Talking TAP

Welcome from Claire Brookes

Hello and welcome to the October Talking TAP newsletter. 

In this issue we are launching the 8 new TAP Diploma qualifications.  You will notice that the forthcoming TAP Qualifications of the Month will spotlight on the component courses leading to these TAP Diplomas.  This month, we are looking at the all new 3 day Facilitation Skills, and we also  offering free of charge TAP Diploma mouse mats to help you plan your development – to request your free TAP mouse mat just email me at c.brookes@trainingfoundation.com and ensure the subject of the email is TAP mouse mat!

We are proud to announce Paul Gilbert as October’s TAP Qualified Professional of the month.  Paul is the first person to successfully achieve the TAP Master Diploma in L&D, read on to learn how Paul and his team have benefited from TAP.

Matthew Hancocks reviews the World Of Learning Conference & Exhibition, and in this issue our TAP Partner of the month is  Aviation Training Limited (ATIL)  here they explain how TAP has improved their delivery of Training Service for the Apache Attack helicopter to the Army as a Public Finance Initiative.

Also back by public demand, we are running more free of charge virtual classroom tours, please see the article below to learn more.

If you have any suggestions, improvements or if you would like to be the TAP Qualified professional of the month please drop me an email at c.brookes@trainingfoundation.com.

Many thanks

Claire

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Free TAP Learning System Mouse Mats

We have exciting news!   We have now developed 8 new TAP Diploma qualifications that are re-designed to fit clear strands of specialisation within L&D job roles.

Working with our TAP Partners has given The Training Foundation valuable insight into the changing landscape of organisational development.  With more companies seeking value from business partner relationships it has changed the focus of some L&D job roles and responsibilities.  Many L&D Departments are now modelled on four clear strands of specialisation all of which  attempts to aligned L&D capabilities and strategies to organisational objectives. These four strands are:

1.      L&D Management

2.      Delivery and facilitation

3.      Design and development

4.      L&D Consultancy

You will see from the diagram above that the 8 new TAP Diplomas are structured to fit in line with company job roles, offering individuals more opportunity of developing their specialism’s.  To find out more and to receive a free Brite Mat TM  TAP Learning System mouse mat simply email me at c.brookes@trainingfoundation.com and ensure the subject of the email is TAP mouse mat.

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Review of the World of Learning Conference and Exhibition 2009

The Training Foundation Team have now all returned to Foundation House following a busy two days at the World of Learning last week at the NEC and would like to thank all of you who took the time to visit our stand and say hello in person to members of the team. All of whom were delighted with the high number of visitors we received wishing to learn more about the TAP Learning System. Some familiar faces as well as many people introducing them selves to us for the first time.

As ever interest around favourites such as the TAP Certificate in Training Delivery Skills, Trainer of Choice and our e-Learning Programmes was high, but there was real excitement about the New TAP Diploma Programmes that were formally unveiled at the event by Ron Mackrell, Director of the TAP Partners Programme. Many delegates visiting the stand already possessed TAP Certificates and were delighted to see how they could integrate these into the new TAP Diplomas.

A copy of the Matrix that explains these new TAP Diplomas can be found on our website as follows:

www.tap-training.com/docs/tap_learning_system_qualifications_matrix.pdf 
 
If you’d like to learn more about these new TAP Diplomas and to receive a personalised copy of the Matrix outline where your current TAP Certificates fit in please do call and ask to speak to one of the team.

We’d also like to remind all those who visited our stand and wish to redeem their vouchers that they must do so by the 30th Oct 09 to take advantage of the special offer only available to those visited us at WOLCE.

Matthew Hancocks 

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FREE e-Taster Sessions

Classroom trainers … are your feet killing you?

