PPI ACQUIRES EXCHANGE – AND SUNLEY...
PPI Learning Services has acquired Exchange Group Corporate Sales – which provides a range of flexible courses leading to recognised qualifications particularly in the Microsoft arena – from Exchange Group. PPI says this will allow it “to better service the individual job changer and SMEs” as well as increase its offering to its traditional corporate clients. Roy Sunley, who was Managing Director of Exchange Group Corporate Sales is joining PPI as its new Managing Director. Sunley’s previous roles include CEO of Computeach International and Vice President and Managing Director of Thomson NETg International. PPI also says that via Exchange Group, “a new set of European investors have entered into the capital of PPI Learning Services, opening the doors for acquisitions not only in the UK but also in the rest of Europe” Mar 2007

... AS PAUL BYRNE MOVES ON
Following the recent press release (above) from PPI Learning Services, it appears that former PPI MD Paul Byrne is in the process of leaving. We believe he will leave at the end of April, and we will hopefully be able to report any future role in our news later in the year. Mar 2007

PARITY WINS IBM RESELLER OF THE YEAR FOR ITS IT TRAINING
Parity has won the award for IBM Reseller of the Year 2007 for its performance in training IBM professional skills in the workplace. Parity’s IBM courses cover DB2, Websphere, Rational Developer and Lotus, and succeeded in winning the award for 177% revenue growth and 161% student day growth between the first and second half of 2006. IBM skills as a proportion of the total demand for staff has been rising steadily, now representing 2.2% of all IT skills job ads. “The demand for some specialist IT skills has never been greater and we are delighted by this award”, says Rick Firth, Parity Training’s Managing Director. “With employers having to pay significantly more to attract the best people, training is still an attractive and viable option for organisations to acquire those skills in high demand”. Mar 2007

TRAINING CAMP BOOSTED BY PUBLIC SECTOR
Public sector demand for project management training is outstripping that from the corporate world, according to The Training Camp. The company says it saw its best sales month ever in January, with public sector customers such as the NHS and local authorities responsible for 18% of all courses booked. While Microsoft and security certifications remain the top selling courses for the company, public sector customers are selecting training to improve project management skills and drive efficiency, such as PRINCE2 and ITIL. “The increase in demand for project management we’ve seen from the public sector is extremely encouraging”, said Robert Chapman, CEO of The Training Camp. “Organisations are realising that process change needs to happen now to make services for the public more efficient.” (Reported by IT Backbones/CBLearning) Mar 2007

XPERTISE RESULTS: UP 4%
Xpertise Group has announced its preliminary results for the year ended 31 December 2006, with turnover up 4% to £16.0 million. The company says its turnover from technical IT training turnover was actually down by 7% compared with the previous year, primarily as a result of a slow start to the year, while sales of professional skills training increased by 10% and amounted to £3.3m. Results in the second half improved and were ahead of the corresponding period in 2005. See Company Results for more details. Mar 2007

BCS FORMS SPECIALIST GROUP FOR TRAINERS
The BCS has launched an Information and Technology Training Specialist Group to provide a focus for BCS members involved in training. Its objectives include raising awareness and knowledge amongst BCS members of training issues, opportunities, and best practices and the role of the Institute of IT Training (IITT). The group’s activities will include organising events and liaising with other bodies to provide complementary activities and services, and raising visibility of IT trainers, the IITT and the BCS. Mar 2007

GLOBAL KNOWLEDGE ROLLS OUT PRINCE2
Global Knowledge has launched a new series of PRINCE2 project management training courses. It will be running the PRINCE2 Foundation, Overview, Practitioner's and Managing Successful Programmes (MSP) courses throughout 2007 at its dedicated training centres in Wokingham, London, Coventry and Wakefield. The courses have been devised and are being delivered in partnership with Pearce Mayfield, the consultancy whose founder Patrick Mayfield is recognised as a leading figure in the PRINCE2 project management community. Mar 2007

