Meeting the Government’s latest eLearning targets, students and teachers at Villiers High School, Middlesex now have access to an engaging, interactive online learning environment that provides anytime, anywhere learning.

Choosing to tailor the free open source learning platform Moodle with the help of Moodle Partner Synergy Learning, the school is benefiting from technology tailored to the specific needs of its staff and students at the fraction of the cost of an off-the-shelf solution.

Government eLearning targets state that by 2010 all schools must have a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) for pupils and use this technology to report in real-time to parents about key issues such as attendance and attainment. With a VLE, pupils can log on, search resources, receive and complete homework and talk to teachers and peers via internal email. Villiers High School is leading the way for the region by introducing a free of charge, open source online learning environment for schools. Open source software enables schools to use, change and improve the software with no restrictions.

The biggest advantages of open source software such as Moodle are its flexibility and cost savings. The software can be adapted to suit each school, from adding school colours and logo to selecting which functions they want for pupils. To gain maximum potential from their new tool, Villiers High School has enlisted the help of Synergy Learning, a Moodle Partner specialising in adapting the tool, technical support and training staff. The company provides 24/7 advice and support 365 days a year for less than the cost of an annual licence for similar off-the-shelf software. This support is particularly useful for schools that do not have a dedicated ICT coordinator and those that would like to free up teachers’ time that may otherwise be spent on overseeing the school’s technology.

Juliet Strang, Headteacher at Villiers High School commented: “Using Moodle and the support from Synergy Learning has been incredibly cost-effective, enabled us to meet government targets and create the highest quality educational tool for our pupils. We wanted technology that was unique to us, not a generic online environment that offered various functions we wouldn’t use and a style that wouldn’t appeal to our pupils. We now have a tool that meets our needs and the ongoing support we receive is invaluable.”

Source: PublicTechnology.Net

Learn Skills can also offer this support and advise for schools wishing to explore this option in line with these targets but also have a hosted LMS options targeting the needs of schools that would not be as familiar with the Moodle LMS.

Last week, around 200 Diploma in IT students from 25 schools were given an insight into working in IT. The students spent a day at Microsoft’s London offices as part of an interactive event to show how exciting a career in IT can be.

Throughout the day, students heard from Microsoft employees who shared their experiences of working in IT and the importance of technology to the wider world. The students also had a chance to try out Microsoft’s Surface technology and to see Microsoft’s Deep Zoom and Photosynth in action.

As part of the event, the students were challenged to come up with the “next big idea” in technology, with suggestions ranging from a device for the kitchen that tells you what’s in the cupboard, to a multifunctional travel gadget with GPS. Newham College from East London was runner up and the winning idea came from West Sussex school Steyning Grammar, whose next big thing in IT was the “eco-kube”, a device aimed at lowering your carbon footprint by telling you if you’re using too much water or gas, and providing advice about how to be more eco-friendly.

Karen Price, CEO of e-skills UK, who led the development of the Diploma in IT, said “This was a fantastic event and demonstrated how motivational the hands-on involvement of companies like Microsoft can be for young people. Giving IT Diploma students a chance to try out the latest technologies was very inspiring and showed them how what they are studying now applies to a real workplace environment.

“The continued decline in the number of students choosing IT-related A-levels and GCSEs highlights a serious issue for the UK. To compete in the technology intensive globalised economy, we need an inspiring curriculum in schools that attracts talented students into technology-related degrees and careers. We are proud to be working with leading employers to ensure that the Diploma in IT does just that.”

Planning for progress in any career of your choice is compulsory if you intend to succeed in future. Part of planning for this progress will entail you studying hard and getting advanced qualifications that will place you ahead of you ahead of your peers in the quest to succeed in the job market. These qualifications that are required may vary but most of these courses usually have something or the other to do with computers. Learning a course that has some emphasis on computer based learning will give you the required edge to prevent you from veering into the road of extinction and failing to get the requirements for progress in your career. Different careers have started developing computer related components and by studying any computer training courses that are suited to the career which you’re in, you place yourself in a great position for career advancement.

Computer training establishments can be found in a number of areas around the country. If you’re lucky you might even get to attend a school that is close to where you work. If no schools or educational establishments are within a certain proximity to your office or your home, you can simply opt for another option and choose to study through online means instead. Before you enroll into any school that offers computer training courses you have to be aware of certain essential details which apply regardless of whether this school is online or not. These things will involve you taking the time out to find out about the current developments in your career and how these developments relate to the field of computer related courses. Getting this information can be as simple as reading about it in career related websites and magazines or simply by contacting different professionals who are knowledgeable about what is current in your career field. By opting for a program that has a large following and which is relatively high in demand increases the chances that you’ll get promoted or employed in an establishment that requires someone with your skills.

