Skillstories

Jobless offered skills training

Millions are to be spent helping people in England who face redundancy find new jobs or develop new skills.

How old is your brain?

This game tests your reactions and concentration, your “brain age” is impacted by how well you perform....

1. Touch ‘start’
2. Wait for 3, 2, 1.
3. Memorise the numbers positions on the screen, then click the circle from
the smallest number to the biggest number.
4. At the end of game, the computer will tell you the age of your brain.

Celebrate Inspirational Adult Learners’ - Nominate them for an award

Make sure the remarkable achievements of adult learners are given the recognition they deserve and nominate them for an Adult Learners’ Week Award

Adult Learners’ Week Awards illustrate the extraordinary achievements, of adult learners - young, old and in all their diversity. They are awarded for their inspirational learning journeys, for the way they have coped with challenges and for the way they have embraced learning to help them transform their lives and often other people’s lives as well.
Categories for 2009 will include:
- Individuals whose remarkable learning achievements inspire others
- Groups of three or more people who have come together to learn
- Families who have come together to learn
- Opening Doors Award which celebrate innovative and creative projects that make a difference.

New Train to Gain advert - seen here!

You can see the new Train to Gain advert here at the link below.

Toyota make the Skills Pledge

Secretary of State for Innovation, John Denham, has welcomed a skills pledge by Toyota to provide training opportunities for 4,700 employees at its UK manufacturing plants.

Approximately 1,500 production line workers across sites in Derbyshire and North Wales will be given the opportunity to achieve NVQ level 2 in Business Improvement Techniques. The qualification is supported by sector skills council, Semta’s Compact, and is part of Toyota’s ongoing initiative to develop the skills of all production line staff.

Whitbread reconfirm their commitment to the Skills Pledge

Whitbread PLC, the UK’s largest hotel and restaurant group, has announced today that it is launching a new bespoke training and development programme. Named ‘The Whitbread Apprenticeship Programme’ it is the first and largest employer-led programme of its kind in the hospitality industry.

CEO Alan Parker, who reconfirmed Whitbread’s commitment to the Government Skills Pledge, spearheads the programme. It is Whitbread’s ambition to take the NVQ programme out nationally and to train over 3000 employees by the end of 2009. Employees are able to gain an NVQ in House keeping, Food processing and cooking, Food and Drink service, Front office and Customer service.

Sainsbury’s offers in-store exams

Sainsbury’s staff are to be offered formal qualifications in stock-taking and store working as well as basic maths and literacy skills.

Prison education scheme ‘failed’

Schemes to improve prisoners’ basic skills and qualifications in English jails have “failed in almost every respect”, an MPs’ committee has said.

Advice to help employment chances

An advice service helping adults in England to improve their chances in work and training is being piloted by the government.

Maths Quiz

Marcus du Sautoy, the man who will succeed Richard Dawkins as professor for the understanding of science at the University of Oxford, has a mission to break down people’s fear of maths. Don’t be scared!