Skillstories

SLASH TRAINING AT YOUR PERIL’ WARN BUSINESS BOSSES

A coalition of the UK’s most senior businessmen and union leaders today took the unprecedented step of calling on UK employers not to slash staff training in a bid to cut costs as the economic downturn bites.

In an open letter published in national newspapers today (Thursday), some of the UK’s top business people including Sir Mike Rake, Chairman of BT group and the UK Commission for Employment and Skills, Sir Stuart Rose, Chief Executive of Marks & Spencer and Chairman of Business in the Community, Mervyn Davies, Chairman of Standard Chartered plc and Richard Lambert, Director General of the CBI, together with Brendan Barber, General Secretary of the TUC, urge employers to sustain or even increase their investment in training, saying: ‘Now is precisely the time to keep investing in the skills and talents of our people. It is the people we employ who will get us through.”

Adult Learners Week roadshow events

2009 will celebrate the eighteenth year of Adult Learners’ Week, with events and activities taking place from 9th to 15th May 2009. NIACE, who co-ordinate the campaign, is hosting an Adult Learners’ Week Roadshow to give local providers the chance to see what it is all about and to encourage wider participation and more partnership activity.

What can I expect to get out of the day?
Clarification of what Adult Learners’ Week can do for your organisation.
Explore what information and promotional material is available.
Time to have a greater input into next year’s campaign
Adult Learners’ Week Awards 2009
A demonstration of how to make the media work for you
Some tips on where and how to secure sponsorship and funding to support your activities
A forum to network with delegates from across all sectors from your region
An introduction to Quick Reads.

FREE COURSES for Migrant Workers (East Midlands)

East Midlands is offering FREE workshops on Leadership Skills to union
members and their colleagues who work in the East Midlands region.
This project is designed to help skilled migrants to fulfil their economic potential andincrease their value to the regional economy as well as to help businesses to improve their performance. The project will support workers to take higher level English qualifications (level 2 or higher). We are offering an additional service for migrant workers to identify their homeland qualifications to UK equivalent.

The one-day workshop is part of an ILM (Institute of Leadership) Management qualification at level 3. This workshop can count toward the full qualification. ILM has European recognition.

Phone Jurgita Pranculyte if you require more information and booking form on 07887797148 or email jpranculyte@tuc.org.uk

Lammy faces MPs concerns over skills programme

David Lammy, the new higher education minister, has defended the controversial Train to Gain scheme against charges that it’s merely handing out qualifications to people for skills they already have.

Giving evidence to the Commons’ innovation, universities and skills committee in his former guise as skills minister, Lammy said the government was making progress in raising the skills level of workers in the UK, but there was still more to do.

Gene link to poor reading skills

A common genetic variant may be partly to blame for poor reading ability, research suggests.

Denham and Balls announce increase to minimum apprenticeship earnings

The minimum weekly earnings for all apprentices in England will be
increased from £80 to £95 a week next year, Skills Secretary, John
Denham and Children’s Secretary Ed Balls announced today.

First UK Bus enlists union help to promote L&D

First UK Bus has signed a contract with trade union Unite to improve learning and development in the transport firm.

Outstanding colleagues or staff - reward them

Niace is seeking nominations for workbased learning at all levels to contribute to the 2009 Adult Learners’ Week Awards.  There are some wonderfully inspiring stores from across the country as evidence that such nominations reap rewards.  The learning can be done as a group, project or by an individual so dont delay - nomination now.

Outstanding colleagues or staff - reward them

Niace is seeking nominations for workbased learning at all levels to contribute to the 2009 Adult Learners’ Week Awards.  There are some wonderfully inspiring stories from across the country as evidence that such nominations reap rewards.  The learning can be done as a group, project or by an individual so don’t delay - nominate now.

Brain’s counting skill ‘built-in’

Humans have an in-built ability to do mathematics even if they do not have the language to express it, a research team has suggested.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7563265.stm