Notes and news
Article Type: Notes and news From: Industrial and Commercial Training, Volume 46, Issue 4.
Carrier alliance launches computerized learning
An e-learning program will deliver project-management and process training to control account managers at the companies building the UK's two new aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales.
BAE Systems, Thales, Babcock and the UK Ministry of Defence make up the Aircraft Carrier Alliance, which is constructing the ships over the next ten years. The e-learning program will help to ensure that work practices at the alliance members are standardized.
CM Group, which specializes in designing and creating advanced learning for large international organizations, has been selected to create and deliver nine e-learning courses to train the control account managers on the earned-value management methods being adopted across the project. With the control account managers originating from various business units and parts of the world, the e-learning will enable the alliance to eliminate areas of weakness and build on the team's strengths.
In a separate development, CM Group has been selected to create and deploy a bespoke e-learning program for the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO).
John Dawson, channel manager at the UKHO, said: “We are the world's leading supplier of nautical products and services; therefore we need to ensure that the knowledge in our global distribution channel is accurate and comprehensive.”
The UKHO produces a worldwide series of some 3,500 paper nautical charts, 200 publications under the Admiralty brand and electronic navigational charts. The Admiralty portfolio is used by almost 70 percent of international shipping.
The e-learning program will support the UKHO's commitment to ensure that the global network of Admiralty chart agents has access to the latest knowledge and information to help in the sale and support of Admiralty nautical products and services.
Firm provides e-learning to the global gambling industry
Business-intelligence provider GamblingCompliance has chosen a new learning-management system to help it to deliver e-learning to the global gambling industry.
The learning platform recently went live with off-the-shelf courses on responsible gambling and money laundering. Off-the-shelf,customized and bespoke courses will eventually be offered to cover such governance, risk and compliance topics as fraud, bribery and data protection.
GamblingCompliance's clients range from casino, lottery and sports-betting operators to financial services and law firms,online and mobile providers and payment processors. Increasing regulation in the gambling industry and a complex operating environment mean that these organizations need to ensure that their employees understand and comply with laws, regulations and internal policies.
Said David Morgan, GamblingCompliance chief executive: “Our new learning platform will help governance, risk and compliance specialists in the gambling industry to reduce their regulatory-risk exposure. We chose Kallidus as a supplier because of its strong reputation and because it offered an easy-to-set-up and cost-effective learning platform for the delivery of engaging e-learning content.”
The specialist e-learning content is being developed by GamblingCompliance's team of subject-matter experts. They are using industry-specific scenarios and examples, interactive maps and large question banks to test understanding, ensuring that the courses are practical, interactive and engaging.
Each course is designed for rapid customization for tailored modules to include references to a client's policies, procedures and branding. Bespoke e-learning courses are also available for the specific training needs of larger organizations.
GamblingCompliance provides news, analysis, data and research to the gambling industry in more than 40 countries.
Omron centralizes training for dispersed workforce
A global provider of performance, knowledge and learning-management systems has taken steps to ensure that its 2,500 employees receive consistent, standardized and effective compliance, legal and other training.
Omron Management Center of America (OMCA) has centralized and improved its learning experience for employees who provide new products and advanced technology to customers in various industries across the American continent.
“One important goal for us is to ensure that employees throughout the Americas receive consistent, standardized and effective compliance, legal and other training,” said Nigel Blakeway, OMCA chief executive.
The new system, supplied by NetDimensions, enables both local and regionally remote employees to receive training efficiently and have their training records accurately and easily tracked and retrieved in order to meet compliance and audit requirements.
In a separate development, GenScript has chosen NetDimensions for its corporate-learning and knowledge-management platform.
GenScript, which provides services for biological research and early-phase drug discovery, will use the platform to manage and maintain the knowledge it has accumulated over the years and to promote and disseminate its corporate culture to more than 1,300 employees.
NetDimensions China's technical-support team has completed installation, set up, integration with GenScript's HR system, administrator training and deployment of the platform. GenScript is currently preparing its courseware and e-learning content for launch of the platform for new-employee training and subsequently deployment to all employees worldwide.
“In the long term, we will expand the use of the platform to host soft-skills training programs for junior staff and compliance-training programs in the company,” said GenScript's e-learning platform project leader, Liu Mingming. “We expect to make significant progress in transforming our entire corporate training and knowledge-management strategy by the year end.”
Santander banks on its apprenticeship scheme
Santander is offering more than 200 apprenticeships in its UK manufacturing, retail and telephone-distribution divisions throughout 2014.
The bank is also connecting 1,500 students and small businesses through its Santander universities internship scheme, and is further demonstrating its commitment to young people and students with its two-year program of support for the National Association of College and University Entrepreneurs.
The bank's apprenticeships are aimed at people aged over 16 who have at least two GCSE (or equivalent) grades A-C in both English and mathematics. Successful applicants join as permanent employees and study for vocational qualifications in either providing financial services or customer service – the equivalent of achieving five GCSEs.
Marcus Lee, head of resourcing, said: “Nurturing young people, innovation and expertise is key for our future as a business but also for the UK's economic growth. An important part of this is helping young people to make informed decisions about their education and training. Apprenticeships are a fantastic way of doing this.”
