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Training and development news
Welcome to the Training Reference UK news index. On this page you'll find this month's UK training, learning and development news together with links enabling you to browse our training news archive by month or by topic.
March 2010
17/03/10
Government announces five new National Skills Academies
The government announced today that new National Skills Academies will be developed to cover five sectors – rail engineering, logistics, green building services, biotechnology and composites.
16/03/10
CIPD People Management Awards open for entries
Nominations for the 2010 Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development's (CIPD) People Management Awards are now open.
15/03/10
Becta announces winners of Next Generation Learning Awards
Becta, the government agency for technology in learning, has announced the winners of the annual Next Generation Learning Awards.
12/03/10
NEBOSH launches Certificate in the Management of Health and Well-being at Work
NEBOSH has launched a new qualification that aims to give managers the skills and know-how to promote a healthier workplace.
11/03/10
QCDA launches Functional Skills qualification
The Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency (QCDA) has launched a new qualification aimed at providing young people with essential life skills to help them succeed in further education or employment.
09/03/10
Employers must utilise workforce skills more effectively, says Skills for Health report
Health sector employers must find new ways to utilise the skills of existing staff if they are to deliver greater productivity and higher quality care, according to a new report from Skills for Health.
08/03/10
Skills for Logistics relicensed
Business Secretary Lord Mandelson has announced that Skills for Logistics, the Sector Skills Council (SSC) for the logistics sector, has been given a further trademark licence to operate as an SSC.
05/03/10
Insolvency Service launches new e-induction
The Insolvency Service, working with managed learning service provider Edvantage group, has launched a series of four
e-learning modules as part of its new induction programme.
04/03/10
Twelve new Beacons announced
Twelve learning and skills sector organisations – including FE colleges, local adult learning providers, a work-based learning provider and an independent specialist college – have been awarded Beacon status by the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS).
03/03/10
BIS and DCSF respond to Science for Careers Expert Group report
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) today welcome the publication of the report from the Science for Careers Expert Group.
02/03/10
Lantra secures £1.4m funding for land-based skills development in Scotland
Lantra, the Sector Skills Council for environmental and land-based industries, has announced that the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment, Richard Lochhead, has approved a renewal of their Scottish Government funding agreement.
01/03/10
Becta launches FITS as an independent organisation
Becta is this month launching FITS (Framework for ICT Technical Support) as an independent, not-for-profit organisation providing National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) to IT technicians in schools.
February
26/02/10
CIPD unveils new Associate level of professional membership
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has announced the creation of a new Associate level of professional membership.
24/02/10
Marco Pierre White stars in apprenticeships ad campaign
Fifteen apprentice chefs from across the country attended a masterclass yesterday morning with Michelin starred chef Marco Pierre White at his London restaurant 'Wheelers'.
23/02/10
Institute of Direct Marketing launches new courses
The Institute of Direct Marketing (IDM) has added four new digital training courses to its spring programme.
22/02/10
HR professionals optimistic for 2010 after tough 2009, says survey
According to the Reed Human Resources Salary Survey 2010, redundancies and pay freezes were commonplace in the HR profession last year.
18/02/10
Last call for Apprenticeship Award nominations
The National Apprenticeship Service is urging apprentices and their employers to enter the Apprenticeship Awards, as the deadline for nominations is fast approaching.
17/02/10
Websites aim to explain changes in vocational qualifications
New online resources designed to help employers and learners explore changes to vocational qualifications were launched yesterday.
16/02/10
PwC to widen access to training scheme
A new graduate entry route opened this week by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP will target and assess candidate's capabilities beyond purely academic performance alone.
15/02/10
World of Learning Conference & Exhibition 2010
Now in its 18th year, the World of Learning Conference & Exhibition will take place at the NEC in Birmingham on Tuesday 28 and Wednesday 29 September 2010.
12/02/10
Training in the workplace debated at the House of Commons
At a recent reception hosted by the National Training Awards at the House of Commons, representatives from Labour, the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats discussed the role training should be playing in helping to drive forward the UK's economy.
