http://www.personneltoday.com/en-gbWed, 03 Dec 2008 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/12/03/48622/pub-trade-foreign-language-initiative-fails-to-pull.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/12/03/48622/pub-trade-foreign-language-initiative-fails-to-pull.html Pub landlord wannabes, whose first language is not English, are failing to take up the offer of sitting an important exam in their own tongue. Staffordshire compaWed, 03 Dec 2008 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/12/03/48590/axa-line-managers-participate-in-role-play-training.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/12/03/48590/axa-line-managers-participate-in-role-play-training.html Thousands of line managers at insurance giant Axa have taken part in role-playing scenarios as part of a company-wide culture change programme. More than 3,000 employees in management roles participateWed, 03 Dec 2008 08:00:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/12/02/48556/apprenticeships-could-hit-government-targets-with-public-sector-support.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/12/02/48556/apprenticeships-could-hit-government-targets-with-public-sector-support.html The government's apprenticeship targets fall far short of what could be achieved if all public departments and agencies offered just 20 new schemes, a senior figure has insisted. Speaking at the <A href="http://www.pspeveTue, 02 Dec 2008 09:08:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/11/26/48494/taser-gun-training-row-between-police-authorities.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/11/26/48494/taser-gun-training-row-between-police-authorities.html Police authorities are locked in a bitter row over whether training will be good enough to allow officers to carry Taser stun guns to fight crime on Britain' streets. Home secretary Jacqui Smith annouWed, 26 Nov 2008 12:25:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/11/24/48484/gordon-brown-urges-businesses-to-upskill-their-workforce.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/11/24/48484/gordon-brown-urges-businesses-to-upskill-their-workforce.html Gordon Brown has urged businesses to continue to upskill the nation's workforce as the economy plunges further into recession. Speaking at the annual CBI conferenceMon, 24 Nov 2008 14:10:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/11/24/48456/staff-development-row-brews-as-managers-and-training-firm-pass-buck.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/11/24/48456/staff-development-row-brews-as-managers-and-training-firm-pass-buck.html A row has broken out between employers and training firms over who is responsible for learning failures. A survey of learning and development professionals at last week's <A href="http://www.learnevents.com/world-of-learniMon, 24 Nov 2008 08:11:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/11/20/48437/failed-training-initiatives-down-to-lack-of-line-manager-buy-in.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/11/20/48437/failed-training-initiatives-down-to-lack-of-line-manager-buy-in.html Line managers are the main stumbling block when it comes to making a success of staff training. A survey of learning and development professionals at the <A href="http://www.learnevents.com/world-of-learning-conference-200Thu, 20 Nov 2008 07:28:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/11/19/48428/credit-crunch-inspires-cipd-to-launch-damage-limitation-training-for-hr.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/11/19/48428/credit-crunch-inspires-cipd-to-launch-damage-limitation-training-for-hr.html Two courses to help HR staff and line managers handle strikes and redundancies better have been launched by the CIPD. The first course, 'Practical Employee Relations', provides participants with the tools to handle employeWed, 19 Nov 2008 09:07:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/11/19/48409/wtd-opt-out-axe-could-force-hotels-to-use-unpaid-labour-to-fill-gaps.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/11/19/48409/wtd-opt-out-axe-could-force-hotels-to-use-unpaid-labour-to-fill-gaps.html A luxury hotel chain will use work experience students to make up the overtime hours currently worked by permanent employees if the UK loses its opt-out to the <A href="http://www.berr.gov.uk/whatwedo/employment/employment-legislWed, 19 Nov 2008 07:01:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/11/18/48382/cadbury-committed-to-employee-training-and-development.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/11/18/48382/cadbury-committed-to-employee-training-and-development.html Cadbury has ruled out slashing its training budgets in response to the global economic crisis, according to the firm's global HR chief. Julia Freeman, people capability and process director at the confectionary Tue, 18 Nov 2008 08:01:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/11/17/48448/line-managers-critical-to-reducing-sick-leave.