How to Enhance your Skills & Increase your employability

Join in our free virtual classroom tour

experience the look, sound and feel of participating in a web-based training session
enjoy a fun, interactive, virtual classroom session using tools such as whiteboard, text chat, application sharing
amaze yourself by what you can achieve using this medium
transfer your current training skills to a virtual classroom environment easily
All this from the comfort of your own desk

Session are 45 minutes
Limited to 8 places per session
Open to all TAP trainers
No previous experience required

You will need:

Computer & Internet connection
Speakers or headset

For dates, please E-mail Laura Crank l.crank@trainingfoundation.com

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TAP Qualified Professional of the Month, Paul Gilbert

TAP L&D Professional of the Month, Paul Gilbert – the first delegate to be awarded the new TAP Master Diploma in Learning & Development

I must confess to having become a bit obsessed with studying as in 1999 I decided to improve on basic qualifications and have now managed to achieve a 2.1 BSc (Hons) Degree in The Social Sciences with Social Policy and Psychological Studies, a Master’s Degree in Social Policy and Criminology, an Advanced Diploma in Management Practice (with commendation) and recently a Post Graduate Certificate in Education (Lifelong Learning) and am currently working towards my Doctorate of Philosophy and I am proud to be the first delegate to be awarded the TAP Master Diploma in Learning & Development!

I am 54 years of age, have recently remarried and have worked for the  police in Northern Ireland, both Royal Ulster Constabulary (GC) and Police Service of Northern Ireland for the past 26 years, 23 of them as a Police Officer before taking voluntary redundancy in December 2006.  I was then recruited as an IT Trainer for the PSNI in January 2007, initially as an Agency Trainer and eventually as a Permanent Police Staff Trainer and am currently the Project Manager responsible for the design of several new IT training courses following the purchase of a new IT System. I sort of fell into the training role as prior to my retirement I completed a Certificate in Training Practice from the CIPD however I had not intended to remain within the police family. It was only as I was leaving that I was asked if I had ever considered training police officers and also whether or not I fancied training IT! However I must confess that I do really enjoy training delivery and watching how people, with my help (thanks to my experience from gaining the TAP Master Diploma in L&D) can enhance their skills within the workplace.

The PSNI’s purpose is to make Northern Ireland safer for everyone through professional, progressive policing.  We achieve this goal through policing with the community.  This proactive, community-driven approach sees the police and local community working together to identify and solve problems.

I work within the Information Communications and Technology (ICT) Training Unit which is responsible for the delivery of over 40 different Communications Training Courses covering all aspects of communications within the Police Service, including radio, telephone and IT applications. Therefore, my team’s key role is to deliver the training required, to enable operational officers to be able to carry out their roles in the most effective and efficient manner.

The ICT Training Unit at the present time has one Police Inspector who is overall charge of the Unit and nine (4 Police Officers and 5 Police Staff) trainers which are based at Belfast (5 trainers), Armagh (2 trainers) and Londonderry (2 trainers). An additional five Police Staff trainers are due to be recruited shortly.

The introduction of the TAP training methodology has allowed for the production of lesson plans and training material to a standard format which allows for easy quality assurance. This ensures that all of the training we deliver meets the organisations goals and equally importantly follows correct policies and procedures.

When I joined the Unit in January 2007 TAP was already in place and all Trainers had to achieve at least the TAP Certificate in Training Delivery Skills.  The Training Foundation provides a wide range of training courses both on site and at Coventry, to suit the needs of their customers, for us in the PSNI this has allowed us on occasions to bring the trainer to us and allowed us to use our own existing training facilities thus greatly reducing extraction costs.

The wide range of courses that are on offer, together with the recognised link with the British Institute of Learning and Development (The BILD) means that the qualifications obtained are recognised at a national level and indeed have become the ‘bench mark’ qualifications in the field of training delivery.

When I joined the Unit my initial plan was simply to obtain the Certificate in Training Practice but once I embarked on this journey this quickly grew towards being the first person awarded with the TAP Master Diploma in Learning and Development!

Gaining the Master Diploma has had a huge impact.  One of my current roles as Project Manager is being tasked with designing a series of new training courses following the introduction of a new IT System.  By using the skills gained from appropriate TAP qualifications all of us are aware of exactly what a lesson plan has to contain and this greatly enhances the design process.

I would like to continue my TAP studies with a view to obtaining the Diploma in eLearning as there is a drive organisationally towards delivering training using Blended and eLearning approaches.

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TAP Partner of the Month, Aviation Training International Ltd (ATIL)

Aviation Training International Ltd (ATIL) delivers a Training Service for the Apache Attack helicopter to the Army as a Public Finance Initiative. The organisation trains Army Aircrew, Ground crew and Maintenance Technicians using a combination of Instructor led training, advanced synthetic devices such as Full Motion and field deployable Mission Simulators, part task trainers and state of the art classroom media.

