Millionth worker completes training through Train to Gain

A chemical manufacturer’s worker, Chris Scott, has become the millionth person to gain a qualification through the government’s Train to Gain programme. The process operator at William Blythe Ltd, in Accrington, completed his level 2 NVQ in Business Improvement Techniques earlier this year. View More >

Workers value professional training but are unhappy with what employers provide

More than 80 per cent of workers believe training is the key to developing their careers despite many being unhappy with the quality of sessions provided, a survey has found. The study of 500 businesses and 1,300 staff across the UK also found more than three quarters of workers see training as a key benefit when looking for a new job. View More >

Qualification to improve trainers’ commercial skills introduced

The Learning Practitioners’ Association, which represents individuals engaged in the design, development and delivery of training, has today introduced a new BTEC level 5 professional certificate in Learning Practice Management. The qualification is aimed at satisfying what the organisation says is a growing need for commercially-focused trainers. View More >

Tory politician extols beauty of vocational training

Shadow skills minister John Hayes is backing a rethink on vocational training, which he says is as beautiful as “a moment’s passion”. Speaking last night at an event run by people development research organisation the Talent Foundation, the shadow minister for lifelong learning, higher education and skills said his party would work to dispel the myth that academic learning was more important than practical achievement. View More >

Milestone for international English language course

Around 10,000 organisations now accept Cambridge English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) qualifications as proof of English for immigration and entrance into higher education. Recognising organisations include the UK Border Agency and higher education establishments including Ivy League institutions in the US and the Russell Group universities in the UK. View More >

Training helps teen turn his life around after being shot in the face

A teenager who was shot in the face when he got caught up in Liverpool’s violent gang culture has rebuilt his life through training. Ashley Collins (pictured) was left fearing for his life after a case of mistaken identity earlier this year resulted in him being repeatedly shot with an airgun. View More >

CIPD head outlines her vision for institute’s future

Jackie Orme, the head of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), today outlined her vision for the future of the organisation. In an opening keynote speech at the CIPD’s annual conference in Manchester, Orme said the institute’s HR Profession Map, launched in April, had been the catalyst for a “breathtaking journey for both qualifications and membership” that the organisation was undergoing. View More >

MBA graduates see salaries rise during recession

More than half of Master of Business Administration (MBA) graduates feel their qualification has given them job security during the downturn, a survey has found. And researchers from the Association of MBAs say many students will have profited during the recession as average graduate salaries have increased around £5,000 since 2008 to £75,000. View More >

Ethics guide launched for business schools

Business schools are being encouraged to adhere to a voluntary ethics code published by a group of business and managerial professional bodies. The Association of Business Schools (ABS), The Advanced Institute of Management (AIM), The British Academy of Management (BAM) and the British Academy for Business, Management Accountancy and Finance (BMAF) have launched the draft Ethics Guide for university business school staff, students and alumni to use as guidance about ethical questions and issues that arise during the course of their work. View More >

The responsible MBA

The international Master of Business Administration (MBA) qualification is being aligned more closely with the ethics of responsible management. The Association of MBAs, an international accreditation body for the MBA, is partnering with the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) as part of the UNGC’s Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) initiative. View More >

CIPD sets the record straight on upcoming membership plans

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has moved to quash fears that planned new routes to membership of the organisation will dumb down the institutes standards. CIPD members raised concerns last week, on a LinkedIn internet discussion forum, that the proposed widening of membership criteria could result in a devaluation of their own chartered status. View More >

Award winning manufacturer reveals training ethos

An award winning manufacturing company has opened its doors to visitors to show them how training and employee personal development are the keys to its business success. Power Panels (PP) Electrical Systems has won a raft of Cranfield School of Management Best Factory Awards including Skills Development and Factory of the Year awards in 2008. View More >

It’s official - companies are not cutting training

Employers are turning to training to fight the recession, new research shows. An Institute of Directors (IoD) survey of nearly 1,000 business leaders found that the amount of training provided by organisations has not been cut during the recession, though the nature and type of training offered has changed. View More >

Increase in potential test dates for functional skills pilot

Edexcel, an awarding body for functional skills qualifications, is increasing the number of test opportunities for centres piloting the scheme. The sessions, added in response to demand from schools wanting to integrate the qualifications more smoothly into their curriculum, are scheduled for January, March, May and November 2010. View More >

Learning and skills made top priority in the North

Learning and skills have emerged as a top priority for northern unions this year. The Northern Trade Union Congress, which brings unions together to draw up common policy for the region, made the economy and coping with the downturn the main focus for the next 12 months at its annual conference last weekend. View More >

Boost for marketers broadening their horizons Down Under

Australian marketers keen on personal development are set to benefit from the expansion of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) into Australia. This September the CIM is launching a centre in Melbourne offering students the opportunity to study, through a combination of evening classes and distance learning, for four separate qualifications - ranging from taster to masters. View More >

Government defends strategy to reduce youth unemployment

The government say they are doing more then ever to help unemployed young people despite one in six 18-24 year olds unable to find work. The Department for Innovation Universities and Skills (DIUS) was responding to comments made by the CIPD last week, and reported in TJ, that graduates face a “bleak summer” as more and more young people are looking for work, even before the influx of new graduates hits the job market. View More >

Graduates facing a “bleak summer” as unemployment rockets

Recent graduates face a “bleak summer” due to rising unemployment, according to the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development (CIPD). The Institute’s comments follow the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures released this week, which show a dramatic deterioration in job prospects for young people in the first three months of 2009. View More >

Participation in adult learning falls to 10-year low

The proportion of adult learners in the UK is at its lowest level since 1997, a survey has found. The National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) says their research highlights the widening learning divide which has developed since Labour came to power. View More >

Boost for union-led learning as landmark reached

Unionlearn is celebrating training 22,000 union learning reps (ULRs) more than a year early. The TUC’s learning and development organisation has helped more than 200,000 learners receive training through their unions, ten years since the union learning fund was established. View More >

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Personal development News

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Latest News

• New award recognises organisations that invest in employee wellbeing
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• Millionth worker completes training through Train to Gain
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