An interesting article on the ILM website explains how managers need to be trained properly to deal with stress issues.
According to research by Chiumento, only 16% of employees take a proper lunch break due to workplace pressures. A spokesperson for the International Stress Management Association has warned that firms could face problems if such issues are not dealt with properly.
It has been said that managers should take the time to engage with employees and ask them what they feel can be done about the situation. According to the Stress Management Society, the condition affects one-fifth of the working population and costs UK industry £3.7 billion each year.
t2 business solutions offers a Managing Stress training course which highlights stress issues and how to resolve them. For...
An article on Training Zone explains how a new report has revealed that only 30% of line managers receive any kind of interview training, but the majority want to contribute to the recruitment process.
The report, collated by SHL, found that despite line managers showing a desire to become involved in selection interviews to ensure candidates are the right fit, they lack the necessary skills and training.
It shows that 35% of line managers never see the results of any psychometric testing carried out during the selection process and of those who do see the results only half have received the necessary training to allow them to fully understand them.
"It is crucial that line managers meet and assess prospective members of their team, in order to ensure that they have the correct...
An interesting article on the ILM website explains how Managers across Europe are failing to meet their employee's expectations.The Krauthammer Observatory 2008 report reveals that workers have clearly defined expectations of what their managers should be doing, but there are gaps between this and what actually happens.It found that 91% of staff think their managers should help them analyse work difficulties, however, only 47% of them said that this actually happens. Three-quarters of employees also wanted their managers to "create the right context" before implementing change in the workplace, but just one-third found this was the case.A survey by Learndirect Business also found that many employees feel they have skills which could be going to waste as managers have not...
An article on ILM explains how approx. 6 million people have sued their employers due to illness or injury obtained from the workplace.
The study, conducted by YouGov on behalf of insurance firm RSA, reveals that 11.8 million have suffered health issues because of work and that more than half of these have sued their firm over the issue. A further third had gone to their trade union over the matter and one in ten made a complaint to their line manager.
The most common injuries were back-related problems which accounted for more than half of the cases.
If you are concerned about the health and safety in your business why not look to have a health and safety tailored training course created specifically for your organisation and delivered at a venue of your choice by t2 business...
According to an interesting article on Training Zone, chief executive of the Edge Foundation, Andy Powell, thinks the importance of work-based learning is being overlooked.
In a recent survey held by workplace learning consultancy HE@Work, findings show that 72% of employees believe they haven’t yet reached their full potential at work and 80% would actively welcome opportunities to develop professionally at work.
Andy Powell said: “The importance of workplace learning has been overlooked for too long. Businesses contain a wealth of knowledge and expertise and there is no reason why the workplace cannot become the preferred location.
“Establishing organisations as validated locations of higher-level learning would reinforce the brand names of the businesses concerned and...
An article on Training Zone explains how a recent independent survey shows that two out of three UK workers whose employers do not contribute to their skills training are unmotivated and have little desire to progress.
The survey, commissioned by the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT), surveyed over 1,000 individuals to ascertain how much impact training has on staff from a motivational point of view.
Results revealed that 68% considered themselves to be in a job and not a career, and over half claimed they were, at most, only motivated occasionally. In addition, nearly a quarter stated that they work to a level that 'gets them by' and a further 7% admitted they are not motivated whatsoever.
In contrast, 64% of those who received significant training (in-house or by an...
An article on the ILM website explains how thousand of pounds are being lost due to slow response times to customer enquiries.
The 2008 Bellwether survey of the way UK firms compete for business found that putting off dealing with telephone calls and emails for more 30 minutes can now increase the risk of losing business, which is an hour and a half increase from last years results.
It has also been shown that slow response times can cost each business an average of £18,840 in lost business. It has also been commented that as email is instant, there is no reason that people should not get a reply straight away, even to say that the enquiry is being dealt with.
This could be a customer service issue within an organisation and could be addressed with some directed training. t2 business...
An article on ILM explains that Microsoft has recently completed a survey showing that two-thirds of workers are now affected by repetitive strain injury, which is costing firms over £300m per year.
A survey of 1,000 office workers found that 68% suffer from aches and pains in their back, shoulders and wrists, which can be put down to the growing number of mobile workers, with devices such as laptops and smart phones.
