European Health & Saf..Zzzzzzzzzzzz

….Don’t fall asleep on me; for a change this is going to be something H&S related that was fun, engaging and memorable. (you heard it here first folks)

My organisation is understandably H&S focussed and always strives to support initiatives such as the recent European Health & Safety week, despite maintaining a keen focus on H&S, regardless of any external initiative. However this year my boss suggested to our Compliance Department that perhaps we should do something ‘different’, alongside the more traditional email/intranet/poster etc campaigns in relation to the importance of maintaining equipment.

This is what he came up with…

Whilst the video clip doesn’t show it too well, each of the tricks had an underlying safety related theme such as:

Not undertaking tasks you aren’t trained to do (a cash in an envelope trick)Checking equipment thoroughly (using a piece of PPE that went from being serviceable to unserviceable… whilst an audience member was wearing it! along with the guillotine trick that you can see in this clip)Following instructions clearly (a simple hand grasping trick, which didn’t provide the desired (safe) outcome)

The feedback from the multiple shows that took place around site (to fit in with working patterns/geography) was very positive with comments such as

“refreshing” “memorable” “fun“

being in great abundance with the most obvious sign of approval being that people were arriving ahead of the performance times and were even phoning us to ask why the magician hadn’t been yet….. can you honestly say that your learners have ever had that response to a Health & Safety event?

This whole approach fits in with a ‘one liner’ that @larshyland mentioned at the last eLN event “think campaign, not course”

Think about it..

Many thanks to Constantia Artiste Management for allowing this footage to be used in this blog.

View the original article here

Corporate Vs Creativity (why the Vs?)

A little while ago, I engaged in a passing conversation in which the subjects of ‘corporate’ and ‘creativity’ were described as being some distance apart, this explanation was backed up by a physical demonstration of that point and that it was extremely difficult for the 2 to exist in the same place.

At the time I dumbly nodded, but later that day during my bike ride home (this is my new ‘time for my best ideas’ time) it dawned on me that I was wrong to have ‘dumbly nodded’ as I certainly don’t believe that corporate and creativity have to exist in separate places and that it needs an ‘Act Of ‘ for the 2 to co-exist.

Perhaps instead of dumbly nodding I should have mentioned

Google
Facebook
Apple
Lego

because let’s be honest, they’re corporates, they’re creative and let’s be honest, they’re not doing too badly for themselves!!!!

Can you think of any other corporates who have been able to balance things?

Do you have any heartwarming/horror stories of your own, where the balance has been made/not made?

View the original article here

I have another cap to wear…

… and that is of Social Media correspondent for Nuclear TV.

This is a ‘title‘, I hasten to add that I have not bestowed upon myself but as the nucleus of Nuclear TV sits within my immediate team (and I never stop harping on about the benefits of engaging with Social Media), I guess it was inevitable that I was going to end up with that role!

This interview was the first (of what I hope will be many) insights into how a highly-regulated, security-conscious sector such as the Nuclear Industry is engaging with Social Media, the challenges that it brings and the rewards that it can bestow.

I must admit to being slightly nervous about conducting this interview, not about appearing in front of a camera, but about speaking on a subject such as Social Media, when there are far more knowledgeable, influential people out there who are already commenting on Social Media far more eloquently that I could hope to do..

… what do you think?

… did I get it right?

… did I miss anything?

…would you have done things differently?

If you have any feedback, it would be great if you could provide it in the comments area below, as this will allow me to ensure that future commentaries really do reflect ‘current thinking’.

View the original article here

Getting Beyond Bullet Points (visuals only)

Once again, I consider myself extremely lucky and privileged to have been asked to speak at the Learning and Skills Group Annual Conference earlier this month at London Olympia.

I always try to facilitate a session that (I hope) has  immediate take-aways for anybody that has attended. I believe that there are enough people speaking at a strategic and theoretical level about L&D and it’s associated disciplines without me throwing my hand in too, so I always try to ensure that I do what I can to offer what I call a ‘Monday morning quick win‘ i.e. something that can be implemented immediately (or at worst very quickly back in the workplace) following the attendees return to the ‘real world‘!

This time around I wanted to offer people the next step in improving their presentations. I get the feeling that there are more and more people who understand the need to move away from bullet-point riddled slides but are not sure exactly ‘what’ should replace them.