In April 2006 Steve Green (Training Standards Manager for ATIL) enrolled on the Delivery Skills  course at The Training Foundation in order to assess its suitability. It became evident from this experience that the techniques and skills taught as part of the TAP® Learning System would be of benefit to current ATIL instructors and would provide a good basis for training future instructors. As a result the decision was subsequently taken to invest in training skills development and certification for the whole training operation.

The Instructor base at ATIL is very broad ranging: from Flying Instructors individually accredited and assessed by the internationally renowned Central Flying School (CFS), Ground Crew and Mission Planning Instructors qualified by the Defence Centre of Training Support (DCTS) to maintenance Instructors qualified to TAP standard. By adopting TAP Learning System across its whole Training Operation, ATIL has declared a policy of consistency for its training delivery with a mature assessment programme.

By the end of 2008, all ATIL Instructors will have completed courses leading to the TAP Certificate in Training Delivery Skills. This is a minimum and a number of Instructors have already achieved the
TAP Diploma in Learning Facilitation Skills; ATIL is proactive in encouraging its Instructors to be the best they can be.

After ATIL instructors achieve the necessary TAP® qualifications they are then re-assessed on a regular basis to ensure that they continue to benefit from development of their teaching skills.

In February 2007, ATIL became a member of the TAP Partners Programme and is now entitled to display the Silver TAP Partners Programme emblem.

Mike Crabbe, Head of Training Operations for ATIL commented on the excellent support he has received
from The Training Foundation: "We have been working Mission Planning training in the classroom
with The Training Foundation for some time and have developed a mutual support relationship which
allows ATIL instructors to receive formal tuition on their classroom teaching skills, regular structured
assessments and the opportunity to further develop their wider knowledge within the training solutions
environment. "

"If they wish, instructors can now pursue one of the TAP Diplomas. The relationship has now matured into a formal partnership which allows us to demonstrate our competence as training deliverers.  It is entirely consistent with the recent Quality Mark award from the British Institute of Learning and Development. " 

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TAP Qualification of the Month, the all new 3 day TAP Certificate in Facilitation

This course has been re-designed to provide delegates with the skills to facilitate an event such as a focus group, a workshop, an action learning set, a team meeting, a briefing, a business improvement meeting etc. This course is an essential component within the programmes leading to the TAP® Diploma in Learning Facilitation and the TAP® Diploma in L&D Consultancy.

Delegates will learn how to open and close an event including subtle language patterns which will help to build rapport with a group and to influence a positive outcome.  They will learn a variety of facilitation methods and processes which can be used as appropriate to the outcome required.

Delegates will explore resistance to change and a range of challenging behaviours and the course will focus on strategies to manage these behaviours within the group or on a one-to-one basis.  They will learn how assertiveness and cooperation plays a part in handling conflict. 

Delegates will find out how action learning sets work in practice and will have the opportunity to participate as a member of a set.

Delegates will learn how to plan and facilitate an event structured with a clear beginning, middle and end. They will learn skills to make an event enjoyable and effective and influence a positive outcome.  They will learn a variety of facilitation methods and processes and be able to select an appropriate facilitation method for a given outcome.  They will be given the opportunity to facilitate an event of their choice and try out new skills in a safe environment.

This course is applicable to anyone who needs to facilitate the gathering of opinions, making a decision, developing a solution, gauging reactions to a proposition, securing a consensus, debating a complex matter or developing ideas.

This course is also a component course leading to the TAP® Diploma in Learning Facilitation and leading to the TAP® Diploma in L&D Consultancy.

See what past delegates say about this qualification:

“I think that this is the best facilitation course I have been on.  Really good and practical.”
Rachel Smith
Greenstreet Berman

“I’ll use the questioning techniques I learnt as well as techniques used to deal with challenging people”
Abu Shahriyer

“thank you for an enjoyable and interesting course that will help me to improve my Facilitation abilities”
Paul Leach
GSB

If you wish to take advantage of the 10% discount that’s available for the TAP Qualification of the month please do contact me before 31st October 2009 to get enrolled, tel: 02476 411 288 or c.brookes@trainingfoundation.com 

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Celebrate Success

Here we are celebrating the success of our delegates who have worked really hard to gain a TAP Diploma with us.  The new graduates for this month are:

Congratulations on all of your hard work - 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 on the 4^th November -  If you would be interested in attending this event please let me know on c.brookes@trainingfoundation.com.

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