Training

This
week’s training news.

MPs’
staff get grounding in business skills

The
House of Commons has become the first parliament in the world to offer business
training to its staff to increase their employability. Aimed at MPs’ assistants
and constituency workers, 30 staff are being trained now in office-based PC
skills. The staff are training for the business computing qualification,
European Computer Driving Licence in the House of Commons’ learning centre
which was established as part of a pilot scheme in January 2000.
www.working4anmp.co.uk

Lloyds
TSB teaches benefits of diversity to staff

Lloyds
TSB is using an interactive training course to promote the business benefits of
diversity to 77,000 staff. The course, developed by Xebec McGraw-Hill, shows
how diversity can reduce costs in terms of recruitment and retention and
develop business opportunities in emerging markets. Copies of the CD-Rom course
will be distributed to the bank’s 1,800 multimedia PC sites and 15
cyber-cafes.    www.lloydstsb.com

Blunkett
bid to slash department’s red tape

David
Blunkett, the Education and Employment Secretary, has announced a drive to
reduce “unnecessary red tape” in the way his department works with private and
voluntary sector training providers. The consultation document proposes a new
framework of principles which should bring together best practice among
providers, the DfEE, employment service and the incoming Learning and Skills
Council. The deadline for the consultation is 15 June.  www.dfe.gov.uk

Chemical
sector’s skills scoreboard unveiled

The
Department of Trade and Industry has published its first people skills scoreboard
for the UK chemical industry. The scoreboard provides a snapshot of training
provision in the industry. The results show that more than half of the 30-plus
companies surveyed have achieved, or are committed to achieving Investors In
People accreditation.   www.cia.org.uk