Category Archives: L & D

HR News, L & D, L&D, News, Training, Training News

Steve Herbert launches new Consultancy and Training Service.

HR & Employee Benefits industry veteran launches six new support offerings for employers.

Our regular Employer News columnist since 2018 – and one of the UK’s best-known commentators on pensions, employee benefits, wellbeing, and HR issues – has established his own training and consultancy business to support HR experts, C-suite professionals, and business-to-business (B2B) sales teams,  empowering them with the skills they need to reach and engage large and small audiences.

Steve Herbert is widely known to thousands of UK Human Resources (HR) and Finance professionals for his long-running, and hugely successful series of “fun and informative” in-person and virtual events, which he has run for the past 20 years, as well as writing his popular column where he frequently discusses HR, economic and benefits issues.

Topics Steve has spoken and written about in recent years include pensions, employee wellbeing, HR, the economic and political outlook, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and the future of work and the workplace, and he now hopes to share his skills in a series of affordable L&D workshops to increase confidence and build skills for employees and business owners alike.

Topics include:

  • Presentation Skills training
  • “Webinars that Work” support
  • Creating engaging articles & content
  • Research and Development (R&D) work
  • Building and refining industry award entries
  • Keynote Speaker on a range of business issues

Commenting on these services Herbert said;

“After nearly 40 years in the industry, it was time for me to share some of the skills I have learned and give back to the HR and Business Community.   I am confident that these soft skills are much needed in modern workplaces, and will pay dividends for any individual or organisation seeking to make themselves heard or reach new business audiences at scale.

I will of course continue to act as a high-profile and objective commentator and influencer around Human Resources (HR), wellbeing, and employee benefit issues, and my monthly blog posts for the excellent “Employer News” website will also continue.”

Steve Herbert’s new website (including a list of all his current support services and many client testimonials) can be found here:  www.steve-herbert.co.uk.

Construction, L & D, News

QUEST takes expertise to the next level

Electrical contractor and facilities management provider QUEST Ltd has taken its offer to the next level with a major investment in staff training and qualifications.

QUEST engineers are now all CompEx qualified, CompEx is the international scheme for the competency and certification of personnel who work in explosive atmospheres.

The qualifications mean that QUEST engineers can now operate efficiently and effectively in any of their customers’ facilities.

Dominic Miller, Technical Director at QUEST, said: “Our customers were telling us how time-consuming and expensive it was sourcing specialist engineers and we decided that this was an opportunity to demonstrate that QUEST offers a genuine one-stop-shop.

“We always focus on meeting the needs of our customers and on improving the skills and career opportunities for our colleagues and investing in this training was a great opportunity to do both.”

The CompEx certification ensures that engineers are qualified to adhere to DSEAR and  Atex regulations.

DSEAR, which stands for the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002, aims to prevent, or limit the harmful effects of fire, explosion, and similar energy-releasing events, as well as corrosion to metals.

DSEAR requires that employers must identify which dangerous substances are present in their workplace and the associated risks. Control measures must be put in place to either remove those risks or, where not possible to control them, furthermore, to identify and classify areas of the workplace where explosive atmospheres may occur and to avoid ignition sources (from unprotected equipment, for example) in those areas. 

ATEX is an initialism of the term ATmosphères EXplosibles (French for “explosive atmospheres”). ATEX is a European directive that in part regulates the equipment and protective systems intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres. ATEX zones are areas in which there is a risk of explosion due to the presence of flammable gases, vapours, or dust. 

Demand for these services has grown in recent years and many manufacturing and large food production facilities require these qualifications.

QUEST is already accredited by NICEIC, CompEx and SafeContractor.

For more information, please visit https://electrical-contracting.co.uk

L & D, L & D Tech, News, Retail & E-commerce

Circle K drives sales and service excellence to 14,000+ Frontline Staff through new immersive game based training solution ‘Customer Star’ by Attensi.