AWARD FOR LEARNING TREE
Learning Tree International is to receive the Outstanding Human Performance Intervention award from the International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI), in recognition of developing and introducing RealityPlus. This is a curriculum of management education courses based on the principles of performance-based learning, in which participants are immersed in simulated real-world scenarios where they learn and practise in a hands-on, dynamic media-rich environment. Learning Tree will receive its award at the annual ISPI conference in May in San Francisco. Mar 2007

APPLICATION VIRTUALISATION FROM QA-IQ
QA-IQ Group is to provide end-to-end solutions for users of Microsoft’s SoftGrid technology, which provides users with secure, on-demand access to applications through virtualisation technology. The Group's solution provider arm, IQ-Sys, is the sole UK distribution partner for the Microsoft SoftGrid Platform, while training in the ongoing administration and maintenance of SoftGrid solutions will be provided by sister company QA-IQ. To explain how SoftGrid can support the deployment of Windows Vista, experts from IQ-Sys and QA-IQ will be speaking at a Deployment Summit at the Microsoft Campus, Reading on April 18th. Mar 2007

E-LEARNING AWARDS 2007
Details have been announced of this year's e-Learning Awards, organised by e.learning age in association with The eLearning Network. There are eleven award categories. Entries close on 29 June, and the presentation ceremony will be held in November in central London. Sponsorship opportunities are also available. See website for details. Mar 2007

MORE WORK PERMITS FOR OVERSEAS IT STAFF
The number of work permits issued to overseas IT professionals reached an all-time high in 2006, Home Office figures reveal. The number of IT workers entering the UK rose by 45% to 32,250. Of these, 25,600 were Indian IT professionals, mostly under the inter-company transfer scheme. The trend has prompted claims that UK employers are turning to lower cost overseas IT workers rather than investing in training and developing staff in the UK. (Reported by Computer Weekly) Mar 2007

ECLECTIC GOES FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH
Eclectic Learning Services says January 2007 was one of its busiest periods ever, especially in its Edinburgh Training Centre. It was running at capacity, with 45 courses held in Edinburgh alone. Eclectic’s most popular courses were Reporting with BusinessObjects, BusinessObjects Web Intelligence XI, Java Programming Language and Oracle Database 10g: SQL Tuning Workshop. Mar 2007

TRAINING SYNERGY FACILITATES 'CHOOSE AND BOOK'
Training Synergy has helped The North West London Hospitals NHS Trust to implement 'Choose and Book', the national service that combines electronic booking and a choice of place, date and time for outpatient appointments. The Trust, which services a population of 500,000 and has over 4,000 employees, asked Training Synergy to provide an effective training programme within tight budget constraints, using its portfolio of over 200 NHS experienced trainers. The result included a floor walking programme designed by the training team and delivered to users across all three of the Trust's sites. Mar 2007

SFIA INTEREST GROWS
The past 12 months have seen an acceleration in interest from companies in the Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA), the industry-wide framework for assessing and managing the skills of IT staff. SFIA is designed to help organisations match the skills of the workforce to the needs of the business. Until now take-up has been slow, but research to be released by the SFIA Foundation shows that interest is accelerating. The research identified 107 organisations that have rolled out SFIA over the past 12 months, pushing the total number of UK companies known to have deployed it to more than 240. The actual total is likely to be higher, as there is no compulsion for firms to report that they have adopted the methodology. (Reported by Computer Weekly) Mar 2007

BRIGHTWAVE TAKES CENTRE STAGE IN BRIGHTON
e-Learning specialist Brightwave has relocated to new premises in central Brighton. The company says the expansion is a natural step following the impressive growth of its client base last year, when new clients included the Office for National Statistics, the Environment Agency, Openreach, DHL, Liverpool Victoria, Swiss Re, Allied Irish Bank, Cable & Wireless, Thomson and IKEA. Brightwave says its new central location "ensures easier access for clients and further maintains Brighton's reputation as being the home of e-learning in Europe". Mar 2007