11/02/10
Research highlights multichannel skills challenge for retailers
Skills and training are increasingly important to retailers but multichannel growth is bringing fresh skills challenges to the sector, according to new research from Skillsmart Retail.
10/02/10
Econsultancy unveils new training courses for 2010
Digital marketing company Econsultancy has announced three new training courses for 2010; Offline Marketing Principles, Online Merchandising, and a completely new Mobile Marketing module.
08/02/10
LSC publishes Train to Gain evaluation reports
According to a survey of employers who use government's Train to Gain programme, 80 per cent said they were likely to recommend Train to Gain to other employers and use it again themselves.
05/02/10
IT Training Awards 2010
The Institute of IT Training's Training Awards 2010 were presented at a gala dinner held at The Dorchester in London last night.
04/02/10
Technology workforce will boost UK's economic recovery
New research by e-skills UK, the Sector Skills Council for business and information technology, suggests that a highly skilled technology workforce could be the solution to the UK's economic recovery.
03/02/10
CIPD Performance Management Conference
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has announced details of its forthcoming Performance Management Conference.
02/02/10
BT announces job training and work placement schemes
BT has launched a new training programme that will see more than 7,200 of its contact centre employees undertake accredited learning and receive an Apprenticeship certificate.
01/02/10
Government launches National Apprenticeship Week
At the start of National Apprenticeship Week, business minister Pat McFadden will today visit a Morrisons supermarket in Camden, London, to congratulate the firm for its commitment to make 5,500 government-funded apprenticeship places available by July 2010.
January 2010
29/01/10
HRD aims to help organisations deliver sustainable organisational performance
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) says this year's HRD Conference and Exhibition has been designed to help organisations build the skills that they need to deliver sustainable organisational performance.
28/01/10
Underperforming organisations fail to manage change effectively, says report
A new research report from Roffey Park has found a link or correlation between the way organisations manage change and their financial and strategic success.
27/01/10
Free course aims to help smaller firms bid for government contracts
A free online public procurement course designed to help smaller firms bid for the £220 billion of public sector contracts awarded each year was today launched jointly by Small Business Minister Lord Davies and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury Liam Byrne.
26/01/10
2010 National Training Awards open for entries
The 2010 National Training Awards is seeking stories of how training has transformed businesses, organisations and communities.
25/01/10
IES publishes coaching podcast
The Institute for Employment Studies (IES) has published a podcast on the theme of 'what makes coaching effective'.
23/01/10
OU announces 10 millionth visit to its OpenLearn site
The Open University has announced that its OpenLearn initiative, which provides free online access to Open University course materials, has had its 10 millionth visit.
20/01/10
Government announces plans to break through glass ceiling on social mobility
Business minister, Pat McFadden, has confirmed the Government's commitment to promoting the aspirations of all young people, whatever their background, and putting social mobility at the heart of plans for growth and success in the global economy.
19/01/10
Institute offers free training course tasters
The Chartered Institute of Marketing is participating in the TFM&A (Technology for Marketing and Advertising) event on 23 and 24 February 2010, at London's Earls Court 2, and are offering free taster sessions of some of its marketing training courses.
18/01/10
Final call for retail training scholarships
Skillsmart Retail and Retail Trust have made a final call for retailers to apply for seven training scholarships.
15/01/10
CompTIA announces plan to help IT professionals keep skills up to date
CompTIA has announced that it will offer CompTIA certified professionals a range of ways to keep their certifications current without necessarily having to take a new exam.
14/01/10
Research looks at innovation in organisations
The UK's managers and leaders are searching for innovative people to help them overcome the challenges of the recession, according to research into innovation in organisations across the country.
13/01/10
New hospitality academy launches
Over 100 guests gathered at Stockport's De Vere Venues centre on Monday for the launch of The Academy of Hospitality Great Britain (AHGB).