Circle K has successfully launched a scalable game-based training solution, with a virtual 3D Circle K  store to train frontline staff to achieve their customer service and sales goals.

From the benefits of making eye contact to recognizing opportunities for upselling, the game focuses  on building core sales and service standards across Circle K to help them achieve their mission of  “making customers lives a little bit better every single day.”

[Sales Reps] “can get an idea of what a good response is and what’s a great response to a situation – it  steers them towards best practice. In stores where more employees have certified, we’re seeing an increase in customer happiness as it relates to increased employee engagement in the program.”

Jens Rye, Director People Development Europe 

The game features customer interactions and realistic scenarios in a virtual 3D Circle K store. The  game provides a fun yet challenging experience, allowing the “players” to play through realistic  scenarios in the game that they can transfer to the real world. The learning journey covers the  customer experience from beginning to end including:

  • Working in store – focused on service fundamentals and maintaining a pristine store
  • Shining on the till – opportunities for tailored recommendations in the sales cycle
  • Feeling the pressure – combines sales and service excellence to elevate customer experience
  • Knowing your customer – challenges players to make tailored customer recommendations

‘Working in store’ and ‘Shining on the till’ are free-roam modules that give users an interactive, more  holistic experience – immersing them in realistic scenarios that will help them to notice opportunities  for upselling, different customer behaviors and how they can balance their customer service duties  with operational functions.

Customer Star has been rolled out to 14,000 staff. The results are impressive:

  • 96% of the knowledge gap closed
  • 97% of team members enjoyed this way of training
  • 93% would recommend this training to a colleague

“Even though I’m experienced in Circle K, I got the answer wrong several times. I thought it was  helpful as it made me rethink and see different solutions and opportunities. You learn more about  seeing the possibilities in each customer and fulfilling their needs… After ‘Customer Star’, I really do  feel I can deliver exceptional customer service.” Kristian Bertelsen, Store Manager Circle K. 

Assistant Store Manager Sarah Larson adds, “I thought ‘Customer Star’ was a fun way to learn and a  new way to learn. I loved the beat-your-boss competition. I actually beat my boss.”

With such positive feedback and outstanding results, Circle K is excited about the future of game based training. The next steps involve refining and expanding the ‘Customer Star’ program, ensuring  continuous growth and development for their teams.

About Circle K:  

Circle K is one of the most recognized convenience store brands in the world, known for its quality  products and excellence in customer service. First established in 1951, Circle K continues to expand  and grow its customer base around the world.

About Attensi: 

Attensi is a global leader in game-based training solutions with offices in Oslo, London, Cologne,  Stockholm and Boston. Their products and services, including their AI driven Creator Platform, are used by some of the most successful brands in the world across retail, hospitality, pharmaceuticals,  financial services, automotive and more. Established in 2013, Attensi solutions are making an impact  in over 150 countries around the world.

L & D, News, Training & Apprenticeships

Businesses call for government to prioritise skills development in upcoming Budget

As we head towards the Chancellor’s Budget on 6 March, new research from leading business and financial adviser Grant Thornton UK LLP finds that businesses would like to see government focus on investing in skills and training to support business growth, as the competition for talent intensifies.

The firm’s latest Business Outlook Tracker, which surveyed 600 mid-sized businesses in early February, finds that the policy areas the mid-market would most like prioritised by government are:

 

  • Greater access to/investment in skills and training
  • Improvements to infrastructure
  • Incentives for employers to invest in R&D. 

 

Supporting skills development also topped the mid-market’s tax policy priorities, with ‘tax incentives for employers to invest in skills’ ranking number one, alongside ‘incentives for green investment’. This was jointly followed by ‘simplification of the UK business tax system’, ‘corporate tax cuts for UK businesses’ and ‘tax incentives for employers to invest in R&D’.

This focus on skills comes as the competition for talent remains fierce in the market and ‘attracting and retaining people’ poses the biggest challenge to mid-sized businesses over the next six months. The research finds that almost three quarters of respondents are facing a shortage in operational (72%), financial (69%) and managerial (69%) roles.

