New research has revealed hat most employers are happy with the calibre of their employees, with some 93% of the UK workforce thought to be proficient at their jobs.  However, experts warned against complacency, saying that employers would need to expect more from, and invest more in, their staff in order to remain globally competitive [...]

The Government has announced that the number of people gaining a qualification through the Train to Gain programme has hit the one million mark.
The millionth learner, Chris Scott, a process operator at chemical manufacturer William Blythe Ltd, in Accrington, completed his level 2 NVQ in Business Improvement Techniques on January 29 this year. Chris’s work [...]

Ambitious new targets to help more people with mental health conditions and learning disabilities in the workplace, are announced today by Minister for Disabled People Jonathan Shaw.
From April this year, 2,000 people with learning disabilities and up to 1,500 people with mental health conditions will be guaranteed places on the Access to Work programme to [...]

Diversity should be threaded through all talent management activities and strategies so organisations can reap the benefits of accessing and developing talent from the widest possible pool. This is the main finding of a new Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) research report, Opening Up Talent for Business Success: Integrating Talent Management and Diversity, [...]

The health sector has exceeded its aim to recruit 5,000 public sector apprentices, Health Secretary Andy Burnham has announced.
Last year both the NHS and social care services agreed to provide a major contribution to the Prime Minister’s commitment, made in February 2009, to increase the number of apprenticeships by 21,000 across the public sector. 
Speaking before [...]

Tuesday, 23 March 2010 – CCT Venues, Smithfields, London
>> BOOK NOW!
This event will help you make your learning budget work much harder, will give you the tools needed to embed learning into your business strategy.
See conference homepage for programme, speakers, venue and booking details.  Click here.

Business minister Lord Young was in Milton Keynes today to see the young apprentices who are keeping the UK’s trains on track.
Railcare runs a successful Apprenticeship programme which covers vehicle production, components and incident repair. The apprentices are working towards an advanced modern Apprenticeship.
Lord Young said:
“It is encouraging to see a small business like Railcare [...]

Around 7000 graduates’ career prospects have been given a boost, now that over fifty universities have taken up the Government’s £13.6 million fund to provide internships in small businesses by the end of the year as part of the Backing Young Britain campaign to help young people into work.  
The graduate internship programme, which is being [...]

New online resources to help employers and learners explore important changes to vocational qualifications and shape the content of future vocational qualifications were launched this week.  

Business Link’s website now gives employers access to all they need to know about vocational qualifications and influence the changes as they take place.   
For learners, the Department for Business, Innovation [...]

Researchers at the Institute for Employment Studies (IES) have created a top ten list of priorities for HR professionals, as the private sector emerges from recession but still generally faces tough economic conditions, and the public and third sectors face up to significant cost cutting and redundancies ahead.
The IES report summarises some of the latest [...]