Talking TAP

Welcome from Claire Brookes

Hello and  welcome to Summer issue of Talking TAP. 

I’m really pleased to announce that TAP is coming to you with our 2009 TAP Roadshow!  You can learn more about our exciting new TAP Roadshow and see when we are running TAP courses near you.  if you want to attend one of these Roadshow events just contact me and I’ll be happy to help. 

Currently all of us at The Training Foundation are currently busy preparing to attend World of Learning Conference and Exhibition at the NEC, at an earlier than usual date of 30th September – 1st October.  We’ll be exhibiting on stand C160 if you would like to pop by to see us.  To learn more about the WOL Conference and Exhibition do take a while to read the article below outlining the highlights of this important event for all L&D professionals.

Don’t forget to share in the success of our delegates who have gained a TAP Diploma with us last month – a hearty congratulations is deserved to all of these hardworking individuals!

July’s TAP Qualified Professional of the Month  is Will Hughes, here you can read  how the TAP Certificate in Training Design and Development has benefitted him in the L&D field.  If you would like to be the featured TAP Qualified Professional of the month please contact me on c.brookes@trainingfoundation.com.

TSYS are the featured TAP Partner of the Month – they explain how TAP certificate in Training Delivery Skills has helped them in these uncertain economic times.  Well worth a read to reinforce the benefit of gaining your TAP qualification!

Oh and let us not forget that the TAP Qualification of the month is our 2 day Blended Learning course– take a look at this article if your looking to transfer your classroom training skills to a blended environment.  To take advantage of the 20% discount off this featured TAP Qualification -please contact me on c.brookes@trainingfoundation.com.  The discount is only valid until the 31st of July so do call to this booked up!

Thanks for your time and I hope that you enjoy this issue.

Claire. 

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TAP Roadshow

Can you help us facilitate the first TAP Roadshow?

As you know, our public schedule courses have always been held at our Coventry training centres. Feedback in the recent 2009 TAP Survey indicated that many clients are currently experiencing budget difficulties, particularly affecting travel and accommodation expense.

In response to these concerns, we are bringing TAP to you this Autumn!

Eight TAP Partners are hosting 3-day courses in four regions at; Scotland, Wales, London & SE and North of England.

The two courses selected for this trial roadshow are the TAP Cert in Training Delivery Skills course for experienced trainers and the new Trainer-of-Choice course (which will qualify most existing TAP-qualified trainers for entry on the national TAP Register).

The dates and locations we are running are:

Fast-track Training Delivery Skills

Trainer of Choice

If you would like to attend either of these dates that are local to you please call us on  02476 411 288 to book your place.

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FREE learning seminar programme announced for World of Learning Exhibition

The World of Learning Exhibition 2009, taking place at the NEC Birmingham on 30 September & 1 October, features a series of free educational seminars, designed to offer new ideas and inspiration for your L&D activities.

Presentations focus on the key aspects of running an L&D function in tough times when budgets are tight and the pressure to deliver is on. See below for seminar highlights, or view the full programme online.

Seminar programme highlights:

Wednesday 30 September 2009

• Colleague engagement and the bottom line - find out the key principles to deliver real performance improvement
• Coaching - the fast track to leadership and empowerment
• Are we listening to our learners? Learners are keen to embrace innovative learning practices and technologies - learn how to capitalise on this
• Breakthrough to ROI - find out how you can link development to measurable business value

Thursday 1 October 2009

• Learning technologies - tips and tactics to embrace technology to better meet learning objectives
• Coaching for high performance - a Deloitte case study
• Why informal learning is driving the need for better performance and talent management
• Are great leaders born or made? Find out the implications for formal leadership programmes

Case studies include: Deloitte, O2, Unilever, Macmillan Cancer Research, Vodafone, GAME and Chelsea Building Society

View the full seminar programme at www.learnevents.com

And that's not all...
A visit to the World of Learning Exhibition offers you a unique, interactive and educational experience, immersing you in the very latest developments and solutions that the industry has to offer. Highlights include:

• Source new suppliers from the UK's leading providers of L&D products and services
• Receive expert personalised advice at the BILD Advice Clinic
• Discover new and innovative learning techniques in the Experiential Learning Zone
• Learn about the latest innovations in the Product Presentations
• Find all you need to choose the right trainer for you in The Trainer Base
• See and test the latest in serious games in the Serious Games Zone
• Fine-tune your skills in the small-group Skills Workshops, focusing on the crucial skills needed in these testing times

For more information on all of these features and a full exhibitor list, please visit www.learnevents.com

The World of Learning Exhibition is free to attend
Register now at www.learnevents.com for fast-track entry or call the visitor hotline on +44 (0)20 8394 5171

The World of Learning Conference & Exhibition takes place on 30 September & 1 October 2009 at the NEC Birmingham. For full event information, please visit www.learnevents.com 

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Celebrate TAP Diploma Success - This Month's TAP Diploma Graduates

Welcome to the new section of  Talking TAP – here we  want to celebrate the success of our delegates who have worked really hard to gain a TAP Diploma with us.  The new graduates for this month are:

Tony Cairney
Northants Police
 
Katharine Mann
West Oxfordshire District Council

Congratulations on all of your hard work on both the classroom elements, and the work based project – I’m sure that you will find the skills gained invaluable. 