It has been suggested that the 30% rise in RSI can be put down to firms not giving enough care and attention to employees wellbeing.
t2 business solutions offers tailored training in Health and Safety for employees, directors, office workers and more. This training can be completely catered to any situation and can include proper use of equipment, manual handling and...
An interesting article on icWales explains how the Contact Centre sector continues to be a major employer in Wales. Providing over 28,000 jobs, it supplies over £400m to the economy.
The article also explains how, whatever the industry of the contact centre, employees will develop vital Customer Service skills. However high the employee rises, or whatever direction they go in, employees will learn front-line customer service skills which are important in any job role.
Many contact centres also offer the option of additional training programmes, to further develop customer service and sales skills of staff. t2 business solutions offers a variety of customer service and sales training options, ranging from vocational Modern Apprenticeships and bespoke tailored training, to one-day open...
An article on the ILM website explains how managers are unable to embrace flexible working environments as they do not have the knowledge and experience on managing employees working from home.
The IT Skills for Flexible Working report, published by BT, shows that 88% of managers of small and medium-sized firms have not received any formal training on how to handle home-based staff. The report also found that 50% of managers struggle to control the performance of home-based workers.
These issues are due to a lack of Management and IT skills. However, with the right training these issues can be overcome, which is important due to the increasing interest in flexible working.
t2 business solutions provides tailored training in both Management and IT, along with one-day open courses....
An article on Training Zone explains how the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) has recently conducted a survey which shows that companies spent £38.6 billion on training last year, a 16% increase from 2005.
This all time high figure accounts for an increase of £3.5 billion after inflation. Research also shows that the proportion of vacancies that can’t be filled due to a skills shortage has dropped from 25% in 2005, to 21% in 2007, which affects 5% of employers.
Over 79,000 employers were surveyed and last year, over two thirds (67%) of businesses spent a combined total of 218 million days training their workforces. The average money spent per employee on training increased by 11% from £1,550 in 2005 to £1,750 in 2007.
If you would like to provide further training for your...
An interesting article on the ILM website today explained how RoSPA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) is urging for workplace safety today to commemorate Workers Memorial Day.
According to studies by RoSPA, 400 people lose their lives every two weeks due to the failure to protect staff.
Roger Bibbings, occupational safety adviser for RoSPA, said:"If one jumbo jet crashed every two weeks killing all 400 people on board there would be a national outcry - and that is the rate at which workers are dying."
Even though studies also show that it may be fashionable to poke fun at health and safety, managers should remember the possible pain, loss and suffering caused by failures in Health and Safety.
t2 business solutions provides tailored training courses in Health and Safety,...
An interesting article from the ILM Newsroom explains how recent studies show that Managers across the UK are failing to motivate staff.
Apparently, the problem is higher amongst younger staff, with almost half of workers under 27 saying that they feel dissatisfied or worse. The survey, conducted by HR consultancy BlessingWhite, shows that half of managers in the UK will probably, or definitely, leaver their jobs in 2008.
Results of the survey show that almost 1/4 workers do not feel motivated by their managers, describing themselves as "discontented, unproductive or disengaged".
t2 business solutions offers a variety of management training options that can tackle these issues. These include a vocational Management Modern Apprenticeship in Levels 2, 3 and 4; a Leading...
According to an interesting article on the ILM website, there are new plans for workplace trainers to be granted professional teaching status.
Lifelong Learning UK are introducing the changes, which will mean that over 27,000 people responsible for education in a work environment will be able to benefit from training which will increase them to the standard of a qualified teacher.
Apparently the government aims to ensure that by 2010, every trainer, teacher, tutor and instructor will be qualified or working toward a qualification.
If you are interesting in introducing workplace learning into your organisation, have a look at the wide variety of training opportunities available through t2 business...
An interesting article on Training Zone explains how recent research by eService provider Transversal shows that email is the UK's worst channel of Customer Service.
Evaluating 100 top companies, the research showed that only 46% of emailed questions were answered adequately. Apparently, more satisfactory responses were received through automated online services and customer care centres.
Analysis shows that 63% of answers push customers to call a contact centre, and 47% pushed customers back to the website, generally on an information page without the answer to their enquiry.
If your company is having problems with customer service and you think your employees may need some training in this area, why not have a look at t2 business solutions training courses, everything from Modern...
An interesting article published by ILM explains how new studies have shown the employers are not taking advantage of what is being called the 'Facebook Generation', and the IT skills they already have.
