Minute Taking: Stand out from the crowd
Being able to confidently take accurate minutes at meetings is a vital skill for anyone in the secretarial profession. Minute taking is usually part of a secretary’s daily workload and meetings can vary from informal team get-togethers to major conferences involving senior members of an organisation, so having the confidence to produce a comprehensive account […]
Is shorthand still important in the digital age?
A vital tool for secretaries and journalists, you might be surprised to learn that in this digital age shorthand is still regarded as an absolutely essential skill. Some say it’s outdated and irrelevant, and with our increasing usage of sophisticated technology it might seem hard to argue otherwise, but I bet if you ask any […]
The most successful organisation in the universe
Stephen Walker looks at organisations, comparing them to microscopic organisms, such as bacteria and viruses. An organisation is a collection of people, processes and procedures to achieve a purpose. The purpose of an organisation will always be to achieve an end – it is a machine, a working system, it has a function. Organisational development […]
What if… a sales mindset was embedded across the entire business?
Richard Lane imagines what the work environment would be like if everyone communicated as well as sales people. Imagine if you could infect the rest of the business with the same energy, drive, enthusiasm and camaraderie that inhabits the best sales teams. I would argue the qualities exhibited by sales people who have been effectively […]
Practise what you preach: Transfer your skills
Simon Price, associate solicitor and professional development lawyer at DWF, considers the need for teaching transferable skills and how businesses can invest in the future generation. When looking at today’s competitive job market it is clear to see that an increasing number of positions, including graduate roles, require today’s jobseekers to be self-starters who are […]
Liggy Webb: “Our coping mechanisms are being challenged”
At a recent event we caught up with workplace wellness expert Liggy Webb to talk about modern life skills. For more information on Liggy and her new book, click here At a recent event we caught up with workplace wellness expert Liggy Webb to talk about modern life skills.For more information on Liggy and her […]
Is your HR function living up to its name?
Talent management specialists Lumesse have sent us this tasty infographic, but the results might be hard to stomach for some. Download a pdf beneath, and a link to the full report too. click on the image for full size For more information about the Lumesse Agile Learning Survey download the Executive Summary here. Talent management […]
How to to help young athletes achieve sporting excellence
The Games has brought huge excitement across the UK inspiring a new generation of young, talented sports men. Steve Mitchell tells us more. High quality training Elite sport apprenticeships continue to make a real difference to Team GB’s success. In addition to helping young athletes prepare for international competitions, apprenticeships fully equip our youth with […]
The government and apprenticeships pt5
In the final part of the five part series, James Flanagan and Polly Newport explore the Coalition Goverment's apprenticeship strategy. Access to funding Further Education Colleges and training providers are allocated funds by the SFA at the beginning of each academic year according to bids they submit. To access funds FE colleges and training providers must […]
The government and apprenticeships pt1
In part one of a five part series, James Flanagan and Polly Newport explore the Coalition Goverment’s apprenticeship strategy. Funding and numbers The increasing importance this government attaches to apprenticeships is seen in the paper ‘Investing in Skills for Sustainable Growth [1]: published in 2010 by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. It outlined […]
Sustainability: Recycling and refreshing your 360 programme
Are you going round in circles with your 360 programme? Jo Ayoubi gives us some tips to keep things fresh. 360 Degree Feedback is a critical exercise and a major investment of time and effort for the organisations that use it. That being said, it can also be a valuable tool for identifying, developing and […]
Research shows soaring demand for IT staff
The latest Technology Insights research report from e-skills UK, launched today, reveals that IT employment through to 2020 is forecast to grow at almost twice the UK average. A record 129,000 new recruits a year are needed to fill IT and telecoms jobs in the UK, both brand new jobs and to replace those leaving […]
How to make people listen
Stephen Walker talks us through the gentle art of speaking in public, the importance of rapport and points out a few basics of successful verbal communication. You don’t get very far in the training sector without having to stand up and talk to someone. Whether you are doing an internal meeting to promote a course […]
How to work with mixed ability groups
Alan Matthews provides the community with some great pointers on how to get the most out of a group of mixed ability. Many years ago, when I was a primary school teacher, it was normal to work with classes or groups of mixed abilities. This presented a challenge to the teacher, how to pitch the […]
Why we should be upskilling our workforce
Philip Whiteman, chief executive of sector skills council Semta discusses why science, engineering and manufacturing businesses should be upskilling their workforce and incorporating apprenticeships into their business plan. Despite being back in recession, the UK still has one of the world’s major manufacturing industries, contributing £140bn a year to the economy and over half of […]
TrainingZone Live 2012: Vox pops
Last month at TrainingZone Live we caught up with delegates and speakers to ask them: "Now that we're back in recession, will this see L&D departments revert to policies of three years ago?". Here's what they had to say. For more info on next year's event, click here For more info about Skill-Pill click here […]
Jeremy Humphries: “We have a vast array of fantastic talent”
What does the future look like for employees of the TV and film industry? We caught up with Skills2Film’s Jeremy Humphries to find out. What are the main L&D challenges surrounding film and TV professionals at the moment? I can speak from both sides of the camera on this – as a cameraman and […]
Oops – what about the users?
Sue Bird, director of operations at SkillSet Ltd, discusses key methods of ensuring that training is integrated successfully into system rollouts. The level of investment required for major system rollouts or upgrades means it is crucial that companies cover all bases to ensure the project is a success. However, the best laid plans can fall […]
Insight: A quarter of PwC’s graduate trainee intake this year will be former interns
As the UK’s biggest private sector employer of graduates, PwC comments on the key themes in the High Fliers The Graduate Market in 2012 report published today. Gaenor Bagley, PwC head of people, said: "Graduate recruitment is the lifeblood of our business. That’s why we continue to invest heavily in offering outstanding opportunities to students. […]
Future of learning: The L&D manager perspective
As part of our future of learning month, former acting editor Martin Couzins gets the view of two L&D manager about what the future holds. Flora Marriott, former L&D manager at Yell Adworks Be brave and don’t follow the herd. I really do hope that L&D professionals will get their binoculars out and […]
