HOJGAARD TO LEAVE GLOBAL KNOWLEDGE UK
Frank Hojgaard, Managing Director of Global Knowledge UK & Ireland, is leaving to return to Scandinavia with his family. Over the past two years he has overseen the integration of the Azlan business into Global Knowledge, and led the development of ;the business to become a leading player in the Cisco, Microsoft and Business Skills training markets. Richard Pryor-Jones, President of Global Knowledge EMEA, has started the search for Hojgaard's successor, and is managing the UK & Ireland business in person in the interim. In a further
organisational change at Global Knowledge, Janet Way has been appointed
UK Sales Director. Jan 2008

IT TRAINING AWARDS SHORTLIST
The Institute of IT Training has announced the shortlist for the IT Training Awards 2008. The awards recognise and celebrate outstanding examples of high standards, best practice, innovation and excellence across the IT Training industry. The awards ceremony will be held in London on 7 February. Candidates shortlisted for the blue riband Training Company of the Year award, sponsored by Prometric, are Firebrand Training (winners for the past two years), Global Knowledge, Oracle University, Happy Computers, Toolwire and Verridian. Jan 2008

CISCO STEPS UP EXAM SECURITY
As part of its ongoing plan for security enhancements, Cisco is to require all Pearson VUE test centres delivering Cisco certification exams to collect digital photos and digital signatures during the admissions process, in addition to the current identification requirements. It says this new layer of identity authentication will help to ensure candidate identity, and will be implemented in phases around the world over the next 12 months. Jan 2008

IDC PREDICTS SLOWER GROWTH IN IT
Analyst firm IDC says worldwide IT spending will grow at a slower pace in 2008, as economic uncertainties and downside risk dampen spending growth. As a result, worldwide IT market growth will be a moderate 5.5-6.0%, down from 6.9% in 2007. IDC also says there will be a continuing surge in 'Green IT' as corporations focus on the greenness of IT purchases and operations, and that IT industry mergers and acquisitions will continue unabated as companies seek market share and/or competitive advantage. Jan 2008

GLOBAL KNOWLEDGE’S LEE TO REVIEW MICROSOFT OCS
Microsoft has asked Thomas Lee, Chief Architect at Global Knowledge, to conduct a technical review of course content for the forthcoming release of Office Communications Server 2007 (OCS 2007), to ensure that it is technically accurate and will meet the requirements of Microsoft customers looking to evaluate and adopt the OCS 2007 technology. Lee is one of the world's leading experts in Microsoft technologies and has been a Microsoft Most Valued Professional (MVP) for the last twelve years. Global Knowledge has been closely involved in the Microsoft Readiness Program for OCS 2007 and has been delivering in-depth briefings to major systems integrators, telcos and other partners across Europe since early 2007. Jan 2008

CLT TAKES MAJORITY SHARE IN MATCHETT
Matchett (formerly The Matchett Group) has sold 80% of its ownership to the CLT Group, a specialist provider of training for legal, corporate, financial, accountancy, regulatory, property, human resource and other professional sectors. CLT is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Wilmington Group plc. Matchett will continue to operate as a brand and deliver its training solutions and learning technologies for the business and financial sectors. Managing director Alastair Matchett will help lead its development along with the Matchett executive team, who will remain at the company. Jan 2008

KNOWLEDGE SOLUTIONS ACQUIRES MAJORITY STAKE IN ENLIGHT
Knowledge Solutions has extended its stake in Enlight International to 51%. Enlight is a market leader in European and International Computer Driving Licence tests (ECDL/ICDL) and Certification Management; its solutions are currently used in over 20 countries on all continents, and its test centres deliver 1 million online tests every year. The company was founded in 1993, and is listed on the First North exchange in Stockholm. Enlight has offices in Sweden and the UK, and partners in other markets. Jan 2008