 

After attracting and retaining people, the next biggest challenges facing the mid-market are ‘meeting changing customer expectations’ and ‘prioritising sustainability’. The type of government funded support that mid-sized businesses would find most useful to help address these challenges are:

 

  • Grants to support investment in innovation and creating new products and services
  • Leadership and management training
  • Access to advice and support focused on growth

Lauren Carlyle, Practice Leader for Grant Thornton UK LLP in Wales, said: 

Lauren Carlyle. Grant Thornton. Cardiff. United Kingdom.

“Skills has come out as a top priority for businesses across our latest survey, as the market continues to compete for talent. But as businesses can, generally, already deduct 100% of staff training and development costs against their taxable profit, and we’re not expecting the government to go further and introduce a super deduction, it’s unlikely that we will see significant changes in this area.

“This Spring Budget is also expected to be a quieter affair with regards to R&D, after last year’s Autumn Statement confirmed the government’s wide-reaching review – which has been ongoing since 2021 – has now concluded. And while tax incentives for green investment would help to reduce costs for businesses investing in energy efficient and low or zero carbon technology, as part of their environmental strategies, the chances of green tax incentives is looking slim.

“The Chancellor kicked off 2024 signalling his desire to cut taxes further, observing at Davos the benefits that low-tax economics bring to growth and the creation of dynamic economies. Whether he can deliver on this ambition will hinge on the final OBR economic and fiscal forecast. As this is anticipated to be the last major fiscal event ahead of the General Election, any announcements are expected to be focused on closing the gap in the polls, with business tax cuts coming in second, behind those to reduce the tax burden for individuals. But our research shows that businesses in the South West are clear on what support they want to see from government, so we hope to see their needs addressed in some form in next week’s announcement.”

 

For more information please contact: khan@thisisinfluential.com

 

AI, L & D, L & D Tech, L&D, News

Beyond Theory: firsthand insights from GoodHabitz’s integration of ChatGPT into online learning

AI is already transforming many aspects of work – and now, for the first time, Goodhabitz has has integrated ChatGPT into their online learning.

Israel Roldán is GoodHabitz’s Software Engineering Manager and speaker with international experience in the fields of Consumer Technology, Web-engineering, and Learning Technologies. His passion lies in empowering software engineering teams to deliver technology solutions that drive business innovation.  Here, he shares firsthand insights from GoodHabitz’s integration of ChatGPT into online learning:

 

AI is prevalent in various aspects of our daily lives, from Google to Amazon and Spotify, our GPS or customer service. Why is it crucial to integrate AI into training programs as well?

At GoodHabitz, we believe in harnessing technology to make learning not just a task to complete, but an intuitive, enriching experience that resonates with every individual’s unique learning journey.

The capabilities and speed of the current wave of AI tools bring us closer to truly personalized learning experiences, adapting to each individual learner, and providing dynamic content tailored to their needs. Making it part of our product and our internal processes allows us to bring innovative, efficient, and highly relevant learning experiences to the hands of our customers and their employees, crucial in today’s rapidly evolving workplace.

 

GoodHabitz stands out as the first company in the industry to actively integrate ChatGPT into its solution. What has changed in the company/its product since this integration?

We’ve been experimenting with conversational learning formats since early 2022. Our ultimate goal has always been to let learners navigate our content in a more self-directed, continually adaptive manner. The release of ChatGPT was the long-anticipated moment we’ve been eagerly awaiting. This evolution isn’t just a progression; it’s a confidently assured step toward a more enriched learning journey. Pioneering this initiative, we rolled out 3 pilot features in our mobile app at the start of 2023, providing our users with the opportunity to experience the cutting-edge benefits of conversational learning first-hand.

