Next
month’s Wolce conference reflects the need to showcase every training media
under one roof. Sue Weekes reports
The
organisers of Wolce decided there was quite a lot in a name this year. Venture
Marketing Group (VMG) took the decision to change the ‘Open Learning’ in the
event’s name to ‘Of Learning’ after careful discussion with the training
industry and industry experts as well as delegates and visitors to previous
events over the past 10 years.
About
80 per cent of all senior training professionals advocate the use of blended
solutions now. And while it remains true that e-learning – the medium that
facilitates so much open learning nowadays – is one of the industry’s fastest
growing sectors, VMG felt there was a need to showcase all training media under
one roof, which was fully-backed after consultation with practitioners. The
upshot of it all should mean a more meaningful event for both visitor and
exhibitor.
The
event takes place 2-3 October at the NEC in Birmingham, with the Gala dinner
and awards, presented by Will Carling. Exhibitors include this year’s main
sponsor learndirect, Ascot Systems, BAOL, Bytes technology, ebc, Hyperwave,
Question Mark Computing, Skill Boosters, Smart Technologies, XOR and many more.
The
conference runs concurrently across the two days and, unlike the exhibition,
maintains some lines of demarcation being broken down into four themed
development tracks: e-learning, blended learning, best practice in open and
distance learning and face-to-face learning. The opening address will be made
by Dave Jedrziewski, director of leadership and management development at Dell
Computer Corporation USA, which is currently undergoing the change from a
management organisation to a leadership one. He will be covering the organisational
changes that are required to initiate and deliver successful training
programmes.
"Currently
at Dell, we are moving to a leadership-based training and development
organisation to attain our training results in the right way," explains
Jedrziewski. "By instituting the ethos that ‘one manages things and one
leads people’, we are changing the focus of our training and development to one
which allies itself to our business needs and uses whatever delivery means
necessary to gain results.
"We
have, however, taken the ego out of the training field by allowing employees to
have an increased sense of ownership over their training as long as it fits
with their clearly-developed career mapping."
With
the training receiver still firmly in mind, the keynote address on the second
day of the event by Mark Frank, principal of IBM Learning Services, will be
assessing the penetration of new training technologies and whether employees
welcome such technological changes. As the man accountable for the quality and production
of courses for IBM’s training throughout the world, he will also be providing
some indicators for the future of corporate training and how companies can make
training changes with the minimum of organisational disruption.
Throughout
the conference there will be plenty of real-life examples and experiences
relayed via a number of case studies from such companies as BT, Goldman Sachs,
Royal Bank of Scotland and Debenhams. For those who are currently trying to
decide if the much talked about blended approach is for them, the session
called Mastering the Blended Approach should provide some valuable insight on
day one. Speakers include Rob Field, training and development specialist from
Avis, who will be able to talk about his experience of putting together a
blended solution, along with Jayne Edwards, technology training manager at
Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS). "Around 15 per cent of our learning is
completed online but this is only one medium by which we deliver our training;
others include CD-Rom and video, and there is always a place for face-to-face
as part of a blended solution," comments Edwards.
So
whether the future of your training is face-to-face, online or most likely, a
bit of both, Wolce, in its 10th anniversary year, should have something for
you.
What
to see…
Ascot
Systems B90 – Launching the innovative integration of the NetTutor virtual
classroom with Pathlore’s Learning Management System. This facilitates instant
online monitoring and assistance, creating a true virtual training centre
environment. n Bytes Technology H10 – Visit Dr David in the learning surgery.
The IT services specialists won’t promise to cure all ills but says it will be
offering advice on training strategy.
Bourne
Training E50 – The custom-built learning specialist will be showcasing its
newly-developed solution that helps organisations create bespoke e-learning
in-house using their own content and mainstream development tools.
E2train
C90 – Latest products on show will be the Kallidus Learning Management
System and authoring system. The latter allows an organisation’s own staff to
produce interactive learning content for the web or CD-Rom without the need for
programming skills.
Hyperwave
P70 – Still not convinced that combining e-learning and knowledge
management is possible? Hyperwave sees it as a business imperative – find out
why.
Impatica
G40 – Make time to see Impactica for Powerpoint, a clever piece of
technology that lets you open and view Powerpoint files regardless of whether
you have the Microsoft application or not.
Learndirect
B20 – Main sponsor of the show and now the largest e-learning project in
Europe. Here you can find out what learndirect corporate has to offer to the
business world.
Unlimited
E120 – View some of Ireland’s largest e-learning provider’s blended
solutions which combine vendor-authorised content with Unlimited’s developed
curricula delivered through classroom training, CD-Rom and interactive
e-learning.
Essential
information
–
Wolce is at the Birmingham NEC on 2 and 3 October. The exhibition, which is
free, is open from 10am to 5pm on the Wednesday and 10am to 4pm on Thursday.
–
Although entry to the exhibition is free, conferences are paid-for with the
exception of the opening and keynote addresses and two free master classes.
–
Pre-register at www.wolce.com and to receive your conference programme, contact
the visitor hotline on 020 8394 5171.
–
Getting there:
By
rail: Birmingham International station (the NEC’s own station) which has direct
services to and from London Euston, Liverpool and Manchester. A connecting
service is available from Birmingham New Street..
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By
road: The NEC is clearly sign-posted from the M1, M5, M6, M40 and M42.
By
air: Birmingham International Airport