If you have gained your TAP Diploma we want to help you to celebrate your success even further.  We would love you to join us at an award ceremony here in Coventry along with other invited members of the TAP community.  

There will be two speakers, and a buffet lunch, along with the chance to meet your fellow Learning & Development professionals from a wide range of industries. In addition, Training Foundation directors and trainers will be attending, so the day will be a fantastic opportunity for you to establish or re-establish contacts.

The event is planned for Wednesday 22nd July here at Technology House in Coventry.  If you would be interested in attending this event please let me know on c.brookes@trainingfoundation.com.

Also don’t forget that if you have enrolled on the TAP Diploma and need any help with your work based project please feel free to contact Sharon Litterick (our diploma tutor) on s.litterick@trainingfoundation.com she will be more than happy to help you out. 

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TAP Qualified Professional of the Month, Will Hughes

With over 650 employees in 25 sites spread across four continents, Bonhams is the third largest and fastest growing fine art and collectors' auction house in the world. For an IT Systems Trainer, the biggest challenge is not the geography and the demographic of the userbase, nor is it the exsisting complicated internal processes or the specific in-house terminology which has to be learnt and delivered back to the delegates in an entertaining fashion. Instead, says Will Hughes, the biggest challenge is "delivering wave after wave of new initiatives that the business is implementing and the expectation is on you".
 
But with the biggest challenge comes the posts largest plus points - variety and interaction with the users. "One week I would be delivering training on new procedures for data security or demonstrating barcoding hardware and the next week the laws may have changed with regards to royality payments for living artists and thus the business and the Training department in particular, with its limited resources (only two full time trainers), would have to re-align its priorities accordingly."
 
Over the four years in his post, Will was involved in more than 8 rollouts and three "go-lives" while maintaining a regular structure of normal courses. For the majority of this period, Will admits that his mantra was "Classroom, classroom, classroom". "I enjoyed face to face training, I enjoyed the software which I was training and because I enjoyed it and was enthusiastic about it, my delegates enjoyed it too".
 
Inevitably, however, with Will dedicating so much time to the classroom, there were small casulaties in other areas. Some exsisting courses needed re-addressing, courses would need to be designed for the new initiatives and the evaluation and impact of courses needed to be more accurately measured in general.
 
It is these reasons, together with Will´s wish for some credible guidance, which prompted Will to enroll at The Training Foundation and earn his ´TAP certificate in Training Design and Development´. Will says "I had heard postives things about the TAP methodologies from other trainers and I was excited to learn new things, but I had not realised that I would come away with what is as close to a magic guidebook for course design as I did".
 
It was not just the information on course design, evaluation or information gathering techniques that was useful, Will also learned more about the core principals on online learning and some appropriate tools to use. As a direct result Will implemented Webex meetings (which replaced the long haul flights) and has launched a customised Moodle LMS for Bonhams.
 
For Will, it was also the feeling that he had been inducted into a larger community of experienced trainers, where he learned that the problems that he was encountering regarding time and resources were not unique to him. The sense of being part of a larger community and specifically the support of the Training Foundation has proved to be important for Will in recent months as Bonhams looked to outsource all of its IT functions in February. Will says "During times like this you look for your allies the people who can help and support you and the Training Foundation has never let me down and has provided me with all of the support and pointers I needed".
 
Now firmly in place at Quru Ltd - the firm Bonhams outsourced too - Will is looking excitedly towards the future. Traditionally a software design and development company, responsible for Bonhams multiple award winning auction management system, the Somerset House based company has grown to include System Analysts, Network Administrators and Trainers. To match the increased workforce, the company can now offer a wider range of services to its growing portfolio of clients who are largely based Arts, Media and Design market, and Will is anxious to demonstrate that with his experience from Bonhams and armed with the credibility of a TAP qualification he can contribute towards the success of his new company.

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TAP Partner of the Month, TSYS

As one of the world’s largest payment-services companies TSYS enables hundreds of millions of consumers globally to navigate their lives with confidence and convenience every day. TSYS (NYSE: TSS) offers unmatched flexibility, quality and control through a broad range of issuing and acquiring payment technologies, including consumer-finance, credit, debit, prepaid and other related services for financial institutions and retail corporations. The US arm of Client Training is based out of Columbus, Georgia. While the European arm of Client Training is part of the Product and Knowledge division and is based in York, England.