RED HAT LAUNCHES VIRTUAL TRAINING
Red Hat has announced the availability of two training offerings delivered by open source technology. The company’s Virtual Training will offer remote students live, streamed Web delivery of Red Hat training courses: virtual students will register for courses as though they were live students, but will receive course books and kits prior to the start of the class. And Live Access Labs will allow weekly use of a remote Red Hat Enterprise Linux system, either in conjunction with the virtual training, or as a self-study training option. The new offerings are initially available only in North America, but Red Hat says they will be available globally “soon”. Jan 2008

E-LEARNING FAILS TO ENGAGE STAFF
Cultural and technological barriers are hindering the wider use of e-learning among UK organisations, according to a survey of managers by the Chartered Management Institute and the Centre for Applied Human Resource Research. It found only 54% have used e-learning tools in the last year and just 20% have participated in a structured e-learning programme. It says resistance to e-learning is caused by the loss of the human touch, with 72% preferring face-to-face conversations and 37% opting for tutor-led development. Another barrier is limited interaction: 28% said e-learning content is not engaging and 46% said there are too many distractions diverting them from PC-based learning material. (Reported by silicon.com) Jan 2008

TOO FEW IT GRADUATES?
IT services company Logica CMG is recruiting A-level students to fill IT vacancies following a drop in the number of students leaving university with IT degrees. Some sources claim the UK needs about 150,000 new IT professionals each year, while there are only about 25,000 IT graduates annually. Under Logica CMG's scheme, A-level students enrol on a part-time degree course for a BA in Management (Information Systems) at the University of Winchester. Their contract requires them to stay at Logica CMG for three years after completing their degree. (Reported by Computer Weekly) Jan 2008

KAPLAN PRACTICE EXAMS FOR WINDOWS SERVER 2008
Transcender – part of Kaplan IT Learning and a provider of exam preparation software for IT certification tests – has released practice exams for Microsoft's new Windows Server 2008 certification track. Transcender says its practice exams “simulate the complexity of the live certification exam to help IT professionals assess their exam preparedness through challenging questions, detailed answer explanations, and thorough references”. Jan 2008

ACADEMY INTERNET PRIMED FOR GROWTH
Academy Internet has secured new investment and working capital funding, and has appointed a new Chairman. The company has completed a funding package of around £500,000 from a number of sources including the company’s bankers, NatWest, via the DTI Small Firms Loan Guarantee Scheme. Academy Internet says it is now "primed for further expansion through a combination of continued organic growth and a series of planned acquisitions and mergers with other digital agencies in Brighton during 2008”. The company has also appointed Paul Whitwam as Chairman. Whitwam’s past roles have included Chief Commercial Officer of Sita SC, and Chairman and Chief Executive of ICL Sorbus. Jan 2008

SHEPHERD TO CHAIR ELEARNING NETWORK
The eLearning Network (eLN), the professional association of users and developers of e-learning, has appointed Clive Shepherd to its new chairman and Neil Lasher as deputy chair. Clive Shepherd is a well known industry figure, specialising in the application of technology to learning and communications at work, while Neil Lasher runs e-learning company Trainer1. Jan 2008

FLAGSHIP DEPLOYS INFOBASIS
Flagship Training Ltd is deploying the InfoBasis Enterprise Skills Infrastructure (InfoBasis ESI) platform, and says it expects to achieve substantial improvements in the development, delivery and administration of its staff training programmes as a result. Flagship delivers training and support services for the Royal Navy and over 400 military and commercial customers around the globe. It is a joint venture between BAE Systems and the VT Group, and has 1,600 staff and annual revenue in excess of £128 million. Jan 2008

TRAINER1 SUPPLIES LATEST VERSION OF LECTORA
Trainer1 is now offering its customers Lectora 2008, the latest version of the Lectora authoring tool from Trivantis. It says the tool provides single-click publishing to Web-ready dynamic HTML, CD, single file executable, SCORM, AICC and LRN learning standards, and has now been augmented by some 50 new features and enhancements. Jan 2008

