White Papers: Sector Overview

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Achieving real personalised learning

Considerations on blended learning

There has been a paradigm shift in learning from a one-size fits-all model to an adaptive, learner-centric model. This shift has been driven by technology and has resulted in personalised learning.

A short time ago we lived in a world of institutionally led training where the one-size-fits-all approach was very much led by the institution. Decisions were made about which courses would be delivered and the format of delivery. A list of available courses was sent to each manager who could then book their staff on any course that appeared to be appropriate. The media used to deliver this training was generally limited to a one-to-many classroom environment or course work from books. Today the panoramic view of learning has changed dramatically….

Author

Alan Maguire, Managing Director, ThirdForce UK and International

E-learning: Greener, Leaner and Cleaner

e-Learning is an important step towards a greener, leaner and cleaner approach to business. On-line  technology  enabled  learning  effectively  eliminates the  need  for  large  groups  of staff  to  travel  to  one location  to  complete  a  face-to-face, classroom-based  training  day. Environmental costs such as travel related fuel or air pollution and paper consumption caused by the generation of paper-based training materials can effectively be eliminated. Opportunity costs can also be reduced if staff do not need to leave the workplace and can study during downtime or from home.

Author

Leadership in Crisis: How to Maximise Leadership Development and Succession Planning

Leadership gaps are a serious problem in most companies and pose a major challenge. Unfortunately, the reality is that companies often set themselves up to fail when it comes to leadership. How? In filling any leadership position there are two choices. Hire someone from the outside who has the required leadership skills and teach them the necessary organisational knowledge. Or hire someone from the inside who has the organisational knowledge and teach them the necessary leadership skills.

Author

Open all hours technology

Advances in technology in recent years have replaced many processes in the workplace, but in the customer facing business of hospitality, there is no doubt that computers cannot replace its best asset – the employee. What can be done however, is to provide the means by which to train employees effortlessly, cost effectively and without disruption to the smooth running of the 24/7 business.

Author

Training In Troubled Times: The Importance of Spending Your Training Budget on Training

Management decisions drive companies. The only question is whether those decisions drive companies to success or to failure. This is especially true during a recession, when every management decision is magnified by brutal and volatile market conditions. A common reaction is for managers to engage in dramatic cost cutting in nearly every area of the business. And in tough times, such belt tightening is to be expected, perhaps even demanded. Yet as with any business decision, cost cutting measures cannot be made in a vacuum or worse — dictated by fear.

Recessions affect everyone. And in our cyclical economy, economic busts are followed by booms (see Figure 1)1 . It takes courage to see it, but that’s the opportunity recessions offer. Managers must make decisions that position their company not only to survive the recession, but also to take advantage of the growth opportunities that follow.

Author

Why Employee Development Matters: Creating Strategic Advantage Through Your People

In today’s information economy, effective use of knowledge is the key to sustainable competitive advantage. The most successful organisations understand it is vital to tap the knowledge of their employees, and engage them to use their knowledge in creative ways to help solve the organisation’s problems, exceed customer expectations, and propel them to the top of their industry. The challenge, of course, is how to effectively utilise and grow employee knowledge. A key component is effective employee development programmes.

Author