GIUNTI LABS HELPS DEVELOP T-LEARNING
Giunti Labs has been selected as the learning content management platform provider for the Enhanced Learning Unlimited (ELU) initiative, a European project which aims to develop innovative TV learning solutions for an international consortium of European universities and broadcasters. The vision of ELU is to increase learning opportunities at home, office and school using t-learning (learning via interactive digital TV). Television sets are more commonly available than PCs in European households, and ELU's objective is to find ways to increase the use of television for learning activities through adapting and enhancing methods used for e-learning via the PC. Mar 2007

HOST COMPUTER SERVICES ADDS CISCO COURSES
HOST Computer Services, the multi-vendor hardware training company, has further strengthened its hands-on training portfolio with the addition of authorised Cisco courses. HOST will provide authorised training on the latest Cisco courses using Cisco-certified instructors and delivered as a sponsored organisation, with sponsorship provided by the Harbrook and Synergy Professional Services consortium. The Cisco accreditation follows last month’s announcement that HOST has become one of only three hardware training companies in the UK to offer IBM courses. Mar 2007

GTSLEARNING LAUNCHES LABSIM A+ PRODUCTS
gtslearning has launched new LabSim self-study courses for the latest 2006 A+ Certification exams. The two new LabSim titles complement gtslearning's CompTIA-approved courseware for the updated A+ Certification that was launched late last year. LabSim includes self-paced CBT content, simulation technology and practice tests. gtslearning is the international distributor for LabSim, developed by Utah-based TestOut Corporation, which claims first-time pass rates in excess of 86% by students using its products. Mar 2007

PROFESSIONALISM COULD GO GLOBAL
The BCS has teamed up with other countries' IT professional societies to study a scheme of global recognition for IT professionals. The initiative is the result of a gathering of leading IT professionals from around the world at an International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP) conference in South Africa. Senior representatives from the world's leading professional societies attended, including Australia (ACS), Canada (CIPS), South Africa (CSSA) and UK (BCS). The meeting acknowledged the lack of clarity of international professional skills and qualifications, and concluded that global recognition for IT professionals will provide major advantages to individual practitioners and for IT systems users and suppliers. Mar 2007

COMPETENCY MODEL FROM E-SKILLS UK
As part of the Professionalism in IT (ProfIT) initiative, e-skills UK has developed the IT Professional Competency Model, which it says is “a simple and flexible segmentation of the IT workforce that will help employers, educators and others to communicate using a common language and framework for skills, knowledge and experience”. The model assigns the competencies IT professionals have into disciplines and levels. The model also includes transferable skills, such as business and personal skills, which apply to all disciplines. e-skills UK says the model will be developed to help employers with recruitment and development planning, to motivate individuals through their career progression, and to inform the content of qualifications, education and training courses. Mar 2007

TOTAL LEARNING APPROACH FROM GLOBAL KNOWLEDGE
Global Knowledge has announced the launch of its 'Total Learning Approach' and the formation of a new Learning Services division, to provide organisations with greater value from investments in learning via a new modular approach to outsourced training. The Learning Services division brings together expertise in IT training, project management and contract management to provide customers with the learning and development support needed to develop workforces in line with business goals. Global Knowledge says other offerings on the market have failed to deliver their expected strategic value, so it has put a dedicated Learning Services team in place to manage every project and to make sure each client gets the right tailor-made service. Mar 2007

LEARNING DAYS FROM E.LEARNING AGE
The magazine e.learning age is holding a series of learning days for 2007 designed for those involved in learning and development. They include an Instructional Design Masterclass, and sessions on Making e-Learning Work and Accessibility. Programmes are also being developed for New Approaches to Learning (Informal, Mobile and Distance), Serious Games and Rapid Content Development. Mar 2007

IITT ACCREDITATION FOR ATLANTIC LINK
Atlantic Link has achieved Institute of IT Training (IITT) accreditation. The Institute applauded Atlantic Link for its commitment to quality, its receptiveness to new ideas and the desire to implement improvements. The main categories in which organisations are assessed are business integrity /client perception, course information, learning content and materials, quality policy and controls, and maintaining the quality of development staff. Mar 2007

