Training investment needs to rise if the economy is to recover
Dwindling levels of investment in training must rise this year if UK employers are to remain competitive on a global basis as the economy starts to emerge from recession, an expert has warned. According to the National Employer Skills Survey (NESS) for England undertaken among 79,152 organisations and commissioned by the UK Commission for Employment […]
Call for employers to shape qualifications
A new website is set to increase employer involvement in vocational reform. SkillsActive this week has called on the active leisure, learning and well-being sector employers to shape the future of vocational qualifications. The sector has urged employers to visit a new website recently launched, to raise awareness of a large overhaul of sector-based qualifications. […]
e-Skills UK launches IT call to arms
e-Skills UK has published a manifesto setting out the actions needed to ensure the country can compete in IT and technology alongside the rest of the world. The document, supported by representatives from across the sector, has made several recommendations needed to make the target, including the reform of IT-related education, an update to the […]
HMRC boosts IT training to avoid future security gaffes
Managers at Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have launched an extensive retraining exercise for 85,000 employees, in a bid to avoid a future data security disaster. In 2007, the organisation lost the personal details of all UK families in with a child under 16, affecting some 25 million people across the country. Details of […]
Government launches National Apprenticeship Week
The government today launched National Apprenticeship Week, celebrating the commitment of employers to recruit apprentices and urging people to look at the benefits to their skills and career of becoming an apprentice. Major UK employers are expecting to hire thousands of apprentices in 2010 and the government is encouraging all businesses to take up […]
Government publishes ‘time for training’ guidance for employers and employees
Guidance to inform employers about the new right for employees to request time for training has been published. The guidance for employers is being made available through Business Link and is being published 12 weeks in advance of its introduction on 6 April. Available through the DirectGov website, the guide informs employees about how they […]
Study through work has more clout than college qualifications, reveals report
A new report published today has revealed that vocational qualifications, often viewed as the poor relation in the qualifications framework, frequently have far more value in the labour market than those gained at college. Research conducted by the University of Sheffield and published by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills has revealed that the […]
Karren Brady: Being the new ‘Margaret’
Karren Brady chats to Jon Wilcox about her new role as Lord Sugar's right-hand women on The Apprentice, the recession, and the importance of business skills for today's young people. As fans of BBC One's The Apprentice, we were thrilled when TrainingZone.co.uk’s Jon Wilcox recently caught up with Karren Brady, the former managing director at […]
Talking ’bout my generation
Cross-generational mentoring is a great way of banking those essential skills that could be lost over time, says Gaby Marcon. For decades we have known about the importance of mentoring in developing people. Yet few organisations have successfully leveraged it as part of their HR and training strategy in a way that aligns it […]
Government set for skills make-over as whitepaper is announced
The UK is set for a skills shake-up after Lord Mandelson announced a new government strategy that aims to simplify the national education and training system. Launched yesterday, ‘Skills for Growth – The National Skills Strategy’ whitepaper, produced by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, heralded new beginnings for the heavily critisised and complicated […]
Makaton training
Our local PCT has withdrawn all support for training Makaton to staff who deal with learning disabilities. I have a group of apprentices who need to know about Makaton and its basics. Are there any Makaton trainers out there who could deliver a session (or more) to staff? Sessions will be run in the North […]
In the hotseat: Peter Jones
Best known for slaying entrepreneurs in BB2’s Dragons’ Den, Peter Jones now has the nation’s business skills in his sights. Verity Gough gets the inside story. In recent years the government push for up-skilling Britain’s young people has seen a number of academies opening with the aim of helping to help bridge the skills gap. […]
Where are all the good role models?
Gemma Middleton laments the loss of the traditional role model and argues that it’s time that our leaders stepped up to the plate. Politics really does remind me of the school playground; factions of kids grouped together for whatever allegiance, cussing and embarrassing members of rival groups at every opportunity. If any business or organisation […]
Are you over the innovation hill?
Being in your 50s may mean you bring wisdom to the table, but do you still have plenty of fresh ideas? Keren Smedley argues that entering middle age doesn’t mean an end to your ability to innovate. Do we lose our creative ability when we hit 50? It’s a question that bothers many of us […]
Hacker training: Fighting fire with fire
As IT security continues to hit the headlines, Jon Wilcox looks at the next generation of hackers set to do battle with the online marauders. Maintaining IT network security is an issue for small businesses, multi-nationals, and governments alike; the threat from hackers remains very real indeed. British citizen, Gary McKinnon is currently appealing against […]
Webchat with James Caan
How do you encourage and develop innovation in your organsiation? Does encouraging open communication between employees at all levels work? Can you train someone to think more innovatively? James Caan tells us how in this live web chat. In recent years, the UK‘s strength in science, technology and innovation has been the unsung hero of […]
Brown and out
Simon Edwards, mentoring expert and CEO of Mowgli, the mentoring foundation, lists ten ways the PM could turn his life-changing summer into a career advantage. The beleaguered Prime Minister announced his plan to spend part of his summer holiday volunteering in his Kirkcaldy constituency. It is no surprise that he is looking to give back […]
Banking on the skills
As the recession trundles on, Sylvia Perrins, chief executive of the National Skills Academy for Financial Services, emphasises the importance of skills and education in getting the nation back on its feet. Skills and education have long been recognised as the essential ingredient in a strong economy. Indeed back in December 2006, the Government issued […]
Most popular Trainer’s Tip ever
Taking the top spot in our most popular Trainer’s Tips is Lindsay Campbell’s voice projection exercise. It scooped over 28,458 reads and prompted lots of great discussion. There are two key areas to focus on for voice projection: breathing technique and resonators (the ‘speakers’ in your head). I have one technique for each. Breathing technique […]
The 21st Century leader
If you want to be a successful corporate leader what abilities will you need over the next decade or so? Andrew Leigh looks at the skills tomorrow’s leaders need. There are many contenders, ranging from handling complexity to the skill of inspiring others, from business acumen through to managing risk. No single ability is likely […]