It was this uncertainty that I hoped to address during my session by showing some examples. It is these examples that will form the basis of my next few blog posts:

Part 1 – Getting Beyond Bullet Points with visuals only

Part 2 – Getting Beyond Bullet Points with visual and audio

Part 3 – Bringing in the backchannel

Part 4 – The Learners Voice

Part 5 – Getting Beyond Bullet Points live recorded podcast

Part 6 – Tools and resources

But let’s get things started, by having a look at the Slideshare presentation below. At first glance it ticks all the boxes in terms of reducing the bullet points and using images to illustrate my story, but there’s something missing. It would be great if you could take a few minutes to progress through the slides and leave your thoughts in the comments box below……

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Operational Trainer - Central Region

Operational Trainer - Central Region Birmingham

Anchor has an exciting opportunity for an experienced Operational Trainer to join their team. Their main role will to be deliver effective learning & development interventions that drives and supports a competent and capable workforce.

The successful candidate will be expected to manage the regional training centre, to ensure events are planned, in line with demand, to maximum occupancy and that drives or maintains statutory and mandatory training targets.

Location: Central Region

Key Responsibilities:

• Training delivery
• Daily running of the regional training centre
• Planning interventions based on demand identified in the regional / national plans
• Adapting training materials or techniques to meet the needs of the audience
• Revision of training materials based on feedback and evaluation

Required Knowledge & Experience:

Qualifications

• Certificate in training practice, NVQ or equivalent experience
• Part of fully qualified membership of CIPD
• PTTLLS or working towards PTTLLS
• Specific care or health & safety qualifications, would be advantageous

Experience Required:

• Experience of the full learning cycle (training needs analysis, design, delivery and evaluation)
Having worked in a person centred/customer focused environment.
• Experience of training delivery to a diverse and multi skilled workforce
• Proven track record in implementing blended learning techniques

Required Skills:

• Up to date knowledge of industry best practice and standards as well as developments in the L&D arena
• Blended learning techniques
• Appropriate development interventions, suitable for learners in a customer facing environment

Closing Date: 02/03/2015

LocationBirminghamSalary£30k to £34k depending on experienceReference011922Contact NameCintia Santoianni

Anchor has an exciting opportunity for an experienced Operational Trainer to join their team. Their main role will to be deliver effective learning & development interventions that drives and supports a competent and capable workforce.

The successful candidate will be expected to manage the regional training centre, to ensure events are planned, in line with demand, to maximum occupancy and that drives or maintains statutory and mandatory training targets.

Location: Central Region

Key Responsibilities:

• Training delivery
• Daily running of the regional training centre
• Planning interventions based on demand identified in the regional / national plans
• Adapting training materials or techniques to meet the needs of the audience
• Revision of training materials based on feedback and evaluation

Required Knowledge & Experience:

Qualifications

• Certificate in training practice, NVQ or equivalent experience
• Part of fully qualified membership of CIPD
• PTTLLS or working towards PTTLLS
• Specific care or health & safety qualifications, would be advantageous

Experience Required:

• Experience of the full learning cycle (training needs analysis, design, delivery and evaluation)
Having worked in a person centred/customer focused environment.
• Experience of training delivery to a diverse and multi skilled workforce
• Proven track record in implementing blended learning techniques

Required Skills:

• Up to date knowledge of industry best practice and standards as well as developments in the L&D arena
• Blended learning techniques
• Appropriate development interventions, suitable for learners in a customer facing environment

Closing Date: 02/03/2015

Apply now

View the original article here

Happy Twitterversary to me!!!

I am typing this Blog from a hotel room in London where I am staying during my attendance at the Learning Technologies conference 2011; I tell you this because it is entirely relative to my Twitter history…..

I had heard of Twitter prior to attending LT10 but admit to having dismissed it as a celebrity ‘fad’, LT10 was the catalyst that I needed to pop my Twitter cherry!

So here I am 12 months later with over 2600 tweets under my belt, over 200 followers and following over 1oo other people. Everyone one of these people is in some way shape or form involved in L&D, Learning Technologies, Social Media or more usually all 3!

Twitter has enabled me to attend Jane Harts Masterclass on Using Social Media for Learning, James Clays Mobile Learning Boot Camp, the eLearning Network 2010 showcase (which subsequently led me to joining the eLN) It has provided me with some excellent contacts and some fantastic learning opportunities.

So if you haven’t yet set up a Twitter account then please don’t let this fantastic opportunity pass you by. If you don’t know how or where to start, then you could do a lot worse than checking out these resources which will help you on your way…

Image source

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Training & Development Assistant- City of London

Training & Development Assistant- City of London London

My client has an amazing new exciting opportunity for a Training & Development Assistant to work in a firm who are highly regarded as one of the best in providing advice to its clients worldwide and has been recently awarded for its level of expertise and quality of advice, placing it amongst the top 10 firms in its area of expertise in the city. They have many offices around the globe in Asia, Europe and the Middle East and you will have an opportunity to work in its largest office based in the heartbeat of the business district in the city, with tourist attraction buildings like the 'Gherkin', 'Cheese grater' and Bishopsgate Tower in close proximity. You will be supporting the Head of Training and Development, who has many years of experience and knowledge therefore there is no one better who could be your biggest supporter and mentor.