EPIC PLEDGES SUPPORT FOR EARLY ADOPTERS
e-Learning company Epic says it will shift the focus of the resources it offers through its Thought Leadership Programme in response to greater maturity in the use of e-learning. According to a recent analysis of the market commissioned by Epic, e-learning now represents 3-4% of private sector training provision in the UK, a statistic which confirms, in Epic's view, that e-learning is past the stage of 'Innovators' on the adoption curve and into 'Early Adopters'. The company says it will continue to support those getting started in e-learning, but there will also be more focus on supporting the advocates of e-learning within organisations. Mar 2007

WEARABLE TRAINING SOLUTIONS FROM GIUNTI LABS
Giunti Labs, the mobile and e-learning content management solution provider, has announced the delivery of a new wearable computer training application for on-field maintenance support in the aeronautical industry. This is the preliminary result of Giunti Labs' work on the European Commission's research and development project 'WearIT@Work', a €24m project to design and develop wearable computer training solutions for on-site aeronautical maintenance and advanced decision support systems in the automotive industry, healthcare and 'blue light' emergency mobile solutions. Systems will be worn, for example, as a computer-belt and will use integrated sensors to recognise the current work progress of a user. Output may be by speech or other media such as optical systems using semi-transparent glasses within the worker's visual field. Partners in the project include Microsoft, HP and Siemens. Mar 2007

MICROSOFT GETS PARTNERS FOR E-SKILLS PUSH
Microsoft has announced two new partnerships to improve the breadth and depth of IT skills in the UK workforce. Microsoft and financial services company State Street have agreed to provide software and curriculum to help Fairbridge train disadvantaged youngsters in IT skills.
In a separate deal, Microsoft, Cisco and Learndirect Scotland have launched a scheme called the Industry Alliance for Sustainable Jobs which aims to train 100,000 Scots by 2010 in IT skills. The partnerships are part of the European Alliance on Skills for Employability which was launched at the 2006 Government Leaders Forum, and which aims to provide IT training for 20 million Europeans over the next five years. (Reported by silicon.com) Mar 2007

KNOWLEDGEPOOL WHITE PAPER ON MLS
A new white paper from KnowledgePool says Learning & Development teams are increasingly turning to managed learning service (MLS) providers as they try to address talent shortages without losing control or increasing headcount. Called Addressing the Talent Shortage (The Rise of the Managed Learning Service), the paper defines managed learning, analyses the business drivers for this approach, highlights the skills and business relationships required and uses case studies to illustrate the benefits of managed learning. It also provides a checklist for selecting a managed learning service provider. Mar 2007

IT DEGREES NOT MEETING THE NEEDS OF EMPLOYERS
According to the latest e-skills UK ICT Inquiry, around six in ten (59%) employers do not consider an ICT-related degree to be important for graduate entrants to IT and Telecoms professional roles. But more than half (55%) of employers consider the level of achievement in the degree to be 'important' or 'very important', whatever the subject. Only 4% of employers say they consider the place of study to be important or very important. e-skills says graduates from non-ICT disciplines often have key skills not yet widely included in traditional computing courses – such as business, project, interpersonal and communication skills. It believes IT-related degrees must evolve to reflect the full range of skills required for modern careers in IT and Telecoms. Mar 2007

REUTERS SELECTS PLATEAU HOSTED SOLUTION
Reuters, the world's largest international news and financial information source, has selected a fully hosted LMS solution from Plateau Systems to support and streamline e-learning and training initiatives across its entire organisation. Reuters will integrate the content libraries from key suppliers to create a single catalogue environment for learners. Plateau says that by providing a single, centralised point for delivering, managing, tracking and reporting on employee learning activities, its solution will enable Reuters to achieve greater learning effectiveness while reducing training administrative overhead. Mar 2007

