More employer training levies will stifle staff development, warns CBI
Employers lobby group the CBI has warned that government plans to extend employer training levies would hinder further investment in learning and development programmes, our sister site www.Trainingzone.co.uk reports. The organisation said the levy systems, which operate by charging employers in certain sectors a specified proportion of their wage bill, which is then pooled and used […]
The value of on-the-job assessments when managing older workers
Although Employment Minster Ed Davey hailed the abolition of the Default Retirement Age as ‘great news for older people, businesses and the economy’, not everyone agrees. As Mary Clarke, chief executive of Cognisco points outs, some business leaders and lobby groups have voiced concerns that businesses may be saddled with an ageing and incompetent workforce, […]
Part-time worker numbers hit record high
A lack of full-time jobs saw the number of people working part-time hit a record high as unemployment levels took an unexpected leap last quarter. According to the latest figures from the Office of National Statistics, the number of people out of work rose to a peak not seen since February 2010. Unemployment jumped by […]
The Workplace: Equipping Starbank for the future
Starbank is a highly successful company. Started in1976 by Gordon and Kathleen Darbyshire, Starbank began as a supplier of furniture components to the caravan industry. It later expanded to service a growing number of industries who required a reliable and quality outsourcing service for the fabrication of high pressure laminates and wood based panel products. […]
Interns: opportunity or exploitation?
As a trainee solicitor I have done my fair share of unpaid internships and work experience. In fact, many of my friends have had to work for months, one for even a year, for little or no remuneration. This is particularly the case in the media, fashion and TV industries. In many instances interns work […]
UK Association of Coaching gets a code of conduct
The UK’s Association of Coaching has endorsed a Code of Conduct submitted to the European Union earlier this month by two international industry bodies in a bid to professionalise the sector. The European Mentoring and Coaching Council and the International Coach Federation are positioning their code as a basis under which coaching and mentoring professionals […]
NAO warns public sector HR is not delivering
Changes in the nature of the HR role across government is contributing to a lack of value for taxpayer money spent on training civil servants. While the government estimates it spent £275m (or £547 for each civil servant) on training in 2009/10, spending watchdog the National Audit Office (NAO) reckons that this is "significant underestimate". […]
Wanted: HR mentors to support SMEs
The coalition government is hoping to create an “informal” nationwide network of 40,000 business mentors over the year ahead to support small-to-medium enterprises in areas such as HR, marketing and finance. The initial plank of the scheme, launched by the British Banking Association yesterday, is expected to see 1,000 current and retired employees from Barclays, […]
Uni courses with poor employability to be named and shamed
The coalition government plans to shake-up the English higher education sector by opening it up to increased private sector competition and introducing a new ranking system to ‘name and shame’ degree courses with poor job prospects. Under proposals put forward in the long-awaited higher education White Paper, which is due to unveiled today, universities will […]
Older workers neglected in training and performance
If employers fail to tackle the current widespread neglect of older workers’ training and performance management requirements, they will leave themselves open to discrimination claims when the default retirement age is phased out in October. This is the warning issued by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development after publishing a survey of 2,000 respondents, […]
What your CEO is thinking and may not be telling you
How well do you know your customers? How well do you know the competition? The answers to those questions can have a significant impact on how your CEO perceives you and your department and how much stock he/she puts into your recommendations. According to a recent CareerBuilder.co.uk survey of 194 UK business leaders, 30% of […]
Leadership forecast gloomy – development needed
Employers must employ a mix of development techniques if they are to improve leadership quality levels that have changed little over the last six years despite an estimated £14 billion in annual investment worldwide. According to a survey among 12,000 leaders and 1,800 HR professionals working in 2,600 organisations across 74 countries undertaken by talent […]
To boost share value, tailor your talent treatment
The adoption of a more personalised approach to developing, nurturing, managing and compensating key workers can boost total shareholder return by up to two thirds over a five-year period, a report has revealed. But the study among senior HR professionals at 44 organisations and 110 individuals undertaken by talent management specialists Jackson Samuel also indicated […]
Manufacturing needs more education and training
The manufacturing industry has warned that unless more government focus is placed on boosting education and training opportunities to counteract skills shortages, it is unlikely to fulfil hopes of driving future economic growth. According to the ‘Manufacturing Outlook’ survey for the second quarter of 2011 published by manufacturers’ organisation EEF and accountancy firm BDO, even […]
Women in technical roles get training funding
The science Sector Skills Council has set up a £213,000 training pot to help UK employers finance the training and development of female staff, with the aim of increasing representation in non-traditional technical roles. The creation of the fund, which will see beneficiaries receive a maximum training grant of £600 per person, follows Cogent’s successful […]
Classroom based learning still favoured
In spite of a wealth of technology-based learning and development tools being adopted, classroom-based learning remains the most popular training format. According to a survey undertaken among 2,500 employees at companies in the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain by learning and development provider Cegos Group, nine out of 10 still receive training in a […]
Development focus welcomed by employees
In a happy marrying of priorities, three quarters of employees would be keen to undertake more on-the-job training, while four out of five HR professionals are making staff development a key focus this year. A three-year research project commissioned by Middlesex University’s Institute for Work Based Learning among an average 4,300 workers per annum […]
Learning at work day highlights skills gap
A workshop on how to be a guerrilla artist and a seminar on how to bake bread are among the activities taking place today as part of this year’s Learning at Work Day. The theme of the Day, which is co-ordinated by Campaign for Learning, a charity that believes learning is key to social […]
Lord Sugar – good TV but a nightmare coach, says survey
Apprentice boss Lord Alan Sugar has been overwhelmingly voted as the UK’s number one nightmare career coach. According to a poll of 1,370 managers undertaken by the Institute of Leadership & Management in order to mark the launch of its ‘Perform at Your Peak’ campaign to promote the benefits of professional coaching, just under a […]
Public sector learning pros brace for budget cuts
Almost two thirds of public sector learning and development professionals are bracing themselves for budget cuts over the year ahead as they find themselves on the front line to make savings. According to a survey of more than 500 IT training specialists undertaken by the Institute of Information Technology Training, some 63% expect to experience […]
