L&D news round-up: 31 October

Yes – it’s news time. Here are a few good L&D stories and other stuff that has piques TZ’s interest over the last few days – enjoy. Elon Musk: artificial intelligence is our biggest existential threat – The Guardian The man with the best name in the world of innovation has a word about AI. Businesses […]
L&D news round-up: 22 October

It’s a day early this week – here are the best news stories from the last few days. This Is How Agencies Can Win With Transformational Women Leaders – Adweek Doctor Who’s new web game aims to teach children programming skills – The Guardian Why growing companies need great finance skills – The Nottingham Post ‘Science gives children […]
L&D news round-up: 16 October

News time again – enjoy! Cloud skills certification can add zeros to your pay cheque – The Register Changes ‘damage skills policies’ – The Berwick Advertiser What’s Best: Individual Or Team Leadership? Lessons From Apple, Google And More – Forbes UK Skills Charity: Political Parties Should Shun Short-Term Election Pledges – International Business Times Why is the UK […]
L&D news round-up: 2 Oct 2014

Yep – news time. We decided to end on a high this week. I’m not getting the training I want. How do I keep my confidence and drive? – The Guardian An agony aunt piece from the Grauniad to kick things off. Ten old-school office skills that still matter – The Sydney Morning Herald The SMH take […]
L&D news round-up: 25 Sept 2014

It’s your L&D news round-up. All the best stories from the web, plus a silly one at the end. Oculus Rift hands-on: why the latest version is a watershed moment for gaming – The Guardian Do We Still Need Human Resources? – Forbes Huawei buys Cambridge Internet of Things pioneer Neul – The Register The cutting-edge firms that hire […]
The value of vocation

Charlotte Bosworth makes a case for the value of vocational training and skill recognition – as opposed to a reliance upon exam assessment – when it comes to helping prepare people for the world of work. The roles and results delivered by the education and training sectors in order to support the needs of the […]
L&D news round-up: 12 Sept

SYNOPSIS NEEDED A day later than normal due to Learning Live, here’s our news round-up. How to stop the declining trust in leadership – The Globe and Mail Right across the world, leadership practices can always improve. Lifelong learning for literacy and sustainable development – the Jamaica Observer Jamaica commits to lifelong learning for adults. […]
Five leadership techniques for the technically minded

It's essential that the technical experts in an organisation are encouraged to step into leadership roles, otherwise we risk restricting diversity in the leadership pool, warns Chris Atkinson. You are most likely familiar with the concept of the dual career ladders offered in many organisations, where employees decide whether to pursue a technical or managerial […]
How to make young people ready for the workplace

It's a story that's popping up across many different industries, but Kasmin Cooney has a few ideas of how to get the next generation workforce ready for action. Feedback from business In July 2014, the CBI published a survey taken from 291 companies, between them employing 1.5m people, stating that 61% of the business community […]
L&D news round-up: 5 Sept 2014

A day later than normal, but here it is – the week in L&D. Why are doctors so reluctant to be leaders in the NHS? – The Guardian Does the NHS need more management? Food Bank Makes a Difference With Culinary Training – Liberty Voice One way to cut down on food bank reliance… America’s ‘skills […]
Insight: Economic recovery threatened by skills shortage, survey finds

More than eight in 10 UK businesses are experiencing a skills shortage, which is putting economic recovery at risk, according to new research. The survey by private equity firm ECI Partners revealed that 82% of the UK’s fastest growing companies are being hit by an increasing skills shortage, with the whole country and every sector […]
News: Lack of foreign language skills costing UK economy £48bn

The failure to recognise the importance of foreign language learning is costing the UK economy £48bn a year, according to the Association of Translation Companies (ATC). As students prepare to receive their GCSE results this Thursday, the professional body has warned that plummeting levels of modern language entries at A-level show there is a lack […]
Insight: Skills shortage putting engineering and tech businesses at risk

Over half of employers in the engineering and technology sector are struggling with skills shortages, putting the future of their business at risk, according to a new study. Findings from the Institution of Engineering and Technology’s (IET) annual report on skills have revealed that demand for staff remains high, with 51% of employers in the […]
News: London skills system needs radical overhaul, MPs told

Employers in London are struggling to find suitable talent due to a skills system that is “not fit for purpose”, MPs have been told. London Councils, which represents all 32 London boroughs and the City of London, has urged the government to “overhaul” the skills system in the capital to help plug the skills gap. […]
News: UK’s poor language skills a threat to economic growth

A “national recovery programme” to improve the UK’s foreign language skills is urgently needed to ensure future economic growth, a group of MPs has warned. The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Modern Languages has launched a manifesto to “upgrade” the nation’s language skills to ensure the UK’s international reputation and economy doesn’t suffer. It is […]
News: £52m cash injection for UK science skills

The UK science sector is to receive £52m to improve skills and training, in a bid to generate over 7,800 education and skills opportunities over two years. The government-backed funding was announced by science minister David Willetts, at the launch of the Science Industrial Partnership (SIP), a consortium of 100 leading science sector employers, led […]
Insight: Businesses call for reform of education system

The education system must better prepare school leavers for the world of work or “risk wasting their talents”, according to a new report. The annual CBI/Pearson Education and Skills survey has revealed that a third of employers are concerned about school leavers’ attitude to work, and 61% feel young people lack resilience and self-management. The […]
Insight: ‘Disturbing disconnect’ between skills demand and parents’ careers advice

There is a “disturbing disconnect” between the digital skills in demand in today’s jobs market and the more traditional skills valued by parents, according to a report. Almost a quarter of parents believe digital skills are irrelevant to their children’s future career success, while 18% believe employers are not interested in digital skills, the study […]
After the break: Boosting your IT skills

How do you brush up on your skills after a career break or after marking time during the recession? Kirstin Donoghue recommends IT training and certification. Our work lives used to be far simpler than they are today. More often than not, entire careers were spent at one company and a break was nothing more […]
News: Government-backed scheme launched to boost skills in energy sector

The government is to invest £33m to help energy and utility companies tackle the skills crisis in the sector. The Energy and Efficiency Industrial Partnership aims to strengthen the UK’s energy and utility workforce over the next three years by delivering around 70,000 new learning opportunities through apprenticeships and traineeships, as well as funding more […]