Since then, we’ve launched 6 AI-enhanced features that explore different ways of interacting with AI to enrich the learner’s journey, particularly in getting us closer to achieving our goal of hyper-personalization. For example, we’ve been able to create more nuanced and responsive learning activities (a role play scenario, a self-directed reflection on concepts learned, an open-ended quiz about learning progress, among others). Learners can interact with these features in real-time, receiving immediate, tailored guidance and feedback. This has not only enhanced engagement but will also allow us to gather rich insights into the learning preferences of our user base, further refining our offerings.

 

To what extent does AI/ChatGPT allow you to personalize training programs to meet individual employee needs?

We’re bringing additional information into the context the AI uses in order to provide a more personalized experience. When used as part of our learning content, we’ve designed learning formats that allow for a balanced approach of expert-written content together with an AI-enhanced playground to apply learnings. This has been a great pairing as our team of educational experts remain in control of the learning contents while allowing the learner to apply learned concepts in a more “free-form” setting like a role play exercise or a simulated one-on-one training session.

Naturally, and as part of our commitment to ethical AI use, we’ve implemented strict data privacy protocols. Our Risk and Compliance team has partnered with our Engineering team to review and ensure these features align with our privacy and ethical standards.

 

According to a study by Resume Builder, 90% of HR professionals consider it essential for candidates in any sector to have skills to interact with ChatGPT. Do you have plans to expand your training offerings in this area, or is it already underway?

This is something we also see and recognize in our own workforce. The modern workplace has become a combination of human skills and talent enhanced by our usage of AI tools like ChatGPT all across the board. Our customers are no exception, from Sales and Marketing to Engineering to Finance, Legal and HR. All departments and roles can benefit from harnessing the data analysis and language capabilities of these tools.

We’re actively expanding our curriculum to include training in Generative AI tools like ChatGPT. Our aim is to equip learners with the skills to interact effectively with AI, ensuring they remain competitive and versatile in a rapidly evolving workplace. This initiative is in line with our vision to equip individuals with the skills they need for future challenges and opportunities, empowering their companies to succeed.

 

ChatGPT has become a more work companion that facilitates our day-to-day lives, but it makes us increasingly dependent on AI. Does ChatGPT benefit or harm employee training?

Generative AI tools like ChatGPT serve as an enhancer, not a replacement, in the learning process. The rapid rise of these tools should prompt L&D teams everywhere to encourage learners to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills, independently of whether they’re using it as part of their day-to-day or not.

Our focus as a learning platform is on creating a balanced learning ecosystem where AI complements human capabilities, fostering a more interactive and engaging learning environment. Our educational design experts and subject matter experts remain in complete control of our learning content ensuring that the materials we put in front of our learners are of high quality and high educational value, whereas our AI-enhanced features fulfill a valuable role by providing immediate assistance and feedback.

We don’t view AI as a threat to employees; rather, we consider it a valuable working companion. This perspective is reflected not only in enhancing our solution but also in actively leveraging AI internally to optimize processes. This empowers our team to focus on projects and tasks that deliver the greatest impact and value, as well as those they find most enjoyable. For instance, we seamlessly integrate AI audio generation with our educational designers to create new educational content. Additionally, our AI helper efficiently addresses frequently asked customer support questions, freeing our support teams from routine queries.

 

How does GoodHabitz ensure that the practical insights gained from AI implementation translate into enhanced user engagement and effective learning outcomes for its audience?

Right after launching our first 3 pilot features, many of our customers expressed interest in exploring our role-play activity for scenarios applicable to different industries, a confirmation that bringing a step that allows our learners to apply what they’ve learned in a course is a fantastic way to reinforce their learning.

Based on aggregated data, we can also identify common questions asked to our Personal Learning Assistant that may surface areas of improvement in our courses or possible clarifications we can make. This brings an additional context to our content producers to prioritize course content updates based on students’ needs.

 

Looking ahead, how does GoodHabitz plan to further evolve and expand its hands-on approach to AI in online learning, anticipating future trends and challenges in the field?

