The following is a roundup of  key changes to employment law for 2011. It’s vital that business owners and managers are aware of these changes to ensure that they don’t fall foul of them. For some of the new acts like Bribery and the Equality Act for example it’s important that all staff understand their implications.

Equality Act

This came into effect in October 2010 and many employers are still working on getting their staff up to speed with the changes. The Equality Act brings together several pieces of existing legislation with some significant changes and additions. For example, if an employer is undertaking a recruitment or … Continue Reading

Jane Hart, author of The Social Learning Handbook,  has updated her excellent “State of Learning in the Workplace today” and if you work in the training sector then get yourself a cuppa have a good read – it’s well worth your time.

 In the article Jane lists 20 reasons that Learning & Development departments need to change together with some useful links if you’d like to delve deeper into any of the points raised. She goes on to list the following as the way forward for Learning and Development:

Learning and Development – The Way Forward

1. It needs to re-focus its activities, and provide … Continue Reading
   

It’s easy to understand why online courses work for people that already use computers at their desks. Computers are familiar and right there in front of them. What about those who don’t work at a PC?  

We’ve found that staff in depots or on the shop floor actually respond really well to learning online. Many of them have computers at home and use them for fun and informal learning already so accessing e-learning at work instead of going on a course can be a novelty. The reverse is of course true for … Continue Reading

The Bribery Act became law on 1st July 2011 and prosecutions can be brought against companies if bribery is found to have taken place and they have not taken ‘adequate’ steps to prevent it.  Individuals can also be prosecuted and face up to 10 years in prison if they’re found guilty.  And it will be an expensive mistake too as fines are unlimited.

The act is not intended to stop corporate hospitality so you can still take that client out to dinner without fear of the police knocking your door … Continue Reading

It’s that time of the year again! Many organisations are carrying out their annual appraisals and performance development reviews at the moment. And of course the obligatory chasing up of some managers to encourage, remind and demand that they’re done – not necessarily in that order.

Appraisals are so important for motivation, performance management and staff development but we all know that they are ineffective and can even have a detrimental effect if done carelessly by managers who don’t ‘get’ their value. Make sure your managers … Continue Reading

When you realise (or are told) that you need some IT training then you’re already behind the curve and need to play catch up.  Many people just don’t think about online learning but this is an excellent option if you’re short of time and need to update your skills.  Online IT courses are effective, easy to use and you can learn fast. Here’s some reasons why:

1 No ice-breaker games and information on how to get out of the building if it’s on fire. And you already know … Continue Reading

Confession: this has been a fun post for me to write. I’ve been involved in e-learning sales and implementation in some capacity for around 13 years and many of the same objections to e-learning  come up time and again. My responses are mostly what I would like to say but am much too polite!  If I’ve spoken to you recently and you’ve proffered one of these comments, then I apologise but it’s not about you – really. They’ve all been … Continue Reading

Manufacturers need to work smart to stay ahead of their competition. They innovate and take advantage of technology to improve efficiency and reduce waste.  Their processes are geared to minimise downtime and ensure staff are productive for as much of the working day as possible as well as reducing their impact on the environment. Is your training department keeping up with the pace of change?

In many of the north east companies I’ve been talking to recently … Continue Reading

Do you need to put forward a business case to introduce e-learning to your organisation? Here’s a few articles that we think you’ll find helpful…

What is e-learning?
This article is a good overview of what e-learning is all about.

10 benefits of elearning
Everything from cost savings and getting staff up to speed on new processes fast to equal opportunities in learning and development

Low carbon Learning
Explores the environmental credentials of e-learning as compared to traditional classroom training

What is blended learning?
An overview of blended learning … Continue Reading

Are you using e-learning now in your organisation? If you’re wondering if you should be here’s ten reasons why online training should form part of your learning and development strategy.

1. Reduces Costs
This is at the top of the list because it’s usually the main reason that organisations turn to e-learning. Often they’ll just look at the direct course costs like travel, accommodation, trainer fees, and course materials. Don’t forget the indirect course costs though. Staff still have to be paid, (at overtime rates in some cases.) e-learning usually … Continue Reading