Dimension 4

Employer Based Training, Commercial Training, Staff Development

Supported by National Skills Academy for Manufacturing (Semta)  

Plenary Speaker - Ian Wilcox, Head of Provider Engagement
National Skills Academy for Manufacturing (Semta)              

WS D4A
Selecting your Training Provider for Employers

As an employer, do you want to be able to pick out the best training providers from the crowd?  As a training provider, would you like to stand out from the crowd?  At this workshop, Pauline Jamieson will discuss the training market and explain how and why the Training Quality Standard was developed.  She will outline the assessment and certification process of the Standard and show how it helps employers to get value for money and access high quality training.

Facilitator: Pauline Jamieson, Policy Advisor on TQS, Learning and Skills Council

WS D4B
Linking Staff Development to Business Goals

How do you raise the performance levels of your most important and costly resource – your people?  This workshop explores the link between strategic goals, business targets and the performance of your staff.  Key performance indicators play their part in monitoring the competence and capability of your staff but it is important that KPIs are used in a positive, productive way to identify training needs for the business and individual, improve motivation, and develop a platform of continuous improvement.

Facilitator: Karen Brown, Director of Quality & Compliance, GEN II

WS D4C
Impact Assessment – a 60 Minute Guide

Impact assessment is the step beyond straightforward evaluation of training and learning programmes and projects. What is the impact in the eyes of the employer, the learner and the provider? Where to look for the affects and how to measure the impact in terms of the bottom line, teamworking, behaviours, project progress and organisational progress?

Facilitator: Stewart Goldring, Executive Director, Pathways 21

WS D4D
E-learning - Does it Work? – What Does it Cost?

This workshop will start off looking at how we define e-learning before posing the question ‘Does it work?.  We will look at the current take up of e-learning in large companies, in SME and in formal education but also at how e-learning is used in informal learning. In particular we want to explore the shift from trainer-led e-learning to the use of social networking tools as vehicles for learning at little of no cost.

Facilitators: Jenny Hughes, Senior Researcher & Trainer - Pontydysgu/Graham Attwell, Director - Pontydsgu

WS D4E
Regulation – Should All Training in Employers be Regulated?

What do we mean by regulation of providers?  The current range of schemes of compliance including Accreditation, Inspection, Framework for Excellence, the Training Quality standard and staff qualifications are compared and contrasted and then explored, where this might be heading for commercial and full cost recovery training and development.

Facilitator: Tim Smith, Learning and Skills Council

WS D4F
The Role of the Learning & Development Professional in Recession & Beyond

In this session Ed will explore recent research on the changing role of the Learning & Development professional during the recession, potential future pressures and opportunities for the role and the opportunities for taking an Organisational Development approach to L & D. This session is suitable for those involved in the management, design or delivery of learning and development.

Facilitator: Ed Griffin, Development Partner, D3 Partners

WS D4G
Digital Literacies and Reflective Growth with Open Technologies

Is it time for WBL 2.0? Read more about this here: http://bit.ly/wbl-2
This sequence of thought-provoking tasks will get you thinking, talking and probably arguing about:

> exactly what types of digital literacies WBL (and other) learners, employers, trainers, assessors, managers and sales and admin staff now need to have

> how we capture, cultivate and collaboratively share the knowledge our people and our clients hold

> the difference (and relative importance) between assessment e-portfolios and reflective e-portfolios

> how ethical / educational issues such as ownership of our digital identity, personalisation of our learning, lifelong learning, portability of our personal data, ownership of our business software platforms, etc. should affect the institutional choices we make in terms of e-portfolios

Facilitator: Derrin Kent, Learning and Business Technologist - TDM

WS D4H
Training Impact Evaluation Toolkit - A Web Based Solution

Workshop participants will find out about an important new web-based Training Impact Evaluation Toolkit which has been developed through an EACEA Leonardo da Vinci project, including funding from the London Development Agency and the Learning and Skills Council. This unique online tool will enable employers and providers to use an automated process to evaluate the impact of workplace training programmes on learning, and individual and organisational performance, and gain feedback to continuously improve training design and delivery. The workshop will describe the Toolkit's underpinning methodology (the recognised Kirkpatrick four level training evaluation model), and show how it can be used to measure increases in employee performance due to training, maximise Return on Investment and align learning programmes to key business goals. Following on from this, participants will be able to discuss the benefits and potential issues that might arise when measuring the impact of workplace learning.

Facilitator: Alison Noel, Director, Skills for Work

 
Dimension 5

Europen Union Activities, Projects, Funding and Initiatives in Training and VET

Plenary Speaker - John Cornbill, Managing Director, The Insight Works Ltd   

WS D5A
ESF Project Management — a 60 Minute Guide

This workshop covers the key elements in ESF project management. Defining and unpicking the project objectives, ensuring timely and adequate data collection and recording, agreeing project targets and milestones and monitoring these in ways which support their achievement. What are the essentials of reporting and communication and what buffers and recovery actions can be used in practice.

Facilitator: Stewart Goldring, Executive Director, Pathways 21

WS D5B
Leonardo da Vinci for Employers — What you might be missing

How is your business responding to the economic crisis?  Is your workforce as efficient as it could be?  Do you find the costs of staff development prohibitive?  Would you like help in getting training paid for?  Yes? – then this workshop is for you!  The Leonardo da Vinci programme can pay for staff training, work placements, exchanges, learning resources and help publicise and promote your organisation.

This workshop will explore the many benefits employers can derive from working internationally and by adopting a European approach to staff development.  Using practical examples of how Leonardo da Vinci programme funding has been used by different employers, the facilitator will explain how you could improve your business and steal a march on your competitors.