We are gathering anonymized and aggregated usage insights from our AI-enhanced features to continuously improve them. By analyzing how learners interact with them, we have identified patterns and preferences, allowing us to tailor them effectively.

Looking ahead, we are continuously gaining a better understanding of emerging AI-enhanced learning trends as well as challenges like data privacy and AI bias. We’ll continue to invest in research and development to ensure our AI tools are as unbiased and respectful of privacy as they are innovative and effective. This includes exploring new made-for-purpose AI tools for even more personalized learning experiences and enhancing our content to stay ahead of the curve.

Our company goal remains unchanged today: to equip our customers and their employees with the skills and knowledge they need to face the challenges of tomorrow.

 

 

About the expert:
Israel Roldán, Software Engineering Manager, GoodHabitz

Israel is a Software Engineering Manager and speaker with international experience in the fields of Consumer Technology, Web-engineering, and Learning Technologies. His passion lies in empowering software engineering teams to deliver technology solutions that drive business innovation. With a career in the digital industry spanning over 15 years, Israel brings his international perspective and deep expertise to the forefront of any project, helping to navigate the intricacies of web technology. Currently serving as a key member of GoodHabitz’s Engineering Steering Group responsible for the Frontend Engineering Team.

 

About GoodHabitz

GoodHabitz is a global online learning solution 

GoodHabitz believes people are the driving force behind organisational growth. That’s why their online learning solution aims to make personal development available and achievable for everyone. Through competency-based content GoodHabitz empowers organisations with the skills needed for the future. Operating in 22 international markets, reaching over 2500+ clients and 3+ million students worldwide they solidify their position at the forefront of Ed-Tech industry.

 

 

Appointments, Apprenticeships, L & D, News

The OCM appoints Tasmin Raynor as new Apprenticeship Director to expand business.

Leading professional coaching and mentoring firm, The OCM, is boosting its business with the appointment of Tasmin Raynor as its Director of Apprenticeships.

With over two decades of experience in further and higher education, Tasmin is exceptionally well-suited to lead The OCM’s apprenticeship programmes during this pivotal time of growth for the organisation.

Tasmin Raynor’s impressive career in further and higher education has seen her make significant contributions to work-based learning and vocational education and training. She has been a passionate advocate for apprenticeships since their inception and has extensive expertise in apprenticeships, academic quality, and partnership development. Her success in developing and implementing strategies to establish and embed degree apprenticeships at prestigious institutions such as the University of Salford and De Montfort University are just some of her achievements.

In her new role, Tasmin Raynor will lead The OCM’s Apprenticeship business, focusing on growth and development opportunities.

Commenting on her appointment, Tasmin stated, “I am both delighted and honoured to be joining The OCM, as the company has a reputation for world-class coaching and mentoring and their values and ethos resonates completely with my own. I am excited to take on the leadership of OCM Apprenticeship business at an important time, as we work to define – and then deliver – our significant ambitions.”

“I will bring my experience, drive, and energy to the role and build on The OCM’s excellent reputation. I look forward to continuing the momentum built up and developing and sustaining strong relationships and delivering The OCM’s high-quality coaching and mentoring programmes. The OCM is well positioned to make an increasing impact from an already sound base in line with its ambition, and I am thrilled to be part of the growth journey.”

Ed Parsloe, CEO, The OCM, said, “We are pleased welcome Tasmin Raynor to The OCM family as our new Director of Apprenticeships – she will be an asset to our clients and the business. Her wealth of experience and deep commitment to education and apprenticeships perfectly align with our vision and mission. Under her leadership, we are confident of expanding our apprenticeships and reaching new levels of excellence.”

Currently, The OCM offers the Level 5 Coaching Professional Apprenticeship and The Learning & Skills Mentor Level 4 Apprenticeship – both digitally-led blended learning programmes supported by a team of highly trained coaches and supervisors.