12/01/10
Mandelson launches new online basics courses for adults
Business Secretary Lord Mandelson has announced a pilot programme of new IT courses that aims to give thousands of adults the skills and confidence they need to go online.
11/01/10
Learning Technologies 2010 exhibition seminar programme announced
Learning Technologies and the new Learning and Skills exhibition have announced their exhibition seminar programmes containing 120 free-of-charge seminars.
07/01/10
Institute launches new Learning and Development Directory
The Chartered Institute of Marketing has launched its new Learning and Development Directory which contains details of more than 120 workshops and short courses across both marketing and sales professions.
06/01/10
Epic to host mobile learning debate at Learning Technologies
Following its inaugural e-learning debate at the Oxford Union in September, e-learning provider Epic is staging another debate in the seminar theatre at Learning Technologies, London Olympia, on Wednesday 27th January.
05/01/10
Dates announced for Apprenticeship Week 2010
This year's Apprenticeship Week, which is organised and coordinated by the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS), will take place from Monday 1 February to Friday 5 February.
04/01/10
BIS launches parents guide to helping graduates find work
A new guide for parents of recent graduates written by career coach Denise Taylor has been launched by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS).
December 2009
23/12/09
Free business writing resources on new website
Training provider Emphasis has launched a new website to give users advice and feedback on their business writing skills.
21/12/09
Managers to focus on employee engagement in 2010, says survey
The top New Year's resolution for managers this year is to put their team's development first, ahead of traditional priorities such as networking or spending more time with customers and clients, according to a survey by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI).
17/12/09
Conference session to look at technology-supported social learning
Jane Hart, of the Centre for Learning and Performance Technologies, will present at Learning Technologies 2010 in January looking at the effects of technology-supported social learning on organisational learning and development.
16/12/09
Charities join forces to encourage workplace reading
National charities the Campaign for Learning and The Reading Agency have joined forces with the aim of inspiring workplace reading for Learning at Work Day 2010.
15/12/09
Sector Skills Councils relicensing - further decisions announced
Business, Innovation and Skills Secretary Lord Mandelson has announced that four further Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) have been relicensed.
14/12/09
Volunteers sought to help tackle digital divide
A new project is looking for volunteers across the East Midlands, particularly people who are currently unemployed, to train as Digital Activists and help local people to get to grips with new technology.
11/12/09
Government announces new support for digital inclusion
The government has announced that it is to provide an extra £30 million in funding to UK online centres with the aim of helping at least one million extra people to get online.
10/12/09
Nominations open for the 2010 Apprenticeship Awards
If every person who started an Apprenticeship this year stood arm-to-arm, they would stretch all the way from Trafalgar Square to the Tyne Bridge in Newcastle. That's according to the National Apprenticeship Service which has just launched its seventh annual Apprenticeship Awards.
09/12/09
Survey: 65% of UK managers believe Christmas parties help improve employee engagement
According to new figures released by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), 65% of managers across the UK believe that Christmas parties are important in helping to improve employee engagement.
08/12/09
Airport hotels on course to 'Host the World'
Tourism South East is offering businesses the chance to sign up for a package of business support and training that is themed around major events and conferences.
07/12/09
Trainers polled on how to maximise training and meeting sessions
Training venue Wyboston Lakes polled the trainers and meeting hosts using the centre between September and November to find the top tips on how to get messages across in a short period of time whilst in learning or meeting sessions.
04/12/09
Government announces £4.5m for more training in the engineering construction sector
Secretary of State for Business, Lord Mandelson, says a £4.5 million increase in government funding for apprenticeships and trainees in the engineering construction sector will mean that opportunities for young people to train for skilled jobs could double to 1,200 by 2011.
02/12/09
LSIS invests £2.5m in learning and skills sector
The Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) has announced the 30 successful bidders to its Flexibility and Innovation Fund.
02/12/09
Code of practice plans for media interns unveiled
Code of practice plans that aim to make graduate internships in the creative media industries as fair and open as possible were launched last week.
01/12/09
OU and The Welding Institute launch foundation degree
The Open University and The Welding Institute (TWI) have launched a new work-based foundation degree.