The research, held by Filemaker, showed that 82% of school leavers (16-18 year olds) felt confident about their IT skills when they entered work, but only 51% of these actually use these IT skills in their jobs.
However, on the opposite side of the scale, a separate study carried out last month by the National Computer Centre, found that employers were finding it difficult to hire IT staff with the right skills. If you are one of these employers, it would be worth considering some additional training for your staff.
t2 business solutions provides tailored training to meet your...
The Learning and Skills Council have launched new research to mark the first Apprenticeship Week. The news article reveals that apprenticeships have been proven to improve business performance, and the support they are receiving from employers.
The research states that 77% of employers believe supplying apprenticeships make them more competitive organisations, and 76% say that apprenticeships provide higher productivity overall. 80% of employers also feel that supplying apprenticeships helps reduce staff turnover.
The first annual apprenticeship week runs this week (25-29 February), and is designed to celebrate the success of apprenticeships and encourage more employers to get involved.
t2 business solutions offers Modern Apprenticeships in a wide range of areas, including Management,...
BBC today released an article stating that Managers work an average of an extra 40 days each year to keep up with their workloads.
The survey, by the Chartered Management Institute says that almost 9 in 10 managers work extra time, averaging to approx. 1 hour 18mins each day. The survey comes after the Trade Union Congress is urging people to work their contracted hours.
Out of the 1511 senior staff surveyed, most said that they worked this overtime because they needed to meet deadlines, or to cope with a high volume of work.
If you're struggling to cope with your volumes of work, why not check out t2 business solutions Time Management Open Course, being held on June 25th? Or, have a look at t2s Managing Performance Open Course on April 2nd.
If you want to go further with this, why...
HR Zone has launched an article from the British Red Cross, explaining that studies show less than 60% of workers know where the first aid kit is in their place of work. On top of this, 33% of workers do not know who their first aider at work is.
Apparently, in 2006/7, over 150,000 injuries were reported and 9 million working days were lost due to workplace injury. Health and Safety is a serious issue that is taking a back seat in a lot of organisations.
The research also shows that office workers have limited knowledge of how to treat minor injuries, with over 55% stating that they have never received any form of first aid training.
t2 business solutions offers a bespoke Health and Safety training course for your company, to ensure that you are following the guidelines required for a...
CIPD's Talent Management Conference 2008 is being held in London on 26th February. An opportunity to get updated on the latest developments in talent management, the conference gives you the chance to discuss topics, share ideas and develop solutions to workplace issues.
Conferences and seminars include developing a talent management strategy, evaluating and assessing your talent strategy, talent management for evolving business needs and more.
With recent calls for new skills, talent management is a vital part of business needs, and it has been said that the future will demand a new style of management for this. Talent management has been described as a conscious approach to attract, develop and retain people with the abilities to meet current and future organisational needs....
So, how are you all doing, no doubt many of you started a fitness regime in the New Year and now its crunch time. Have you kept to it? Are you still motivated? How can you keep it up?
It can be difficult, work and family commitments get in the way, the weather isn’t great, the days are still short and you have learned to live with the extra few pounds put on over Christmas, but don’t give up now. Staying motivated is difficult, but you’ve put in a month of work to develop a base to work from so stick with it. Hopefully this article will provide you with a few tips for staying motivated.
Record your Training
Athletes record their training so that they can track their progress and find out what works for them. Now, i’m no athlete and you might not be either so you...
Personnel Today recently posted an article explaining how studies by Human Resources Consultancy, Mercer, show that almost half of large companies in Western Europe plan to spend more on training and development in 2008.
It was said that the results have shown that investing more in training and career development, as part of talent management strategies, should increase employee engagement and satisfaction. The survey also asked what the most important challenge of 2008 would be, and 85% answered retaining high performers.
t2 business solutions provides a variety of training and development programmes based in Cardiff, Newport, Birmingham and Bristol. From Modern Apprenticeships and Open Courses, to Bespoke training and the High Impact Leadership Programme.
For more information,...
Learning at Work day (LAW), which takes place on 22nd May, is part of Adult Learners Week (17-23 May). This years theme for LAW is 'Sustainable Workplaces'.
LAW is designed to raise awareness to learning in the workplace and draw attention to the importance of further learning and skills. Each year thousands of businesses take part in LAW by putting on various business related activities to encourage further skill building.