The Level 5 Coaching Professional Apprenticeship programme is designed to develop impactful and agile coaches who can effectively support employees, provide the desired impact for organisations, and create a fantastic learning experience for apprentices. One of the unique benefits is the additional European Coaching and Mentoring (EMCC) accreditation offered through the programme. The programme is available in two routes – a full 14-month programme and a fast-track 12-month programme for candidates with prior coaching and mentoring experience.

The Learning & Skills Mentor Level 4 Apprenticeship will benefit any individual looking to develop their abilities as a mentor, team leader, coach, supervisor or manager. They must have a strong aspiration to support learners, along with a commitment to making the time to do so. They may have some pre-existing experience of informal mentoring, that can be built upon throughout the programme.

The apprenticeships are delivered through virtual modules, live facilitated webinars, 1-1 coaching with professional Coach-Mentor Supervisors, coaching practice, case studies, presentations, Action Learning Sets, e-Learning, and self-assessments.

For more information on The OCM visit: www.theocm.co.uk/

L & D, News, Training

1 in 4 UK employees still don’t have access to personal development opportunities despite its importance for retention

  • Less than half of UK employees have access to both online and offline training courses
  • Only 15% reached out to their employers for more opportunities despite 81% believing learning and development are important
  • Mismatch: 85% of employers believe they take employees’ requests for personal development seriously, with only 41% of employees agreeing

UK companies are still struggling to drive the training and development agenda, as 23% of employees don’t have access to any personal development opportunities. According to research by GoodHabitz, the digital learning provider, only 43% of UK employees can access both online and offline courses, which shows there is still more work to do, especially compared to European countries like Denmark (55%) and the Netherlands (51%).

However, despite limited access to training courses, UK employees are not being proactive enough in approaching their employers – only 15% have actively reached out about it, compared to 39% of European employees. Yet, 81% of the UK workforce believe it to be important or very important to learn and acquire new knowledge or skills. Employers agree – 81% believe their employees would be happier in their current roles if they had further opportunities for personal development.

GoodHabitz surveyed 13,000 employees across Europe, including the views of over 2600 senior learning and development decision-makers, to understand the current state of personal development at work.

Mark Thompson, UK Manager of GoodHabitz, explained:

“Creating a learning culture within an organisation cannot ever be one person’s job. It needs community with individual, team and organisational commitment. It’s discouraging to see that almost a quarter of UK employees still don’t have access to development training. Perhaps UK employers feel like there’s no time to invest in personal development, that it’s not a priority.

“UK employees are showing signs of reluctance too. Given that 65% of UK employees claim a lack of personal development opportunities is a reason to seek out a new employer, it’s surprising that more HR and L&D managers aren’t addressing personal development opportunities, especially when skill-building can be the answer to closing the talent gap. The cost of labour is very high, and organisations’ usual approach to hiring talent to plug gaps is not always the solution – increasingly, HR and L&D managers are looking to personal development, especially in the age of automation where having strong human or soft skills will be highly sought after as we continue integrating technology into every aspect of our lives.”

When surveying employers, the research found that 85% of UK organisations felt they were taking employee requests for online training seriously. However, over 59% of employees didn’t believe this to be true.

“Compared to other countries, the UK scores quite low. Other countries such as Germany (90%), Italy (91%) and Spain (96%) perform better in bridging this gap, so UK employees can learn from their European counterparts by listening to the employee feedback and taking action,” said Thompson.

Accessibility is also a very important aspect when it comes to personal development, as half of UK employees (50%) prefer to work on their personal development at work and at home.

The GoodHabitz Current State of Personal Development at Work report can be downloaded here.

 

About GoodHabitz

GoodHabitz, founded in 2011 in the Netherlands, is a leading European provider of E-Learning solutions. By offering engaging and fun online courses, from soft skills to digital skills and languages, GoodHabitz contributes to the personal development of every employee. Various engaging learning formats make sure that the content is accessible and enjoyable for everyone. Coaches help to establish learning cultures in the organisation and all that for one fixed price. Currently, more than 2,500 companies, like Puma, ADAC or DEKRA upgrade their workforce with GoodHabitz. More than 400 employees are working for GoodHabitz in offices all over Europe. Please visit the website www.goodhabitz.com for more information.