November 2009
27/11/09
Research looks at what good managers mean to their employees
Only 50% of employees in the UK rate their managers as effective, according to research conducted by the Kenexa Research Institute (KRI).
26/11/09
Lord Puttnam to open Learning Technologies Conference
Lord David Puttnam, Chancellor of the Open University and award-winning film producer, is to open January's Learning Technologies Conference discussing 'Living in a digital world: meeting the crucial skills needs of the future'.
25/11/09
Inspiring Potential launches on demand coaching service
Inspiring Potential has launched a pilot for its new coaching service, Inspiring Potential Now! The company says its new service will offer on demand, one to one, telephone coaching 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year round.
24/11/09
Open University on iTunes U hits 10 million downloads
The Open University (OU) has announced that the 10 millionth Open University track on iTunes U, a dedicated area within the iTunes Store (www.itunes.com), was downloaded last week.
23/11/09
Traditional rural skills competition sees record entries
The County Durham Hedgelaying and Dry Stone Walling Competition, which celebrates excellence in rural craft skills, recently attracted a record number of entries competing at Beamish, the North of England Open Air Museum.
20/11/09
UK Skills launches WorldSkills, UK Alumni Awards
UK Skills has launched the annual WorldSkills, UK Alumni Awards, open to all of those who have represented the UK as part of Team UK at WorldSkills, the international skills competition.
19/11/09
NAICE publishes survey on digital participation
According to a survey published today by the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NAICE), over one-third of all adults (37 per cent) don't have regular access to the Internet, and just under a third (32 per cent) lack access to a computer.
18/11/09
Logistics Academy East Midlands opens at West Nottinghamshire College
The East Midlands regional hub of the Logistics Academy was launched last week by John Cridland CBE, deputy director general of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).
17/11/09
Government publishes Skills Investment Strategy
The government has published its Skills Investment Strategy for 2010-11. The investment strategy is designed to underpin the priorities announced in the recently published national skills strategy, 'Skills for Growth'.
16/11/09
Xyleme releases new series of podcasts
Xyleme has released the latest Xyleme Voices podcast featuring Harold Jarche, Charles Jennings, Clark Quinn, and Jay Cross of the Internet Time Alliance on 'Challenges and Misconceptions of Collaborative and Social Learning in the Workplace'.
13/11/09
New scheme recognises apprentice employers
A scheme has been launched this week to recognise businesses that employ apprentices. The Apprenticeship employers' 'badge' can be displayed by businesses to highlight their commitment to apprenticeships and their logos will then be displayed on the National Apprenticeship Service website.
12/11/09
Shortlist announced for IT Training Awards 2010
The Institute of IT Training has announced the shortlisted entrants for its IT Training Awards 2010. The award ceremony will take place on Thursday 4th February 2010 at The Dorchester Hotel, Park Lane, London.
11/11/09
Mandelson sets out skills for growth plan
Business Secretary Lord Mandelson has set out a national strategy that aims to give people and businesses the skills they need to help drive economic growth.
11/11/09
Sky and Brightwave win CCA Award
Sky, in partnership with e-learning provider Brightwave, picked up the Customer Contact Association (CCA) Excellence Award for Most Effective Training Programme 2009 at a ceremony held in Edinburgh last week.
10/11/09
e-skills UK internship programme
e-skills UK, the Sector Skills Council for business and information technology, has created a set of three videos about the e-skills internship programme.
09/11/09
New virtual learning option on show at CIPD exhibition
The Chartered Institute of Marketing will be showcasing its new portfolio of interactive programmes and services on stand 220 at the CIPD exhibition in Manchester between 17 and 19 November 2009.
06/11/09
Date announced for VQ Day 2010
The third annual day to celebrate vocational achievement will take place on Wednesday 23rd June 2010.
04/11/09
QCF qualification in maintaining hybrid technology cars developed
Honda, Toyota and BMW have come together with the Institute of the Motor Industry's awarding body, IMI Awards, to develop a qualification in maintaining hybrid technology cars under the new Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF).
