Training

This
month’s training news

E-skills
NTO formed

Two
national training organisations have merged following consultation over the
future of the telecoms NTO. Lifelong learning minister Malcolm Wicks announced
that the e-skills NTO will extend its scope to cover the telecoms and call
handling sectors. The move comes after the telecoms NTO ran into financial
difficulties last year.  www.dfee.gov.uk

Bank
rolls out course

Barclays
is rolling out its behaviour analysis training across the company after the
successful training of its sales team. Peter Hurst, head of training for
business at Barclays claims the course has raised the performance of the sales
team, which participated in the course. So far, 400 staff have gone through the
training, which was developed by training consultancy On Track International.  www.barclays.co.uk

Call
for ‘champion’

Chris
Humphries, the new director-general of City & Guilds, is calling for a
major review of vocational education to support business in the future. He
claims vocational training has been treated as the poor relation to academic
education, and is calling for a minister to champion vocational education and
for debate on adult learning.  www.city-and-guilds.co.uk

Horserider
helps BMW

American
and German managers of BMW have participated in a four-day course developing
their international behaviour. Training company Bridge used a showjumper to
demonstrate the effects of a rider’s attitude, and good management skills on
the horse’s ability to jump to the best of its potential. The course focused on
emotional intelligence, teamwork and paradoxes in management.  www.bmw.com

Vauxhall
centre opens

Vauxhall
opened a regional training centre in Chorley, Lancashire, last week that will
offer a range of courses to its dealers and their staff in the North of
England. The centre has two technical training rooms and a workshop, which is
fully equipped with Vauxhall vehicles, tools, components, diagnostic equipment
and training rigs.  www.vauxhall.co.uk

New
Deal tackles gap

Employment
minister Tessa Jowell has announced that the Labour Party is to gear its New
Deal jobs programme to tackle the shortage of workers in the gas, financial and
construction industries. She claimed that tens of thousands of recruits will be
needed in these areas, including 15,000 gas fitters and 74,000 construction
workers.  Industry audits will be
conducted to ensure that people on the scheme have the skills employers require.