| During July the most popular areas of training that we have received additional enquiries have been : Speedwriting Word/Excel/Access/PowerPoint Finance for Non-Financial Managers Redundancy Emotional Intelligence The popular ares of consultancy that we list are those areas that members have enquired about in particular , and it is always interesting , because each month the areas change . CIPD ANNUAL CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION October 27th - 29th , Harrogate - For all people management and development specialists - the latest thinking and business strategies , debate topical issues , explore new ideas , and network with your fellow professionals . For further information : training . h otline@cipd . c o. u k TRAINING SERVICES INDEX - PUBLICATION - Latest issue Work is well under way for the new edition of the Index , which will be published in early October . SNIPPETS - from providers : CAPITA : Bite-sized Learning Would Attract ' Switched Off ' People , Study Disadvantaged individuals from 19-24 years old are often " switched off " when it comes to learning , and thus ill equipped for the modern workforce . But they would be receptive to learning offered in bite-sized chunks in an informal environment and a short-term commitment , concludes a new study from the Campaign for Learning and Ufi . This so-called " rejector " group represents 16 percent of the population and is largely untouched by government learning campaigns , it claims . The research , entitled First Steps into Learning , recommends that the government speed up the creation of a credit framework which incorporates bite-sized learning , enabling the accumulation of credits towards recognised qualifications from a wider range of courses . It also recommends that a variety of learning styles be offered to the group . Increase in Stress-Related Absences is Cited by CIPD . Stress-related absences are on the rise within UK workplaces , but many employers are addressing the problem with training and other initiatives , according to the latest survey on employee absence from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development ( CIPD ) . The organisation 's fifth annual report on employee absence found that 52 % of surveyed employers reported an increase of stress-related absences due to workload , management , organisational change and other reasons . Efforts in response include management training , improvement of work-life balance , stress audits , and employee assistance programs . " A large part of managing stress is about good people management " says report author Ben Willmott " It is about providing employees with well-defined job roles , challenging , but realistic targets and the support , training and recognition to help them achieve these targets " he says . Legislation Employers face hefty fines or even imprisonment if they fail to comply with the new duty to manage asbestos . What 's more , staff , former staff and even contractors could bring compensation claims for personal injury caused by exposure to asbestos . Company directors run the risk of being prosecuted if an offence has been committed with their consent , connivance or neglect ( pleading ignorance will be no defence ) . If the employer is the person responsible for the maintenance or repair of non-domestic property ( the ' relevant duty holder ' ) it must take active steps to identify , record and manage any asbestos that is or may be p resent . This duty will be enforced by HSE inspectors and any breach is likely to be treated very seriously - premises may even be shut down if an asbestos hazard is identified . Under the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002 ( which should have been complied with by 21 May 2004 ) this ' duty to manage ' requires duty-holders to pay for making safe or removing any asbestos that is in a poor condition or is likely to be disturbed by planned building work or routine maintenance . If it can be established that the asbestos is in a sound state and not likely to be disturbed , then it can be left there , although its location must be recorded and the record retained on site for the lifetime of the building . From 1 October 2004 new forms will have to be used where the questionnaire procedure is used in cases of disability discrimination . These can be found in the Disability Discrimination ( Questions and Replies ) Order 2004 . Currently employers have to respond to such questionnaires ' within a reasonable period ' ( unless they have a good excuse ) to avoid a tribunal drawing an adverse inference from the failure to reply . As of 1 October employers will have to respond within 28 days of receiving such a questionnaire ( unless they have a reasonable excuse ) to avoid any such inferences being drawn . Holiday pay Is a worker who has n't taken all the holiday to which he is entitled during a year entitled to pay in lieu of the untaken holiday ? The answer under the Working Time Regulations 1998 ( WTR ) is generally ' No ' . But , in Canada Life