Employee Experience, HR, HR News, L & D, News

Over half of global workforce don’t believe they have sufficient digital skills to perform their work

  • 80% of employees expect their job to become more digitally focused in the next two years
  • 46% believe digital skills will be one of the top skills to focus on in the future
  • Yet, up to 53% of employees believe they are currently lacking digital skills to sufficiently perform their work
  • Concerns rise as 58% of workers say not having the right skills affects their team and collaboration in a negative way

More than half of employees lack digital skills despite roles becoming more digitally focused, according to Europe’s fastest-growing digital learning provider, GoodHabitz. It conducted a survey of 24,235 employees across the UK, Europe, Latin America and Australia asking what role personal development played in their lives and what organisations need to do to fulfil their needs at work. It highlighted a major shift towards digital roles, with 80% of employees expecting this to happen in the next two years.

The survey found that 46% of workers believe that digital skills will be one of the top skills to focus on towards the future. As 61% feel the need to reskill themselves to stay successful in the future, this highlights the challenge for organisations to provide L&D opportunities.

Mark Thompson, UK Manager of GoodHabitz, said:

“There is enormous demand to improve digital skills, especially as more than half of the global workforce (54%) is working fully or partially remotely. It’s somewhat surprising then, that up to 53% of employees believe they lack digital skills to sufficiently perform their work.

“Many employees are acutely aware that they want to be prepared for the future and they need their employers’ support. Having a workforce that is fit for the future requires more than giving them access to the skills they believe are important for work. It’s equally important to invest in the skills that they are intrinsically motivated to learn.”

Indeed, skills development does not have a one-size-fits-all approach, and GoodHabitz research showed that employees from different generations want to focus on different sets of skills. For instance, while 33% of respondents aged 35-49 and 36% of those aged 50+ wanted to focus on digital skills in the coming years, 33% of younger workers are more focused on management and leadership skills.

“Without the right tools to succeed, the gap between current and future skills will continue to grow. But what if an employer doesn’t respond to the need for these skills? Here it’s clear too – 58% of the employees say that not having the right skills affects their team and collaboration in a negative way,” concluded Thompson.

The GoodHabitz ‘Bridge the Skills’ report is available to download here.

 

—

About GoodHabitz

GoodHabitz, founded in 2011 in the Netherlands, is a global provider of E-Learning solutions. By offering engaging and fun online courses, from soft skills to digital skills and languages, GoodHabitz contributes to the personal development of every employee. Various engaging learning formats make sure that the content is accessible and enjoyable for everyone. Coaches help to establish learning cultures in the organisation and all that for one fixed price. Currently, more than 2,500 companies, like Puma, Sony and Philips, upgrade their workforce with GoodHabitz. More than 500 employees are working for GoodHabitz in offices all over Europe. Please visit the website www.goodhabitz.com for more information.

GoodHabitz is featured in Training Industry’s 2022 Online Learning Library Companies Watch List.

L & D, Manchester, News, Recruitment, Talent Management, Training

Award-winning, Manchester-headquartered emerging talent consultancy secures public sector supplier status

Grayce has been awarded preferred supplier status as part of Public Sector Resourcing’s (PSR) Recruit Train Deploy (RTD) service. This will enable the business to provide Grayce’s Hire, Train, Deploy and Develop solutions to the public sector, ensuring digital transformation is supported, new skills are brought to the public sector and emerging talent is given the spotlight it deserves.

The appointment will enable Grayce to directly deliver services across Central Government, Local Government, Health and the wider public sector through a recognised and compliant framework.  Expanding on its existing public sector capability, the company will provide these organisations with carefully selected Grayce talent, employed by Grayce, and supported through tailored development pathways encompassing digital, data and business skills, while supported by Grayce’s dedicated delivery team and support structure. Government organisations will have an option to permanently employ Grayce talent directly following completion of their development programme.

