
The Skills Commission has launched a parliamentary inquiry to explore how the UK can catch up with the rest of Europe by boosting the availability of technician-level skills in the manufacturing and engineering industries. The UK, which has only 3.7% of its workforce trained up to technician level, lags behind the rest of the EU, […]
Video: Coaching essentials part 1
In the first part of a series, TrainingZone interviews delegates and associates of the Academy of Executive Coaching. In this edition we ask: What are the most important qualities in a coach? bits://v/5YYR7iXc-kCMmvSXN In the first part of a series, TrainingZone interviews delegates and associates of the Academy of Executive Coaching. In this edition we […]
Subsidy for teenage internships recommended
Employers should be given subsidies to train young apprentices and provide internships to 16 to 19 year-olds so that they can "develop the general skills which the labour market demonstrably values", a report has recommended. The findings were revealed in an independent review commissioned by Education Secretary Michael Gove and undertaken by Alison Wolf, the […]
Start talking at the back! How podcasting is making the classroom a richer place part 2
Andrew Middleton and Graham McElearney conclude their feature on the possibilitites of podcasting. Voice before technology Some of the best applications for digital audio have been implemented by teachers with no previous interest in learning technology. This can be seen in the development of audio feedback for example. Audio feedback techniques are varied, but common […]
Mobile learning: Training on the move
Bob Little reports on recent developments in delivering learning via mobile technology. The development and increasing spread of mobile technology is not just changing how we access information and communicate. It is also encouraging greater use of this technology to deliver learning materials. In turn, this is turning the ‘course’ and even the more granular […]
Start talking at the back! How podcasting is making the classroom a richer place part 1
Podcasting is a technology that has been adopted across education, but its use so far has been generally limited to those teachers who are accustomed to confidently trying new technologies. Andrew Middleton and Graham McElearney talk us through the future. However, experience from the Media-Enhanced Learning Special Interest Group suggests this is likely to change […]
Going mobile: A new definition
Nigel Paine subscribes to a different definition of mobile learning, as we understand it. We’ll let him elaborate. Do you remember when ‘elearning’ was a dynamically sophisticated term that described something radically new in the field of learning and development? I have to admit to being there at its conception, birth and early childhood. It […]
Reed Learning partners with ASTD to deliver training certification
Reed Learning has launched its UK partnership with the American Society of Training and Development (ASTD). Although the official announcement will not come until next month, a breakfast briefing held in London on 17 February confirmed the move, which has been interpreted by some as a challenge to the CIPD for their members who work […]
How many professional bodies does L&D need?
ASTD and REED Learning recently announced the formation of a partnership in the UK, one that will see REED Learning take on the mantle of ASTD’s partner in the UK. Training Journal were quick to identify the appointment of REED as ASTD’s UK delivery partner, as being competition for CIPD’s qualifications. I disagree with that assertion, […]
The leadership interview: Jerome Wargnier
How do leaders ever learn? Jerome Wargnier has considered this question over the last 20 years. The Paris-based director of business consulting at CrossKnowledge is currently working on a whitepaper on this very subject. Working with Charles Jennings, the paper will be entitled ‘Effective Learning for the Extended Enterprise’ and will look at how learning […]
The learning technologies curate’s egg
The corporate elearning world is displaying some confusing and, at times, conflicting trends, reports Bob Little. The last 15 years or so have seen learning technologies not only become generally accepted as a valid part of the learning delivery mix but also become the learning delivery mechanism of choice for a new generation of learners. […]
Debate: Ideal conditions for mobile learning implementation
Alstom University’s distance learning manager Annee Bayeux debates with Skill-Pill CEO Gerry Griffin about the kinds of conditions corporates need to implement of a mobile learning strategy. What are some of the fundamental unmet needs of an organisation that mobile learning can address? Annee: A basic need is around accessibility and the idea of […]
Managers may need workplace social media training
Organisations need to approach the development of a social media policy in an organised and planned fashion and ensure that it is consistent with the organisation’s mission, strategy and values, Gartner has advised. The channel provides "tempting opportunities" to interact more effectively with employees, customers, prospects, business partners and other anonymous users, but also "disrupts […]
HR needs to become ‘business-critical’
Although three quarters of UK managers see staff development as a key priority over the year ahead in order to generate organisational growth and competitive advantage, HR personnel are not being included in the mix. According to a survey of 2,500 HR and non-HR senior managers from private and public sector organisations employing more than […]
Getting started with mobile learning
Smartphones aren’t just about Angry Birds and Shazam, you know. Andrew Jackson introduces us to mobile learning. There’s no question about it, mobile learning (or m-learning) is a hot topic at the moment. But what is it exactly and how does it work? This article answers both questions and helps you consider if mobile learning is […]
Lifelong Learning UK to be scrapped
The coalition government revealed it was scrapping the sector skills council for lifelong learning just as a new report indicated that greater skills investment would be crucial to achieve the sustained private sector-led recovery for which it hopes. Cath Everett reports. Following a review undertaken by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES), the […]