The Associate Director of Client Training, Emma Harris who is based in York, is aware that as a global payments company, whose main clients stem from international banking, TSYS are automatically at the forefront of any changes in economic conditions. Emma states that: “We are now entering a period of global economic contraction, which will add additional challenges other than the normal day to day issues we face when doing business as usual. Our clients are expecting more from our products, servicing and pricing. In our delivery of training to our clients then we need to constantly ensure that our service continues to improve to ensure they receive maximum value for money. In the current climate, this is even more important than ever”.

Due to the uniqueness of TSYS systems and the sector in which they operate Emma comments: “TSYS recognises that going forward we cannot rely on recruiting people with the necessary skills or experience from outside of the business. Therefore the continued development of our staff is of primary importance if we are to continue to grow and maintain our presence within the electronic payments marketplace”.

The training team is 7 strong and they face constant pressures to deliver client training to very tight deadlines and high standards of quality, as per most training departments.  The Training Foundation’s TAP Certificate in Training Delivery Skills enabled the Client Training team to work to common standards and recognised best practice to meet those high standards. TAP also made it easier for the team to measure results consistently and help to truly quantify and communicate the benefits to clients.

TSYS had considered other training qualifications but found they all tended to focus on training theory rather than practical skills. However, the TAP Certificate in Training Delivery Skills is designed to produce effective learning transfer, resulting in successful learning outcomes. Emma had previously worked at a number of other organisations where TAP was recognised as best practice. She was convinced that the TSYS Client Training team would all benefit from TAP training, whilst gaining a recognised qualification. The TAP Certificate in Training Delivery Skills offers a comprehensive program for developing the skills of new and existing trainers alike. The style of the Training Delivery Skills course promotes best practice and offers a springboard for continued development for both training professionals and training teams.

All the Client Training team have now successfully completed the TAP Certificate in Training Delivery Skills. A trainer, who was new to training at the time, commented: “TAP really emphasised the difference between presenting and training”.
The Client Training team gained The TAP Certificate in Training Delivery Skills in autumn 2008, this has lead to further improvements in their training sessions and the generation of many ideas for future improvements. Before TAP the team’s style of delivery tended towards presenting but now the team’s development has traversed into real training skills based on questioning techniques, check backs and ensuring learners retain their skills through testing and competency checks. 

TAP has also given the trainers a toolkit that enables them to go to the classroom fully prepared and in control. By having detailed lesson plans and exercises it helped to ensure training is more effective, comprehensive and successful.  One trainer expressed: “For anyone determined on making a career in training, TAP must be the only way forward. Use it and you avoid all the pitfalls that occur when learning to train through trial and error”.

Emma Harris proudly announced: “The Training Foundation, it’s instructors and other members of staff have helped us to develop our team the right way. Offering guidance and advice when required, and helping us to champion our cause to deliver better training to our clients!  We hope to continue to strengthen our relationship with The Training Foundation, by ultimately aiming to attain Gold Standard TAP Partnership.”

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TAP Qualification of the Month, TAP Certificate in Blended Learning

Blended solutions combine different learning media to allow your to provide more flexible, accessible and cost-effective learning.

In many situations a single medium, whether face-to-face, online or otherwise, simply cannot provide all the characteristics required for efficient and effective learning. Therefore a blended solution exploits the advantages of different learning media whilst minimising the drawbacks of single medium.

The TAP Qualification in Blended Learning will be a value to any learning & development professional seeking to extend their capabilities beyond face-to-face and traditional self-study methods. 

In the 21st Century, every trainer needs to embrace the potential of e-Learning and blended solutions. For this reason, this Qualification acts as an entry gateway for those seeking to achieve the TAP Diploma in Learning and Development and also the TAP Diploma in e-Learning.

This month we are offering a 20% discount on this 2 day classroom, or 8 week online, TAP cert in Blended Learning .

See what past delegates say about this qualification:

Overall the course was excellent and I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone embarking on a blended learning approach to training.

Penny Taylor
Plymouth Hospitals NHS 

A real eye-opener of a course as I'd never considered blended learning before. Very well put together and informative. I now feel enthusiastic towards new ideas in blended learning. Thank you.

Yvonne Kerry
Balfour Beatty Rail Technologies Ltd

Brilliant - well designed and run. The best course I've ever attended. Thank you.

Nicola Waddell
NHS Dorset

As a trainer myself I would like to say how impressed I was with Louise as a trainer. Her pacing, interaction, delivery and facilitation skills are excellent.
The course itself is exceptionally well structured and is obviously well planned. This is beyond doubt the best course I have been on in many many years - Thank you. I am so excited and enthusiastic about blended learning - I can't wait to give it a try now!

Nigel Ross
Samaritans

To learn more about adopting a blended learning approach to your training, please click here.

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