ASHRIDGE EXPANDS VIRTUAL LEARNING
UK-based business school Ashridge is developing its commitment to online learning using content from Echelon Publishing. Ashridge's Virtual Learning Resource Centre (VLRC) was launched in 1998. It harnesses the school's expertise in management and organisational development, using web technology to deliver learning material in subjects such as leadership, mentoring, emotional intelligence, strategic awareness and coaching. Ashridge has now re-launched the VLRC with new content which includes a range of essays and digests published by Echelon together with links to 100 modules of generic content from its Learningmatters learning resource. Mar 2007

WHITEPAPER: ENTERPRISE RAPID E-LEARNING
e-Learning company Mohive has published a white paper on implementing rapid e-learning in large organisations. Rapid e-learning has become one of the hottest segments in the training industry, offering the prospect of reduced e-learning content creation times and lowered production costs. But larger organisations, says Mohive, often have internal processes that make the concept of rapid e-learning a more complex proposition. The white paper can be downloaded here. Mar 2007

ATLANTIC LINK ADDS AUTOMATIC ACCESSIBILITY
Atlantic Link has announced that the latest release of its award-winning rapid e-learning software now creates accessible e-learning courses automatically, with a minimum of author intervention. A new Content Point option 'Accessible by accessibility clients' allows authors to mark a course as accessible. Full TAB navigation is then immediately available, as well as complete integration with major screen readers. Accessibility focuses on making courses equally easy for anyone to use, including users of assistive technologies such as screen readers. Atlantic Link says it is seeing more and more requirements from its customers, and the e-learning industry in general, to comply with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act. Mar 2007

TRAINING SYNERGY CSR PAYS OFF
Training Synergy has developed its corporate social responsibility (CSR) policy and is encouraging some novel CSR activities from its staff. Each member of staff is entitled to three days off work each year in order to take part in CSR-related activities such as fundraising for charities, visiting schools to help children learn to read, and helping to maintain local historical sites. Staff also work flexible hours and have access to home working, and Training Synergy operates 'family friendly' policies for employees who are also looking after children. MD Daniel Hanlon says "Our business model is not purely sales and profit related. We are keen to invest in improving our staff's quality of life at work, recognising – as any training solutions provider should – that people are our greatest assets. This has not only improved staff morale but we have also noticed a 20% increase in worker efficiency and productivity since we have put these policies in place". Mar 2007

BRIGHTWAVE SUPPORTS BUPA ROLL-OUT
Brightwave is extending its partnership with health insurer BUPA to support Phase 2 of its business transformation programme. This follows the successful implementation in 2006 of a blended communications and learning campaign for the initial launch of a new IT system and processes. The new training solution, to be rolled out to 2,500 BUPA employees, will make use of a wide range of e-learning approaches including animated communications, tutorials, business process maps and key screen explorers as well as realistic systems simulations and assessments that enable employees to feel confident when they transfer to the live system. Mar 2007

FUTUREMEDIA APPOINTS DIRECTOR AND CHAIRMAN
Futuremedia has appointed Colin Turner as Director of Futuremedia plc and Chairman of Futuremedia Learning, the learning and online communications division of the Company. The company says Turner brings more than thirty years of strategic experience in the corporate learning industry and extensive business contacts to Futuremedia. He has been described by Time magazine as a leading authority on business and management, and is the author of 15 books published in 38 languages. He was born and raised in Scotland and lives in Monaco. Mar 2007

ON A LIGHTER NOTE ...
Are you looking for something different to liven up your certification options? US-based Gatlin Education Services is launching a Wedding Planning Online Certificate Program. The 350-hour course covers everything from contracts to etiquette, flowers, music, marketing, budgeting, and vendors as well as wedding customs and traditions from more than 15 different cultures. "Obviously, weddings are big business, and the more elaborate and extravagant they get, the greater the need for qualified wedding coordinators becomes," says Gatlin. Mar 2007

SMALL BUSINESSES BACK TRAIN TO GAIN
The LSC says employers around the country, even those who would not normally think about training, are seeing the results and getting behind Train to Gain. Since August 2006 nearly 22,000 have signed up for the free Skills Brokerage service which offers tailored independent advice on training, sourcing training providers and funding to suit individual business needs. The Train to Gain programme aims to provide free work-based training for businesses that would not otherwise train their staff. Current figures show 80% of employers using the service are new to training, mainly from small businesses. The LSC says that by the end of 2010, over 500,000 learners will have achieved a first full Level 2 qualification through Train to Gain. Mar 2007

