This month’s training news in brief
Merger completed
As Training Magazine went to press, shareholders of SkillSoft and SmartForce
approved the merger of the two e-learning companies. SmartForce intends to do
business under the operating name of SkillSoft and is expected to pursue
legally changing its official name to SkillSoft in the near future. www.skillsoft.com
NVQ for care managers
A new NVQ for the managers of adult care services, launched by awarding body
Edexcel, is expected to form part of the requirements for registration
following the introduction of national registers for residential care managers
in 2003. As many as 20,000 managers are expected to seek registration with
bodies including the General Social Care Council by 2005. Northamptonshire
County Council has already incorporated the NVQ into its workforce development
programme and has 40 managers waiting to sign up for it. www.edexcel.org.uk
Vodafone rings changes
Vodafone has opted for a common approach and consistent message in welcoming
new employees by setting up a monthly induction event. The message throughout
the day, designed by Jarvis Woodhouse, is about teamwork and Vodafone’s
culture. An average 100 new starters attend the event each month from
throughout the business and those who are unable to attend can use an online
programme. Balvi Macleod, people development consultant at Vodafone, said the
course is designed to give all new starters the same induction experience
regardless of which function they had joined. www.jarvis-woodhouse.com
Lexus links up
Car manufacturer Lexus and Nottingham Trent University have opened a
purpose-built national dealer training centre for Lexus franchises at the
University’s Clifton Campus in the city. At its peak the training centre will
deal with more than 10,000 delegates a year. www.lexus.co.uk
E-learning via tills
Lloyds Pharmacy has introduced a new bespoke e-learning system that can be
accessed from tills during quiet periods at the store. The programme, developed
by BYG Systems, offers modules on till operation, back office systems, stock
management and personnel administration. Knowledge retention is reinforced by
customer scenarios, summaries and assessments. www.bygsystems.com