BRIGHTWAVE TO DEVELOP CARE TRAINING FOR SKY
TV company Sky has selected Brightwave to design and implement a series of interactive modules to support the rollout of Sky's new CAREs initiative throughout its Customer Operations department. The modules will offer an interactive mix of tutorial exercises and call simulations using material from real calls, and additional Managers' content will also be developed. The modules will be delivered through Sky's Knowlagent platform in short bite-sized chunks which, it says, can be interwoven into existing workflow at the desk. Jan 2008

EPIC E-LEARNING FOR SOCIAL CARE WORKFORCE
Epic is working with The Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) to develop an e-learning programme on inter-professional working skills. The suite of 10 learning objects that make up the programme is designed to support social care training and education. The programme will be fully accessible and made freely available for any organisation or individual to use from the SCIE website. Epic says the programme will be a “highly engaging, dynamic and interactive experience for learners and will encourage the adoption of e-learning within the social care sector”. Epic was selected by tender in competition with 33 other bidders. Jan 2008

INTELLEGO PARTNERS WITH RIGHTMOVE
Intellego has announced a three-year partnership with Rightmove, a leading property website, to provide an e-learning-based industry training portal that specifically meets the regulatory and operational training needs of the retail and commercial estate agency marketplace. Intellego will develop and host, via its courseware portal 'Vestigo', nine foundation courses created jointly with Rightmove in key agency subjects for delivery to staff at over 15,000 estate agency branches in the UK, and will be the exclusive provider of other e-learning courses to the website. Jan 2008

TRAINER1 REVISES IDM E-LEARNING MATERIALS
The Institute of Direct Marketing (IDM) has commissioned e-learning specialist Trainer1 to update e-learning materials for its diploma and certificate professional qualifications programmes. Trainer1 was commissioned to produce the original materials two years ago, and has now been asked to revise and update these materials in the light of current marketing trends and developments in practice. Jan 2008

CONSULTATION ON QUALIFICATIONS AND ASSESSMENT
The government has published a consultation document setting out detailed proposals for the regulation and development of qualifications and assessment in England. This includes plans to establish an independent regulator, the Office of the Qualifications and Examinations Regulator, which will take on the regulatory functions of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA); and a development agency for curriculum, assessment and qualifications which will take on the non-regulatory functions of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA). The proposals are contained in a document called Confidence in Standards: Regulating and developing qualifications and assessment. It sets out proposals for the powers and responsibilities of the new regulator and the agency, and for issues such as governance, appeals and the operational relationship between the two organisations. The consultation runs until 10 March 2008. For details or to respond, see the DFES website. Jan 2008

FUNDING FOR HIGHER LEVEL SKILLS...
The government has announced new funding to support innovative ways for Higher Education to work with employers to meet their skills needs. It says to do this, the higher education system needs to reach out beyond school leavers doing traditional degrees to more flexible courses designed and co-funded by employers: HEIs will need to develop new ways of teaching the workforce, including in the workplace and on-line, tailored to company needs. This could take a variety of forms, ranging from short customised courses to support for management and leadership. The money, funded through the Higher Education Funding Council for England, will be used to part fund places with an employer topping up to the actual cost of the place. The co-funding budget for the next three years will be £15m in 2008-09, rising to £40m in 2009-10 and at least £50m in 2010-11. Jan 2008

... BUT LESS FUNDING FOR TRAINING NON-IT GRADS?
There has been criticism of a government proposal that would cut funding for IT training. The proposed change is aimed at increasing the number of students getting a first degree by directing funding away from those studying for second qualifications, which often include IT. It would mean that either the employer or employee would have to pay for any technical training needed by non-IT graduates moving into the industry. An Institute of Directors spokesman said: "We deplore any steps that make such dual qualification more difficult, and we believe this will have a negative effect on businesses of all sizes". (Reported by Computer Weekly) Jan 2008

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