“Following a highly successful intake in 2013 we are delighted to continue our apprenticeship program nationally for a second year. These roles provide invaluable professional development and the benefit of a nationally recognized qualification along with the certainty offered by a full-time and permanent role. The apprenticeship program is a great way to get into the banking sector and can be the first step to a long-term career with a successful global company.”
The Santander apprenticeship program is only one of the routes into a banking career as the company recognizes that people follow different employment paths. To ensure that Santander can attract talented candidates from all these paths, the bank has a range of development programs, including for graduates, school-leavers and people who are already working but looking to switch career.
Santander is working with specialist providers in Training and Skills Solutions to help to develop apprentices’ experience,skills and knowledge, benchmarked at a national level in the financial-services sector.
Melanie Jones, from Santander's Bootle office, was recruited as one of Santander's 2012 apprentices in its business-banking division. “Since completing the apprenticeship I have gained so much experience and grown in confidence and ability,” she enthused. “We could not have asked for better tutors, who provide brilliant training sessions and were always friendly and approachable.”
“I would definitely recommend working at Santander. It is a great way to start your career and I can only see apprenticeships becoming more popular in future.”
Meanwhile, Daikin UK is encouraging the heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration industry to recognize the importance of apprenticeship schemes.
Dan Blanchard, from the field-quality services department, who began his career as an apprentice with Daikin UK 14 years ago,said: “The company recognizes the importance of growing its own talent and there are a lot of senior people who have come through the apprenticeship route. Staff who began their careers with Daikin as apprentices stay longer, which cuts the amount of time and resources we have to spend on recruitment.”
Daikin UK has four apprentices taking part in its apprenticeship scheme. Each is undergoing three-year in-house training at Daikin's Woking and Bristol branches.
The training covers five departments: the workshop, spare parts, pre-sales, field service and technical help-desk. The apprentices also attend classes at Grimsby Institute for Further and Higher Education and are working toward an NVQ level 3 in air-conditioning and refrigeration systems.
George Watkins, a second-year apprentice, commented: “Working in the different areas of the business has given me the chance to develop some really good skills. The support I have had has been great.”
Hot skills for cool engineers
Employers should inform teachers, career advisers, parents and pupils about the great career opportunities available in engineering in general and the oil and gas industries in particular, says the managing director of an offshore-engineering company.
Patrick Phelan, of Aquaterra Energy, told the East of England Energy Group's Southern North Sea conference 2014: “The UK has the worst record in Europe for girls qualifying in engineering degrees, with only 10 percent of degrees in engineering and technical subjects awarded to females.”
“There is a massive opportunity for the industry to showcase the diverse and exciting opportunities it has to offer to the many very capable female students who are currently choosing other career paths.”
“Engineering is not a school subject so it is not widely understood in the school environment. It is our role in industry to ensure that teachers and careers advisers have the knowledge to advise students appropriately. Encouraging capable students to study mathematics and physics at A-level is part of this.”
“We also need to inspire teachers and parents to be enthusiastic about engineering. There is a lot more that could and should be done to share with students the great opportunities that exist in the sector.”
Commenting on the “stark imbalance” between the supply of, and demand for, engineering graduates, Patrick Phelan said: “In order to close the gap we need to be innovative and creative in our approach to graduate recruitment. For example, employers should not put engineers in non-technical roles; they should consider non-engineers for commercial roles and mathematicians for analytical roles; and they need to offer roles to non-EU students within four months of their graduation, before they have to leave the country.”
“It is also important for small and medium-size enterprises to focus attention on retention of their graduates. This partly comes down to implementing a robust recruitment strategy which considers, at its core, the best match between the graduate and the employers’ opportunities and needs, and does not look just for the best qualifications on a CV.”
He concluded with a call for industry to “promote the fact that engineering is cool” and to call on young people to “join Engineering Team GB.”
Airline supports degree course for pilots
The first airline-supported UK degree course specifically for pilots has been launched by easyJet in partnership with CTC Aviation and Middlesex University, UK.
The BSc (honors) degree in professional aviation pilot practice (PAPP) is run by the Institute of Work-Based Learning. It means that pilots can study toward a degree while undertaking their pilot training.
The first two levels of the course are undertaken with CTC Aviation as part of the CTC Wings training program. The third level is achieved with easyJet through line training and two modules of directed study while flying for easyJet.
Training to become a pilot and completing a degree simultaneously enable trainee pilots to gain access to government funding for students to help to finance their training and degree.
Carolyn McCall, chief executive of easyJet, commented: “It is vital to easyJet's future that we have talented young pilots coming through which is why I am delighted we are now working in partnership with CTC Aviation and Middlesex University to offer a degree course for our pilots.”
“This builds on the easyJet cadet program which offers a clear career path for all pilots joining easyJet.”
“CTC graduates join easyJet as co-pilots. Once they have completed their first year with us they can join easyJet as permanent employees. After flying for a further two years and reaching 2,500 hours they become senior first officers. From that stage the aim is to achieve their command and become captains.”