v Gray and Farrar , the Employment Appeal Tribunal ruled that , on termination , workers are entitled to backdate their claims for holiday pay to when the WTR were introduced ( 1 October 1998 ) . Whilst under the WTR no entitlement to holiday can be carried forward from one year to the next , post termination the position is different . The WTR specifically provide , on termination , for a payment to be made in lieu of leave to which a worker was entitled , but had not taken . Provided the claim is made within 3 months of termination , this can include unpaid holiday dating back to October 1998 ( regardless of whether the worker actually took holiday or not ) . Training Challenge - Speedwriting This is a topic that we have had before , but our top enquiry this month was on the subject of speed writing , so worth looking at the subject again . Speedwriting is an area that there should be a lot more choices available . The leading secretarial college that used to bombard the London Underground tubes with posters , which enabled you to try your hand at reading and translating Speed Writing messages has long disappeared . A shame it passed the time on the tube ! Now a thing of the past , yet we get a lot of enquiries about the subject . I have tracked down a distance-learning course on the subject . Distance Learning Foundation PO Box 2874 , Brighton BN1 2NX info@speedwriting . c o. u k Tel : 01273-773233 SAMPLE PAGE OF COURSE ( See for yourself ) http://www.speedwriting.co.uk/sample.htm Speedwriting Shorthand for Business and Notetaking . Correspondence course . You work at your own speed , in the time that you have available . Duration - participants will take between 8 and 12 weeks to learn the complete system . You are assigned your own personal tutor . Your tutor will work with you to make certain that you learn Speedwriting Shorthand . Your tutor will check your exercises , answer your questions , and show you in a practical way , stage by stage , how easy it is to learn speedwriting . However , most people are far too busy to cope with the discipline of a correspondence course . The other alternative is to undertake a short course on Teeline Shorthand , which uses the alphabet as its base , and is therefore fairly quick to learn . With centres all over the country try Pitman Training - covering flexible training to fit in with office or leisure hours . Good reputation or call/write to the following for your nearest centre : Pitman Training Group plc Sandown House Sandbeck Way Wetherby LS22 7DN Tel : 01937 548500 Fax : 01937 585 118 Website : www . p itman-training . c om July 2004 - TRAINING HIGH SPOT SCOTWORK LTD - Negotiating Skills Tel : 01252-862400 Website : www . g bscorporate . c om Email : theteam@gbscorporate . c om The Index has comprehensive information on this four day course , derived from appraisals submitted by an operations and business project manager , a commercial executive , a buyer , an operations manager , a UK amusement business manager , sales managers , a commercial team leader , a gas installation manager , an oil terminal supervisor , and a business development executive , in the wide age range 25 - 51 . The course aimed to improve participants ' negotiating skills , to establish a framework for understanding the negotiating process , to identify negotiating skills , and to provide an opportunity for delegates to practice negotiating in a non-risk environment . Objective achievement was considered good or very good . Two tutors appear on each holding of this course , names have included John McMillan , Richard Rowland , Chris Mitchell , Sue Paradise , Stephen White , Mike Roberts , Mike Hatton , Keith Risk , David Perry , Robin Copland , Mike Barrier , and David Durrant . Their standard was high , and each was well received . Delegates found most useful the coverage on learning the structured ( 8-step ) approach to negotiating , the different negotiating styles and their pitfalls , the video-taped role-playing of negotiations in areas ranging from prices to wage disputes , recognising the need to " trade " in any negotiation , the coverage on the way out of an argument , the vital importance of thorough preparation for negotiations , case participation and team evaluation ; and the abundance of practical advice . One delegate stated , " This is a very well-developed course , and the standard consistently good . " The only criticism was that they would have liked more time in which to practise negotiating . Those who have to undertake negotiating at work were thought to be the most suitable delegates , especially those involved in buying or selling . Course administration was very good , 10 - 12 delegates attending . Delegates comments : " Educational , relative to role and inspiring ! " " The long term benefits to the company - make this a very cost effective course " " Essential to all people who negotiate for the company or with employees of the company " " Both tutors fully in tune and very experienced in all aspects of negotiating . " |