03/11/09
Pubs, bars and nightclubs struggle to recruit staff with the right skills, says report
Many pubs, restaurants, bars and nightclubs are finding it increasingly difficult to recruit members of staff with the right core skills, according to a new report.
02/11/09
OU Vice-Chancellor addresses CBI Higher Education Summit
Martin Bean, the new Vice-Chancellor of The Open University has called on Higher Education to deliver genuine flexibility to help individuals, and employers, improve their skills.
October 2009
30/10/09
Give courses 'food labels', Commission says
Providing learners with 'food labelling' style information about courses could free up more money for front-line learning, according to a report by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills.
29/10/09
ViM students to put dreams on display
Visual merchandising students will get the chance to put their dreams on display in skillVM 2010, a skills competition launched this week.
28/10/09
One in three organisations have cut customer service training, says poll
A third of organisations have reduced customer service training this year, according to a recent poll by the Institute of Customer Service.
27/10/09
Punch Partnerships and ThirdForce develop new e-learning offer
Punch Partnerships and e-learning provider ThirdForce have announced a joint venture to launch a new e-learning training initiative.
26/10/09
ONS: Record numbers of people starting apprenticeships
A record 234,000 people started apprenticeships in the 2008/09 academic year, according to provisional data on vocational qualifications released by the Office for National Statistics.
23/10/09
CMI launches new coaching & mentoring qualifications
The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) has launched a new suite of coaching & mentoring qualifications.
22/10/09
Brennan: New model to deliver over 14,000 apprenticeship places for small businesses
Twelve organisations have won a share of £7m of government funding to set up new Apprenticeship Training Associations (ATAs) and Group Training Associations (GTAs).
21/10/09
Government announces licence renewals for four SSCs
Business, Innovation and Skills Secretary Lord Mandelson has announced that four Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) have been relicensed.
20/10/09
IfL and UKCES film promotes the value of teachers and trainers
The Institute for Learning (IfL) and the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) have produced a film designed to highlight the value of teachers and trainers to the economy.
19/10/09
QA wins EMEA award for Novell training
QA has been named EMEA Training Partner of the Year by Novell for 2009. QA is a Novell Platinum Partner and has won the award for four of the last five years.
16/10/09
Team UK honoured for their achievements at WorldSkills 2009
The achievements of all 26 members of Team UK who competed at WorldSkills Calgary 2009 were celebrated at a reception held last week at City Hall, London. Former England rugby player Matt Dawson MBE and the mayor of London Boris Johnson joined Team UK at the event.
15/10/09
New guidance aims to improve equality and diversity practices
The Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) and the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) have jointly published guidance for FE colleges and providers to help them to self-assess equality and diversity.
14/10/09
RoSPA to offer daily deals to mark Euro Safety and Health week
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) will be marking this year's European Week for Safety and Health at Work with a series of daily offers to encourage organisations to invest in accident and ill health prevention.
13/10/09
E-learning debated at the Oxford Union
The inaugural e-learning debate, on the motion 'This house believes that the e-learning of today is essential for the important skills of tomorrow', took place at the Oxford Union on September 30th.
12/10/09
New National Occupational Standards for IT and Telecoms now available
e-skills UK has approved new National Occupational Standards for IT & telecoms professionals.
08/10/09
CMI calls for revolution in management standards
The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) will call for a revolution in management practises and policy, with the launch of its 'Manifesto for a Better Managed Britain' later this year.
07/10/09
Job hunting hints and tips
Adecco offers hints and tips on how to put yourself at the front of the queue in today's competitive jobs market
06/10/09
National Skills Academy endorses OU Foundation Degree in Financial Services
The Foundation Degree in Financial Services, a new qualification from the Open University (OU), has been endorsed by the National Skills Academy for Financial Services (NSAFS).
