TrainingZONE welcomes contributions to our daily features. Below are some guidelines on what we will be covering in 2006 along with details of our regular features. If you have an idea for a feature, please contact the editor on editor@trainingzone.co.uk and we'll be in touch.
1) Monday feature
At the start of each week, TrainingZONE publishes a feature that fits in with that month's theme. The themes for 2006 and editorial guidelines are below. Features should be 500-1000 words long.
- January: Training cycle
TrainingZONE kicks off the year with a look at the basics. Topics include:
* How to set about a training needs analysis.
* Methods of evaluating training including return on investment of training. - February: Management development
A hot topic on TrainingZONE over the last 12 months, we will look at the latest thinking, practice and research in the sphere of management and leadership development. - March: IT training
Features under this banner will look at some of the more basic IT skills that staff need to go about their everyday jobs. Topics include:
* How do you conduct an IT skills audit?
*Are your staff getting the most out of the basic software packages they use everyday? - April: Training and learning methods
With the CIPD's HRD Conference and Exhibition set to take place this month, "Training and Learning Methods" is a timely look at the different methods of helping staff learn. TrainingZONE will be investigating some of the new ideas out there on learning as well as looking at tried and tested measures. - May: Coaching and mentoring
From being the new kid on the block, coaching and mentoring have taken off to the extent that they are equally likely to be used in call centres as in executive development. Issues include:
* With so many different qualifications out there, how can training managers be sure that they are recruiting the right coach?
* How can training managers be sure that a coaching/ mentoring programme is delivering results and how can they tell when it's failing?
* What are the benefits and drawbacks of different forms of coaching and mentoring? - June: E-learning & blended learning
E-learning has come along way since the early days of CBT. Constantly evolving and adapting, we will look at the latest innovations in e-learning. Other issues include:
* Where does e-learning work and what are its limitations?
* What constitutes a perfect blend of training and what are the ingredients?
* What are the new concepts and methods of e-learning eg simulations, online coaches/ mentors etc. - July: Public sector training
A month dedicated to looking at training and development initiatives in public organisations such as central and local government, the NHS and the police force. Topics include:
* What are the new focuses for training and development and what specific pressures do professionals in this field face?
* What can private companies learn from this sector? - August: Train the trainer/ trainer development
Summertime is often quiet time in training, and as such is the perfect time for training professionals to consider their own development. This month we'll look at the options and trends in trainer development. - September: Team development
A constant hot topic on TrainingZONE, this month we will look at different theories and methods of team development and some of the newer issues such as how do you create a sense of team when members aren't in the same room or even hemisphere? - October: Organisation development (OD)
Coinciding with the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development Conference and Exhibition. A look at organisations' problems as part of a total system eg issues such as poor communication between managers and staff, poor quality control, and low productivity. How training can support OD processes as well as become an OD intervention itself. - November: Training software
Coinciding with the World of Learning Conference and Exhibition. A month looking at the latest developments in training software, from e-learning to online evaluation to LMS solutions. - December: Training developments and trends
A look back at some of the key trends of 2006 and forward to what we can expect in 2007.
2) Opinion pieces.
Each Thursday we publish an opinion piece, "The Way I See It", where the author gets to give their thoughts on a topic that is allied to training and development. This is very much a chance to jump on the soapbox about anything you feel strongly about. It could be an opinion about the best form of evaluation, how to motivate people or a rally against business-speak, we really are open to your suggestions. The wordcount for these features is circa 500 words. As this is a weekly feature, the deadline is flexible. These articles do not necessarily fit with the monthly themes above.
3) Case studies.
This is a place to share best practice and explain how your organisation achieved results in a specific area of training and development. Case studies often, but not always, fit with the monthly themes (see above). The wordcount is circa 500 words and the deadlines are flexible.
4) How Did I Get Here?
How Did I Get Here? provides members with an insight to the route to the top of the training profession. TrainingZONE has conducted interviews with a diverse range of people.
Editorial Guidelines
Overall content: Our editorial policy is not to use material directly promoting an organisation's goods and services. Instead, we publish original contributed features containing specific viewpoints on training-related subjects, advice guides and opinion pieces commenting on customer experiences or experiences of the training market itself.
Format: People tend to scan read on the Internet - it is a habit we are all developing in response to the massive amount of information available. So it's good to alert readers quickly to what you are going to put before them, by using headings through a long piece, and splitting the text into relatively short paragraphs.