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/11/17/48448/line-managers-critical-to-reducing-sick-leave.html Educating and training line managers being critical to cutting absence rates and preventing unnecessary long-term sick leave, was a key theme at the IRS Managing Absence and Attendance conference. JoMon, 17 Nov 2008 11:29:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/11/17/48379/government-gives-65m-to-train-to-gain-for-car-firms.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/11/17/48379/government-gives-65m-to-train-to-gain-for-car-firms.html The government has made £65m available through the Train to Gain skills service for car firms to prepare their workforces to prosper when the economMon, 17 Nov 2008 11:20:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/11/17/48364/train-to-gain-needs-to-adapt-to-employer-needs.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/11/17/48364/train-to-gain-needs-to-adapt-to-employer-needs.html The government's much-heralded Train to Gain service needs to adapt to deliver what employers need during the economic downturn, HR chiefs have warned. Leading HR directors said the current <A href="http://www.traintogainMon, 17 Nov 2008 07:44:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/11/14/45730/friday-podcast-flexible-working-christmas-redundancies-and-tribunals-for-line-managers.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/11/14/45730/friday-podcast-flexible-working-christmas-redundancies-and-tribunals-for-line-managers.html HR news and analysis including: as the consultation on whether to extend the right to request flexible working to parents with kids aged 16 or under closes, employers' groups have called for clarity on what exactly wiFri, 14 Nov 2008 15:26:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/11/12/48310/prime-time-tv-ads-aim-to-boost-take-up-of-train-to-gain-initiative.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/11/12/48310/prime-time-tv-ads-aim-to-boost-take-up-of-train-to-gain-initiative.html The government has launched a TV advertising campaign to encourage employers to continue training staff during the economic downturn. Costing £2.4m, the prime-time ad blitz will highlight its Train to Gain support service iWed, 12 Nov 2008 08:32:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/11/10/48290/sainsburys-offers-staff-health-and-safety-qualification.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/11/10/48290/sainsburys-offers-staff-health-and-safety-qualification.html Supermarket giant Sainsbury's is offering its 150,000-strong workforce the chance to gain formal qualifications in stock-control and health and safety. The retailer has joined forces with awarding body EDI to oMon, 10 Nov 2008 11:00:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/11/06/48240/hands-on-learning-touches-a-nerve-with-employees.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/11/06/48240/hands-on-learning-touches-a-nerve-with-employees.html Being shown how to do things has been rated as the best way to learn according to the latest CIPD Who Learns at Work? survey. But HR is playing a less important role than before, as line managers are incThu, 06 Nov 2008 07:30:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/11/05/48199/skills-chair-claims-uk-will-struggle-to-hit-leitch-review-targets.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/11/05/48199/skills-chair-claims-uk-will-struggle-to-hit-leitch-review-targets.html The UK will "struggle" to meet the skills targets set out in the Leitch Review, a senior figure has admitted. <A href="http://www.trainingzone.co.uk/cgi-bin/item.cgi?d=680dateformat=%25e-%25h-%2Wed, 05 Nov 2008 08:00:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/11/04/48196/27m-skills-training-pot-available-for-employment-projects.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/11/04/48196/27m-skills-training-pot-available-for-employment-projects.html The government is to channel £27m of EU cash to help people improve their skills and stay in work or find a new job. Organisations are being urged to subTue, 04 Nov 2008 12:57:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/10/31/47895/friday-podcast-abbeys-record-race-discrimination-case-and-what-should-hr-focus-on-in-a-recession.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/10/31/47895/friday-podcast-abbeys-record-race-discrimination-case-and-what-should-hr-focus-on-in-a-recession.html Our weekly HR news and analysis audio programme includes: Race discrimination. High street bank Abbey has said it is considering taking a Employment appeal tribunal decision to the Court of Appeal after a former Fri, 31 Oct 2008 16:15:00 GMT