05/10/09
Public sector customer service training course launches nationally
Welcome Host for Local Authorities, a training course that aims to help councils and other public service providers boost customer service performance and tackle increased inspection focus, has been launched nationally.
02/10/09
Driving theory test contract extended
Pearson has announced that it has been awarded a three-year contract extension with the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) of Great Britain and the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA) of Northern Ireland, to deliver the driving theory test service until 2014.
01/10/09
Campaign says 'thank you' to further education workforce
FE Works, a campaign to raise awareness of the role and value of the further education (FE) sector in England, was launched this week.
September 2009
30/09/09
Joint survey looks at the effects of the recession on coaching
According to a joint survey of members of the Association for Coaching, the International Coach Federation, and the European Mentoring and Coaching Council, 70% said that their practice had either grown or stayed the same as a result of the recession.
29/09/09
Prime minister announces additional graduate internships
Prime minister Gordon Brown announced today that the government has joined forces with the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) to offer up to 10,000 graduate internships in small and micro businesses.
28/09/09
Learning at Work Day: Award winners announced
The winners from the National Learning at Work Day awards 2009, organised by the Campaign for Learning, have been announced.
25/09/09
Learning Revolution Festival to launch in October
The Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) is launching The Learning Revolution Festival in October. BIS says the Festival will be a celebration of informal adult learning and its benefits for individuals, families, businesses and communities.
24/09/09
Online Educa Berlin 2009
Lord David Puttnam, chancellor of The Open University and chair of Futurelab, and Zenna Atkins, chair of Ofsted, will open Online Educa Berlin 2009 with a speech on innovative learning
23/09/09
Free coaching sessions available for World of Learning 2009 visitors
Coaching and leadership development firm Unlimited Potential is offering free taster coaching and mentoring sessions to visitors to World of Learning 2009.
22/09/09
Entries open for Becta's Next Generation Learning Awards
Becta has opened entries for its Next Generation Learning Awards to the further education and skills sector.
21/09/09
Learning Technologies 2010
Returning for its eleventh year, the 2010 Learning Technologies conference and exhibition will take place on 27 and 28 January at London Olympia 2.
17/09/09
Shortlist for Broadcast Industry Training Award announced
The finalists for this year's Broadcast Industry Training Award - the sector specific award within the National Training Awards (NTA) - have been announced.
16/09/09
Survey looks at training provision and delivery
Video Arts has released the results of a new survey that asked 565 learning professionals about the training they provide and how it is delivered.
14/09/09
Trestle Theatre Company and Middlesex University announce joint MA
Trestle Theatre Company is teaming up with Middlesex University to deliver a new MA course in Education (Drama).
11/09/09
IDM launches email marketing qualification
The Institute of Direct Marketing has launched a qualification specifically designed for email marketers.
10/09/09
Brighton e-learning companies back in action for Children's Hospice Week
Three e-learning companies, Edvantage Group, Brightwave and Kineo, are taking part in a charity rounders match this Sunday to raise funds for a children's hospice in Sussex.
08/09/09
CIPD survey looks at key marketable skills for job seekers
According to a survey from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), job seekers need to develop flexible skills and a flexible mindset to stand out from the crowd in a difficult jobs market.
07/09/09
UK medal winners announced at WorldSkills Calgary 2009
The UK has won three gold and six bronze medals at the WorldSkills Competition in Calgary, Canada.
04/09/09
National Customer Service Week 2009
This year's National Customer Service Week, co-ordinated by the Institute of Customer Service, takes place on 5-11 October.
03/09/09
IDM launches new digital strategy course
The Institute of Direct Marketing (IDM) is launching a new digital marketing training course this autumn entitled 'Developing your Digital Marketing Strategy'.
02/09/09
Digital changes have exposed "critical" skills gap, says report
According to a new report, the massive impact of digital technology on the publishing world has exposed "critical" skills gaps.
01/09/09
Driver CPC for lorry drivers launches on 10 September 2009
A new qualification for all professional lorry drivers - the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) - will be launched on 10 September 2009 by the Driving Standards Agency (DSA).
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