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Ready for Work launched - free national online learning programme for young people entering the workplace.
The Training Foundation
| Coventry, UK
27-May-2005 » Training Press Releases » New employment-awareness programme focused on respect, enterprise and responsibility is welcomed by leaders in education and industry.
The Training Foundation, which in April 2005 became the first ever training organisation to be awarded the Queen's Award for Enterprise - Innovation, has announced a national online learning initiative. The Ready for Work online training programme is free to all young people in (or recently in) full-time education and those in modern apprenticeships. Leading bodies across education (HTI, Heads, Teachers & Industry and learndirect) and industry (the Confederation of British Industry and the British Chambers of Commerce) have warmly welcomed the initiative.
Sir Richard Branson is passionate about developing the potential of young people and set up a Student Advisory Centre when just 17 years of age. He welcomed the Ready for Work programme; "My view is that both secondary and university education fail to foster entrepreneurial ambition. We need our young people, on which the Country's future prosperity depends, to be equipped with an appreciation of business, so that they can set out with a spirit of enterprise. I welcome the Ready for Work programme. Co-operation between employers and educators on initiatives like this can do nothing but good."
Sir Digby Jones, Director General of the CBI has welcomed the Ready for Work initiative. He said: "The CBI shares The Training Foundation's aim of raising skill levels to boost national competitiveness. The challenge is to deliver what business needs - there is often a mismatch between the needs of employers and the qualifications that young people take with them into the workplace. We need more employable young people understanding the world of work, trained in the most relevant areas and able to add value to their employer. The Ready for Work programme will help to bridge this gap."
David Frost, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, also welcomed the Ready for Work initiative. He said: "The British Chambers of Commerce welcomes the Ready for Work initiative. Employers regularly report to us difficulties in recruiting staff with suitable skills and who are ready for work. We need initiatives such as Ready for Work, which can help to ensure that young people leaving full-time education and training are equipped with skills that are both relevant for the workplace and will help advance their careers."
Roger Opie, HTI Trust Director, also welcomed the programme: "HTI [Heads, Teachers and Industry] readily endorses Ready for Work. Since its start in 1986 HTI has been driven by business with a clear objective to raise awareness of employability issues amongst young people. The partnership between business and education is critical in raising the employability stakes for young people. An understanding of the skills and behaviours required in the workplace is a shared responsibility. This free programme provides both the content and motivation to complement existing initiatives."
With the debate about respect getting into full swing this week, Ready for Work could not have been launched at a better time," said John Brown, Development Director at learndirect. "Skills and training have a key role to play in breaking down divisions between the younger and the older generation, and between the employed and the unemployed."
Aimed at preparing young entrants to the workplace to become responsible employees, Ready for Work comprises 12 online courses focused on building awareness of employment issues of major concern to today's employers. Subjects covered by this interactive and engaging programme include; showing respect at work, embracing diversity, being enterprising, managing workplace stress, health & safety, following drugs & alcohol policies, sensible email and Internet use, data protection and being a responsible employee.
Accessible over the Internet from The Training Foundation's online learning portal www.readyforwork.org, each self-study course ends with a short test to check the learner's understanding. Achieving an 80% or better grade on the Programme qualifies the student for an optional Ready for Work Certificate and Ready for Work Handbook (at an administration fee of £10). Certificates are awarded by ABC (Awarding Body Consortium), a leading UK awarding body with full Qualifications Curriculum Authority (QCA) recognition.
Nigel Florence, ABC's Executive Director said; "ABC is delighted to be supporting the Ready for Work programme. ABC welcomes the impact that well-designed online learning can have and especially when used to assist the development of our young people. Achieving a Ready for Work Certificate will demonstrate an awareness of today's employment issues, particularly in the areas of enterprise, respect and responsibility, all of which are vitally important to today's employers."
The Training Foundation has funded development of the Ready for Work™ programme. "The launch of Ready for Work realises a personal ambition', said Nick Mitchell, Chief Executive of The Training Foundation. "I have long felt that our educational system has got its tenses mixed up; it's too focused on the past, at the expense of the present and the future. By providing young people with an awareness of what employers will expect of them as they start out on their working lives, the Ready for Work programme fills a void. It will build young people's self confidence, allay their natural anxieties, and generally make the transition to employment a more pleasurable experience. And as the Programme has been positively received by the UK's two leading employer bodies, the CBI and the BCC, a Ready for Work Certificate may even assist young people to find suitable employment by demonstrating their awareness, ability and initiative. We encourage prospective employers to recognise this Certification as a valuable indicator of the applicant's employability.'
'Of course, there are also many advantages to employers in helping new recruits to be sensibly prepared when they start work. It reduces risk. It shortens induction training and settling-in time. It brings forward the ability to make a productive contribution. And aside from the obvious commercial self-interest, helping young people to smooth their transition into the workplace is something that all responsible employers would wish to do.
Nick Mitchell concluded; "We invite tutors and teachers with students shortly moving into the workplace to use the Ready for Work programme to complement their existing activities in this area. A Tutor Guide is downloadable from www.readyforwork.org to assist in facilitating classroom discussion to support individual learning. Those responsible for the care of modern apprentices may also make use of this free Programme. If we can make the Programme even more accessible to relevant audiences, we will be pleased to do so."
About the TAP Learning System
TAP consists of unique, assessable models for the full spectrum of learning and development roles across all face-to-face and online learning activities. Underpinned by internationally-recognised competency frameworks, TAP provides an integrated structure for career development ranging from one-to-one coaching through to Diplomas in Learning & Development Skills and e-Learning.
Well over 1,200 organisations now employ some 18,000 trainers, L&D consultants, e-learning specialists and L&D managers who hold valid certification under the Trainer Assessment Programme - TAP
TAP qualified Learning and Development specialists are in great demand. A Google search using the terms "vacancy TAP trainer" reveals many employers urgently seeking TAP qualified trainers:
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=vacancy+tap+trainer&meta=
This skills shortage is being driven by an expanding number of approved TAP Partner organisations, employers across all sectors whose policy is that all training be to TAP standards. For a full list of current TAP Partners see:
http://www.tap-training.com/page/about/partners.html
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