£38m boost for apprenticeships
The Learning and Skills Council is investing an additional £38 million into apprenticeships to increase recruitment to 175,000 trainees this year. The funding will support new apprentice places through employers and training providers, addressing reported waiting lists in the sector.
Feature: The coach route for learning and development
MWH, a global engineering consultancy, implemented an internal coaching programme to empower staff in managing their own development and shift organisational culture from directive instruction to employee initiative. Over 170 managers received two-day coaching training, supported by awareness campaigns and workshops to help staff embrace this new learning and development approach.
Trends: A workforce of drifters?
UK workforce attitudes toward employment are shifting dramatically, with workers increasingly “job drifting” across sectors and geographic areas rather than pursuing traditional career progression. This trend reflects changing priorities, as younger workers prioritize immediate lifestyle and personal goals over long-term stability and home ownership.
Vocational training is failing girls – EOC report
An Equal Opportunities Commission report reveals that girls from lower socio-economic backgrounds lack access to careers advice and training in non-traditional fields, limiting them to lower-paid work. While most young people express interest in non-traditional careers, only one-sixth receive guidance on cross-gender job sectors, contributing to persistent gender pay gaps and skills shortages.
Training on the Chain Gang
Una Perform offers a unique team-building program where staff are chained together for 10 hours daily while performing community tasks like road sweeping and hedge trimming. The activity forces cooperation among team members while fulfilling corporate social responsibility goals, with courses scheduled across the UK in May.
Opinion: Crossing the cultural divide
Companies recruiting from diverse cultural backgrounds face cross-cultural challenges in interviews, where differences in communication styles and behavior can lead to unfair candidate rejection. Understanding cultural differences helps recruiters avoid misperceptions and hire the best talent.
Feature: Employment and occupational health
Occupational health advisers are essential for employers managing sickness absence, particularly for SMEs without in-house resources. This article explores when to refer employees for occupational health assessments, the importance of obtaining employee consent, and key considerations for selecting appropriate medical advisers.
Review: Lend Me Your Ears
Max Atkinson’s “Lend Me Your Ears” offers practical guidance for business presentations and public speaking, covering audience engagement, visual aids, word choice, and body language. The book serves both beginners and experienced presenters seeking to improve their speaking impact.
Charisma Key to Success
Research reveals that charisma and personality matter far more than accent or class in modern business success. While 86% of UK business leaders view working-class accents as a disadvantage, 74% value a cheerful manner and effective communication skills, indicating a shift toward merit-based leadership over traditional class markers.
Leadership: Visionary, Popular or Sledgehammer?
Fraser Murray categorizes three leadership styles—Visionary, Popular, and Sledgehammer—and examines when each approach succeeds. The Visionary excels at initiating major change, while the Popular leader shines during implementation phases. The Sledgehammer style emerges when organizations need critical evaluation and structural overhaul.
Feature: When is Coaching Destined to Fail?
Coaching often fails when organizations use it to fix employee problems rather than develop high-performing leaders with the motivation and capability to succeed. Effective coaching requires clear alignment with organizational values, leadership levels, and strategic talent development goals.
UK’s first Skills Academy
The UK’s first Skills Academy, a joint venture between the Government and Arcadia Group, will launch this autumn to train 16-18 year-olds in fashion retail with an initial intake of 60 students expanding to 350.
A third of employers don’t train staff
A third of UK employers provide no formal staff training despite two-thirds prioritizing skills development, according to a study of 13,000 companies. The research also found that over half of employers believe the education system fails to adequately prepare workers for employment.
CSR and beyond: Does it really pay to be good?
Evidence shows corporate responsibility policies may not deliver financial returns as promised. Studies attempting to link “good” company behavior to superior profits are fundamentally flawed, failing to prove that responsible business practices consistently outperform conventional approaches.
I&C legislation leaves UK Plc in crisis
The Information and Consultation Regulations, effective April 6, 2005, require UK companies with 150+ employees to inform and consult staff on major employment decisions. However, 74% of employees remain unaware of these new rights, and most businesses are unprepared for potential fines up to £75,000.
Member wire #92 – CSR and beyond: Does it really pay to be good?
Explores whether corporate social responsibility initiatives generate genuine financial returns for businesses or remain primarily a public relations exercise.
Mental Health Action Week begins
Mental Health Action Week (27 March to 2 April 2005) raises awareness of workplace mental health and stress, highlighting the connection between job satisfaction and poor mental wellbeing. Call centre staff face the highest risk, with workplace stress costing businesses an estimated £3 billion annually in turnover and absenteeism.
White paper pledges to close skills gap
The government has launched a Skills White Paper proposing new measures to close England’s skills gap and boost economic competitiveness against emerging economies. Key initiatives include free adult training to GCSE level, a National Employer Training Programme, and 12 new Skills Academies designed to align education with business needs.
HR Tip: Reasonable alternative work
Reasonable alternative work must be suitable based on skills, pay, location, and status. Examples include redeploying an employee to a similar role with another manager rather than demoting them, or relocating work if transport and commute remain feasible for the employee.
Software providers expect PAYE problems
Software industry groups have warned that the government’s PAYE online filing system lacks proper testing and may struggle to handle demand from employers submitting returns via the internet, particularly near filing deadlines.