E-SKILLS UK'S RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DEMAND-LED TRAINING
In response to the Inquiry into Post-16 Training launched by the House of Commons Select Committee for Education and Skills, e-skills UK has published its views. It recommends the government should

• Re-balance the policy focus to explicitly embrace intermediate and higher level skills at levels 3, 4 and above
• Place specific focus on skills areas with the most influence on economic performance, in particular IT, with its proportionately high impact on productivity and competitiveness across all sectors
• Ensure Sector Skills Agreements have real influence on national and regional policy
• Ensure that the funding model supports the change to a demand led system
• Empower employers by giving them authority over not just occupational standards, but the design and content of qualifications which will be eligible for public funding
• Enable reform of Apprenticeships and their funding to enable them to better meet the needs of high skill sectors. Mar 2007

MICROSOFT EXPANDS INNOVATIVE SCHOOLS INITIATIVE
In his keynote address in Edinburgh at the Microsoft Government Leaders Forum, Bill Gates announced a worldwide expansion of Microsoft’s Innovative Schools initiative. The initiative "works with governments, teachers and partners around the world to modernise schools to meet the challenges of 21st Century learning". This concept will be further developed in the UK to evolve Microsoft’s support for the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme, a £45bn investment by the government to transform secondary education in England. Microsoft has been working with government agencies, including Partnership for Schools and leading local authorities, to create tools and processes which it says "can help create a vision for the transformed school of tomorrow". Mar 2007

TAKING MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP TO THE NEXT LEVEL
The Management Standards Centre (MSC) is working on two key projects with the Skills for Business Network: the development of a new Qualifications and Learning Strategy for Management, Leadership and Enterprise; and a review of the current Management and Leadership National Occupational Standards. The new strategy and standards will be implemented across the entire Sector Skills Council network. Areas covered will include managing self and personal skills, providing direction, facilitating change, working with people, using resources and achieving results. Mar 2007

SUSTAINING CoVE DEVELOPMENT
The Learning and Skills Network has published a new report, funded by the LSC, which examines the extent to which Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs) are likely to be able to sustain their levels of delivery when they become self-financing. The report presents findings on several issues including: employer engagement, growth and performance; meeting local and national skill needs; dissemination; resources; sustainability and strategies. A range of recommendations is provided including the suggestion that local LSCs need to work collaboratively with CoVEs and Regional Development Agencies to consider how the infrastructure for skills development can be sustained. More information is available here. (Reported by LSC Newsletter) Mar 2007

IT SKILLS IMPROVEMENT PLAN FOR NORTHERN IRELAND
Urgent action to improve IT skills is fundamental to the continued economic prosperity of Northern Ireland, according to research by e-skills UK. The research underpins the Sector Skills Agreement (SSA) for IT, a three-year action plan for IT skills development. It says that over the next 15 years, around 2000 people are needed each year to enter the IT workforce, filling increasingly complex, high added-value roles, and that more than a quarter of businesses in Northern Ireland have employees who lack the everyday IT skills to do their jobs. Planned programmes to address the need will include support for careers advisers to promote a positive understanding of IT career options; establishing a Higher Education/ Industry Forum to bring employers and universities together; the development of focused skills frameworks for IT professionals; and aligning the roll-out of the ITQ qualification and e-skills Passport. Mar 2007

EUROPE DISCUSSES HE AND VET
A conference on Higher Education and Vocational Education and Training (VET) has been held by Cedefop, the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, with a view to forging closer links between higher education and VET. The conference focused on three themes: the issue of access from initial vocational education to higher education, including methods of accreditation; how higher education integrates and develops vocational careers and to what extent universities are themselves engaged in vocational education; and the impact of existing European initiatives such as the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) on both higher and vocational education. Mar 2007

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