Flexible technical resource

Using Grayce enables clients to build and develop their technical and transformation teams as their business requirement grows. Grayce also attracts a diverse range of emerging talent with low risk to the clients – providing a proven model and high client satisfaction rates.

 

Jo Matkin

Jo Matkin, CEO at Grayce said: “We are delighted to be part of this procurement framework for the public sector. All organisations need to focus on their digital transformation right now, and I believe that by partnering with us for digital, data, commercial and transformation talent, we will not only match talent with business demand, but also equip the public sector with skills for the next generation.

 

Building individuals’ careers and clients’ talent capability 

“Although our analysts are employed by us, as our clients’ needs change, they have the opportunity to take the analysts on as direct employees. Our business model enables us to help build individuals’ careers and clients’ talent capability. This means we can enhance their workforce, building digital and business skills for the future.”

 

For further information about how Grayce can help you meet the changing dynamics of your business, visit: www.grayce.co.uk

L & D, News, Training

Global employee research puts UK at the top for equal learning development opportunities

  • 51% of UK employees think organisations invest equally in personal development
  • Just 20% think personal development opportunities are unequal in the UK
  • However, 36% of UK employees think personal development investment is influenced by status and job level factors
  • Globally, just 29% of employees think personal development is unequal

UK organisations lead the way in providing equal access to personal development compared to many other European countries, with over half of employees (51%) agreeing, according to Europe’s fastest-growing digital learning provider, GoodHabitz.

The global Bridge the Skills Gap research with 24,235 employee respondents from the UK, Europe, Latin America and Australia found that only 29% believe an organisation doesn’t invest equally in personal development opportunities. In the UK, this number drops even lower, with only one-fifth of employees (20%) thinking so.

In comparison, employees in Portugal (41%), Poland (38%) and Austria (31%) believe they don’t have access to equal personal development opportunities, ranking them as the most biased countries when it comes to L&D.

 

Tim Segers, UK Director of GoodHabitz, said:

“Diversity and inclusion continue to play an important role for employees, which we now see translates into how they experience personal development opportunities at work. With the UK being home to many international headquarters that lead in HR strategies, not least providing equal development opportunities, it’s encouraging to see that personal development is increasingly available to more employees.”

Nevertheless, personal development still remains biased and may be influenced by certain factors. For example, 36% of UK employees believe personal development is unequal based on their status and level in the company, whilst 28% think it’s influenced by team and department. The numbers drop even lower when judging access to L&D based on length of employment (17%), age (15%), gender (9%) and race (7%).

 

Segers explained:

“In some ways, personal development remains biased, dictated by levels of seniority or time spent at the company, and this is something that organisations need to address as soon as possible. The lack of communication or provision of development can result in an employee thinking that their organisation does not care about their growth path, creating a negative employee experience. Organisations need to adopt a human-centric leadership approach which means putting employees in the spotlight, listening to their needs and acting on these tactically.

“People are the engine that drive companies forward – organisations must let them be the directors of their own learning path and offer them a solution that gives them a chance to learn when, what and how they want.”

 

Edmund Monk, CEO of Learning and Performance Institute, added:

“A lack of personal development opportunities is one of the leading reasons for employees to leave their current job. The GoodHabitz research has now confirmed this even more, with 84% of the global workforce stating that they would leave within a year if they did not have adequate personal development opportunities. It is, therefore, crucial for organisations to invest in the upskilling of their existing talent instead of focusing on attracting new talent.

“However, organisations should invest in the skills that their employees are intrinsically motivated to learn, as it is equally essential to provide access to the skills that they believe are important for their work. Because, by understanding how to identify and address performance gaps within an organisation, it’s possible to help an organisation to achieve its goals and drive business results.”

 

The GoodHabitz ‘Bridge the Skills’ report is available to download here.