“With easyJet's continued planned growth the time taken from first officer to captain is likely to be quicker than at other airlines. Beyond that there are further opportunities for pilots to develop their career, whether that is into a training or management role.”
“What this means is that those pilots joining easyJet now could well be looking at achieving their command within six years.”
Brian Tyrrell, easyJet's head of flight operations, commented: “Becoming a pilot is an exciting challenge and a great life-long career so I am really pleased that easyJet is working with CTC Aviation and Middlesex University to offer this university degree course.”
Rob Clarke, CTC Aviation chief executive, commented: “This is a fantastic commitment by easyJet. CTC Aviation is the only organization approved by Middlesex University to deliver the professional aviation pilot practice degree program and easyJet's support further enriches this ground-breaking initiative by providing a clearly defined career-development pathway.”
CTC Aviation – an airline-training and pilot-resourcing company – is a key supplier to easyJet. The two companies have worked in partnership since before easyJet's first flight in 1995. CTC Aviation's cadet pilot training program, CTC Wings, has supplied more than 1,500 pilots to easyJet over the years and 119 of last year's pilot graduates were selected to join easyJet.
Dr Darryll Bravenboer, head of academic development at Middlesex University, commented: “We are delighted that easyJet sees the value in enabling its pilots to gain a university degree through the integration of CAA-approved pilot training and professional learning. The opportunity to gain academic credit from learning at work toward achieving a degree has the potential to inspire a new generation of professional pilots.”
easyJet employs around 2,000 pilots in the UK and took on 300 new pilots last year.
Lloyds helps women along the path to an MBA
Lloyds Banking Group is helping talented women to gain executive experience through career progression and management education.
The Lloyds Scholars MBA scholarship for women provides four scholarships of £30,000 each, for four years, at the London Business School. It is available to women who have lived in the UK for three years or more who have successfully applied for a place on the London Business School full-time MBA program.
Graham Lindsay, director, responsible business, Lloyds Banking Group, said: “We are firmly committed to being a great place for women to bank and work and have a robust program in place to ensure that we are best placed to achieve this. As part of our ambition to help Britain to prosper we are proud to extend our focus on women in leadership through the Lloyds Scholars MBA scholarships for women, in partnership with London Business School.”
Wendy Alexander, London Business School's associate dean, degree programs and career services, said: “Women's leadership is– at last – coming of age. We believe that women are particularly strong on the team approach, thriving on collaboration and prizing diversity at work. We have made real progress in attracting more women to London Business School but we know there is still much to do.”
“These significant scholarships from Lloyds Banking Group will incentivize an important group – women living in the UK – to take on an MBA in order to further develop themselves as business leaders of the future.”
Lloyds Banking Group has a senior women leaders program, a role-model program and mandatory diverse shortlists for senior appointments. In addition, it runs a “sponsoring leadership” program for diverse talent, where participants are sponsored in their career by senior executives.
The group also has a women's network named Breakthrough to provide support and networking opportunities for women across the group.
The Pantry opens door to a better system of learning management
The Pantry, a convenience-store chain of more than 1,500 stores in 13 states in southeastern USA, has introduced a management system that will improve oversight of learning throughout the organization.
Infor Certpoint is a software-as-a-service (SaaS)-based solution for authoring, delivering and reporting on learning throughout the enterprise.
It provides The Pantry with tools to track and manage certification and compliance. In addition, administrators can schedule and assign courses, dates and locations and create and distribute custom evaluations and surveys.
Administrators can generate ad hoc reports and measure the business impact of learning as well as see what users are learning by viewing their session activity and scores.
“We wanted more visibility in learning records and a system that could accurately tell us where employees were in the process with more customized reporting options,” said Eric Bybee, The Pantry's curriculum designer and learning-management-system administrator. “Employees can easily log-in to one portal to complete time-critical learning tasks, and managers are able to quickly identify who has not finished with easily generated reports.”
Sales associates follow e-learning modules and on-the-job training on serving the customer, selling value through the company's products and services, creating a friendly and clean environment, learning how to operate the firm's processes and systems,and working together.
Certified trainers lead store-management associates through a customized program that includes:
in-store training – getting real-world experience on how the firm's stores are run;
store operations standards – understanding the company's expectations and operating practices; and
supervisory skills – learning how to lead and keep together a high-performing team.
Ongoing development and performance could lead an employee to the firm's district-manager training program or its individual development plan program.
Drishti-Soft trains partners in sales
Drishti-Soft, a provider of contact-center software, organized two days of training to help its partners across the globe to target the right prospects, discover customers’ pain points and create more opportunities from each deal.
The training covered the nature and positioning of products, go-to-market strategies and possibilities for the future.
Durgesh Gurnani, channels head at Drishti-Soft, said: “We understand that to expand our business we need to enter fruitful partnerships and emphasize collaboration with partner organizations. The partner-training program is a step in our effort to accomplish this goal. At the same time we are committed to help our existing partners to understand our software even better in order to always deploy the right solutions to meet the end consumers’ pain points.”
The training enabled the partners to target the market, reduce their sales cycle and improve account-mining activities with cross-selling and up-selling.