Facilitator: Craig Browne, Principal Consultant, Wizard Project Solutions

WS D5C
Innovation in Projects — Nothing new there then!

An ideas workshop exploring the various definitions of “innovation” and options available to providers in delivering innovative solutions to complex learner problems. Ideas generated could be useful for subsequent application/tender writing as well as improving the quality of learning and the learning experience.

Facilitator: Anne Eastwood, Director, Kalliopi Associates

WS D5D
Collaboration and Partnerships — New opportunities to observe and learn

The workshop will examine how European funding for education and training can support the acquisition of skills and knowledge for individuals and organisations. Focusing mainly on the European Union's Lifelong Learning Programme, the workshop will explore how forging links with European organisations can offer many different learning opportunities for organisations involved in lifelong learning including adult education, vocational education and training, and school education. These opportunities include:

> large projects;
> small partnerships; and
> activities for individuals.

During the workshop you will be provided with examples of current projects and receive information on how your organisation can begin to access these opportunities including some new funding streams.

Facilitator: Faye Lewis, Head of Communications, ECOTEC Research & Consulting

WS D5E
Feedback and Developments from some EU Projects

This workshop will give further information and feedback on some current EU projects. It will look at ESF and some other EU funded projects and give information about their development and related key issues. The workshop will also look at development issues related to these projects and relative progress and development. A number of case studies will be highlighted as part of the workshop, in which the development of some particular projects will be detailed. The role of partner organisations such as third sector organisations, Housing Association, Primary Care Trusts, local authorities, learning providers and colleges will also be detailed and discussed.

Facilitator: Gary Parker, Managing Director, CNT Associates

WS D5F
Opportunities & Activities on trans-European Projects - VET and Train the Trainer

The workshop will be in three parts. Firstly we will outline the main issues around training the trainers, for example, the feasibility of a European Qualification framework or a common set of standards. Secondly we will look at the findings of some of the existing transnational projects and research reports which have addressed these issues. Thirdly, we will provide a very brief overview of the funding opportunities available and give you some practical ideas on how you can get involved. Obviously, the focus can be shifted according to the interests of the group.

Facilitators: Jenny Hughes, Senior Researcher & Trainer - Pontydysgu/Graham Attwell, Director - Pontydsgu

 
Dimension 6

Working together on Self-Improvement

Supported by the Learning and Skills and Improvement Service
Plenary Speaker - Carolyn Medlin, Consultant, Support for Excellence, Learning and Skills Improvement Service

WS D6A
The World Class Skills Download: Learning Lessons in Employer Engagement Provision

The World Class Skills (WCS) programme is a major LSIS initiative to help the further education sector to be more responsive to employers’ needs. The fully-subsidised programme offers a range of interactive events, consultancies and innovative support packages that aims to equip the sector with the knowledge to succeed in the demand-led environment. This interactive session aims to tune up your employer engagement provision by learning from the good practices and common issues faced by providers supported by the WCS programme to date. The session will also highlight the areas where WCS is still available and direct you towards the many resources and materials that is part of the programme’s ongoing legacy to the sector.

Facilitator: John Nash, Regional Manager World Class Skills, LSIS

WS D6B
Using on-line sources of help at times of crises

New developments on the Excellence Gateway - the leading portal for the learning and skills sector in England – are designed to help practitioners find help and support for specific issues. This session will look in particular at a new Directory of services and support, designed to isolate areas where support is needed and put practitioners in contact with organisations, people and events that can help them.

Facilitator: Barry Kruger, Director, Knowledge and Intelligence, LSIS

WS D6C
Fighting the Alligators and Draining the Swamp - What support can LSIS offer?

Why do we need the Learning and Skills Improvement Service? What can it do for you and what can you do for it? Hear about the initiatives for self improvement available to providers. Be stimulated by experiencing something of an LSIS development programme.

Facilitator: Grant Davies, Programme Director Work-Based Learning, LSIS

WS D6D
Collaborative Development through Peer Review and Development: Can it work for WBL Providers?

The workshop will explore the benefits that private providers have gained from participation in the LSIS Support for Excellence PRD groups. The session will address some of the challenges perceived by some providers in participating in this type of activity and hear from a small provider who are currently using PRD for self-improvement in an increasingly challenging economic environment.

Facilitators: Stan Cowell, Peer Review and Development Advisor & Kath Roe, Director, UXL & Tom Milligan, Support for Excellence Programme Manager, LSIS

WS D6E
14-19 Update
The 14-19 Education Reforms are planned to be implemented by 2013. They are intended to offer every young person learning that is engaging and valuable, to suit different interests and learning styles at all levels. They introduce a 14-19 entitlement incorporating new Diploma qualifications and building on existing qualifications, such as GCSEs and Apprenticeships as well as introducing Foundation Learning. This workshop aims to give an overview of this 14-19 entitlement and the key role that all providers will play to work collaboratively across an area and in partnership to ensure that young people will be able to choose from the full range of learning options, each offering a real and coherent progression route and supported by high quality, impartial advice and guidance.

Facilitator: Gareth Griffiths, 14-19 Provision and Attainment Director, Learning and Skills Council

WS D6F
Prepared for Inspection? Building and demonstrating capacity to improve

Set against the backdrop of the new inspection arrangements, this workshop will provide an overview of the key changes and their implications for providers.  Participants will be able to explore in more depth their approaches to building capacity for improvement through the lenses of safeguarding and equality and diversity.

Facilitator: Carolyn Watkinson, Programme Director, Partnerships and Consortia Leadership, LSIS