One way to encourage further learning in the workplace is with Vocational Modern Apprenticeships. These come in a variety of routes, including Management, Sales, Customer Service, IT, Health and Social Care and more.
Another, is to enrol employees on a one-day open course, to either learn new skills, or refresh the skills they already have. Why not check out t2...
In an article on icWales, Barrie Kennard, Western Mail Correspondent explains the problems with Management roles and how important it is to nurture talent.
He describes how companies do not invest in Management training, forcing a lot of new managers to feel pressured by the unknown, and causing them to leave the organisation to prevent stepping down from the role.
While the cost of Management Training often puts employers off, there are a variety of options available at a low cost. If you're a new manager, or an employer who feels their managers may need a confidence boost, or further training in their field, have a look at t2's courses.
Not only are funded Vocational Modern Apprenticeships available, but one-day open courses can freshen up skills, or teach basics in a specific area....
An article on Personnel Today reports an increase in Customer Service Training. As competition for the nations customers is getting tougher, businesses are focussing on how they can improve their services.
According to the Chartered Institute of Personal Development (CIPD), 'customer service skills are now a bottom-line issue that can define a company against its competition'. A recent study by US consultant Novations Group shows this increase in customer service training, with 64% of HR managers questioned reporting a rise.
t2 business solutions offers a variety of Customer Service training solutions, which are available as a vocational Modern Apprenticeship, Classroom Open Course, or tailored training at your premises. Choose from an Essentials of Customer Service course, Dealing with...
According to an interesting article on icWales, one in six people of working age in Wales have no qualifications, which is the highest rate in the UK.
While 68% of Welsh adults of a working age are qualified to at least a GCSE level, 16% have no qualifications at all. The survey, held by Welsh Assembly Government, says that the problem increases with age. 48% of adults with no qualifications who are not in full time education are in employment, which is low in comparison to 89% of those with higher qualifications being in employment.
t2 business solutions offers fully funded Modern Apprenticeships in South Wales, at both Levels 2 and 3. These include courses in Management, Customer Services, Sales, Human Resources, and more. To find out more, or to find out what open courses are...
An article published yesterday explains that according to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), their new marketing campaign 'Our Future. It's in our hands' has shown that the nation is inspired to improve their skills.
Launched in July 2007, the campaign is set to run for five years has already had a positive response in awareness levels and is hitting hard to reach groups, where the main priority lays.
Businesses are also getting on board with the related 'Train to Gain' campaign, with over 47% of target businesses exposed to the campaign in the first three months. If you are one of these businesses why not look at t2 business solutions Youth Centre programme, or tailored training.
Or you could improve your skills and look at t2's open course calendar and Vocational Modern...
An article on icWales today says that Managers are being urged to take a fresh approach in order to remain on top of their game at all times. According to the news article, there is now a high demand for Manager's to work at a consistently high level, and a high response rate is required for rapidly changing circumstances.
The question has been raised, how can managers be prepared for what they don't know is coming, have little or no knowledge about, and have little control over? The answers - training and development, sharing knowledge and expertise, and recognition of the unique needs of small businesses in Wales.
Managers may feel that they need expertise in certain areas, instead of a general knowledge course on Management, so why not have a look at t2's tailored training courses....
A recent article by the Guardian, said that according to the Learning and Skills Coucil's (LSC) calculations, leaving school with the minimum qualifications, which are deemed to be 5 GCSE's A*-C, or a level 2 vocational diploma, could earn you £1million in your lifetime.
Apparently, those leaving with no qualifications usually only earn just over £800k. And, if you have A levels, or a level 3 qualification, it could earn you up to £1.2million.
So, if you're not qualified to a level 2 or more but would like the wages to accompany it, why not get the qualifications. Look at t2 business solutions fully funded vocational Modern Apprenticeships, which range from Management to Health and Social Care. You could do an open course in sales skills, customer services, IT and management, or even...
I saw an interesting article on icWales today about how many employers are still reluctant to spend time and/or money training their workforce with new knowledge and skills.
The article explains how gaining higher qualifications can be a huge morale boost for employees, but needs to meet the requirements of the employer in the long run. Of course, there are so many courses for employees to choose from, there usually is something for everyone.
To find out more about the vocational work-based training courses that t2 business solutions provides, visit our training pages, where we cover everything from Management, Customer Services and Sales, to Health and Social Care and IT. And if that doesn't suit you, we have plenty of open courses, and can tailor training specifically for your...