Key responsibilities

Scheduling of training workshops including liaison with internal and external trainersWorking with firms to book trainees on to courses; securing dates; managing & tracking attendance; booking and meeting trainers; arranging materials & catering; advertising programmes; completing certificates for attendees; diary management.Creating and generating reports from the database; extracting key management dataSetting up new development programmes and related training workshopsManaging course bookings and tracking attendance; developing the use of the databaseInvolvement and assistance in a project with the wider team on a new firmwide HR and T&D systemDistributing the T&D programme to all London fee earners; working with the team to increase the accessibility of training and booking process/advertisingInvolvement in the Firmwide appraisal process with the HR teamPotential involvement in other Firmwide training activity/roll outs on areas such as compliance, risk and other initiatives or other needs as they arise

Key knowledge and skills:

Excellent administrative, organisational, planning and coordination skills - able to plan, prioritise, respond and adapt proactively to changing deadlines and demandsProactive in managing own and others' time, diaries and calendarsStrong accuracy and eye for detailExcellent verbal and written communication skills - articulate and able to communicate with all levels and via different mediaExcellent IT Skills - Word, PowerPoint, Excel and database useProactive manner and approach to all work and communicationCan-do, positive and professional attitudeApproachable and able to build rapport quickly with all levels of staff across the firmProfessional, confident and resilientAble to work as part of a teamAbility to use own initiative, review working practices and come up with fresh ideasMotivated by and interested in people and the HR & Training agendaOverall able to provide a high level of service to the team and our internal clients

Experience/ Qualifications

May be part or fully CIPD qualified - or have a longer term interest in becoming so

Proven track record and experience (or very strong potential) within an administrative role to include the following.

Diary management and schedulingEvent planning and coordinationDatabase management and use of multiple IT systemsManagement of multiple tasks and projectsLocationLondonSalary£30000 negotiableReferenceContact NameTB

My client has an amazing new exciting opportunity for a Training & Development Assistant to work in a firm who are highly regarded as one of the best in providing advice to its clients worldwide and has been recently awarded for its level of expertise and quality of advice, placing it amongst the top 10 firms in its area of expertise in the city. They have many offices around the globe in Asia, Europe and the Middle East and you will have an opportunity to work in its largest office based in the heartbeat of the business district in the city, with tourist attraction buildings like the 'Gherkin', 'Cheese grater' and Bishopsgate Tower in close proximity. You will be supporting the Head of Training and Development, who has many years of experience and knowledge therefore there is no one better who could be your biggest supporter and mentor.

Key responsibilities

Scheduling of training workshops including liaison with internal and external trainersWorking with firms to book trainees on to courses; securing dates; managing & tracking attendance; booking and meeting trainers; arranging materials & catering; advertising programmes; completing certificates for attendees; diary management.Creating and generating reports from the database; extracting key management dataSetting up new development programmes and related training workshopsManaging course bookings and tracking attendance; developing the use of the databaseInvolvement and assistance in a project with the wider team on a new firmwide HR and T&D systemDistributing the T&D programme to all London fee earners; working with the team to increase the accessibility of training and booking process/advertisingInvolvement in the Firmwide appraisal process with the HR teamPotential involvement in other Firmwide training activity/roll outs on areas such as compliance, risk and other initiatives or other needs as they arise

Key knowledge and skills:

Excellent administrative, organisational, planning and coordination skills - able to plan, prioritise, respond and adapt proactively to changing deadlines and demandsProactive in managing own and others' time, diaries and calendarsStrong accuracy and eye for detailExcellent verbal and written communication skills - articulate and able to communicate with all levels and via different mediaExcellent IT Skills - Word, PowerPoint, Excel and database useProactive manner and approach to all work and communicationCan-do, positive and professional attitudeApproachable and able to build rapport quickly with all levels of staff across the firmProfessional, confident and resilientAble to work as part of a teamAbility to use own initiative, review working practices and come up with fresh ideasMotivated by and interested in people and the HR & Training agendaOverall able to provide a high level of service to the team and our internal clients

Experience/ Qualifications

May be part or fully CIPD qualified - or have a longer term interest in becoming so

Proven track record and experience (or very strong potential) within an administrative role to include the following.

Diary management and schedulingEvent planning and coordinationDatabase management and use of multiple IT systemsManagement of multiple tasks and projects

Apply now

View the original article here