Computer training courses are suitable for a number of people and it doesn’t only apply to people whose sole source of education is computer based. Computer training courses are replete with people from different career backgrounds who require some form of education in order to familiarize themselves with current happenings in their particular field of industry. Success is becoming harder to attain in the model workplace and in order to achieve success in a competitive arena you have to think and prepare yourself by learning accordingly.  You can visit Learn Skills, Computer Skills and PC Applications for more information on computer training.

Kelly Hunter operates http://www.best-computer-training-courses.com and writes about Computer Training Courses.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kelly_Hunter

Learn Skills is placed to announce that it will have a stand at this years Hardware / DIY Home Garden Show (www.irishhardwarefair.com) which takes place on Sunday 1st February (10am – 6pm) and Monday 2nd February 2009 (10am – 5pm) at the RDS Simmonscourt, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4.  This biannual trade only show attracts Hardware DIY Garden Centre and Building Materials retailers and suppliers from the whole island of Ireland and the footfall is in the thousands each day.

Learn Skills will have its stand within the “Training Village”, on Sunday 1st February (10am – 6pm) where we will showcase our comprehensive range of web-based staff training materials, but also launch our newly acquire Retail Training Units which deliver training in all key skills associated with a productive retail employee.  Learn Skills has been invited by the Irish Hardware Skillnet who aims to facilitate Learn Skills:

• meeting key people from our member companies on a one to one basis
• discussing training options
• providing information packs
• networking with fellow trainers & companies in the network

As well as Hardware/DIT the show will feature a substantial number of top industry exhibitors from the Garden and Home Section.  Over 2,000 retailers from Ireland, North and South, are set to descend on the Show over the two days. The event gives them an opportunity to preview and forward order new season products.  The event is a major showcase for new products and items,like Learn Skills Retail Training and the Learn Skills platform,  which will most likely be seen in homes throughout the country over the next year or so.  It is the only Trade Show of its kind in Ireland, and will be the biggest event since the show started back in 1996.

Ms Catherine Shiels, President of the Irish Hardware & Building Materials Association, says “Retailers and exhibitors will make valuable contacts at the Show with outstanding potential for new profit opportunities. The Show will be the launch pad for numerous new products that will find their way into retailers to be enjoyed by householders across the country.”

Members of the Irish Hardware & Building Materials Association (IHBMA) Board, Steering Committee and HR / Training Managers from our Network member companies will be in attendance during both days. This presents a wonderful opportunity for Learn Skills to present their products & services to companies, build partnerships and generate business for 2009.

Sean Griffin, Co-Founding Director of Learn Skills, says “The Hardware / DIY Home Garden Show will provide us with the perfect showcase for our Retail Training Units and lead to an enhanced profile within the Irish market for the efficient and effective delivery of cost effective staff training.”

Proposals for better job matching and more effective ways to analyse and predict which skills will be needed in tomorrow’s labour market were presented by the European Commission on 16 December 2008.

New Skills for New Jobs proposes a series of actions to match skills with vacancies, to organise skills assessments on a permanent basis, to pool the efforts of Member States and other international organisations, and to develop better information on future needs.

The measures proposed in New Skills for New Jobs will help Europe address the short-term employment impact of the economic crisis and improve the long-term job prospects of the EU workforce. They are part of a package of measures for Growth and Jobs and complement the European Economic Recovery Plan, which was presented by the Commission on 26 November 2008.

The right skills for tomorrow’s jobs

Across Europe, technological change, globalisation, the shift to a low-carbon economy, ageing populations and the evolution of social structures all mean that both labour markets – and the skills people need – change ever faster. Therefore we must make sure to anticipate future needs and respond by enable people to develop the right skills.

The European Commission is proposing to improve the monitoring of short-term trends and to develop tools for better matching of skills and job vacancies on the European labour market. The Commission will also develop better information on needs in the EU in the medium and long-term, with regularly updated projections of future labour market trends and analysis of skills needs by sector. It will improve the EU’s understanding of global challenges related to skills and jobs through cooperation with third countries and international organisations. Moreover, the Commission will help Member States and regions and all actors involved in the upgrading and matching of skills by mobilising existing Community policies and funds, especially the European Social Fund.

Assessing labour markets up to 2020

With today’s proposals the Commission responds to a request by the European Council to provide an assessment of skills needs up to 2020. One of the preliminary findings is that Europe will see the creation of new jobs in the service sector: by the year 2020, almost three quarters of jobs in the EU-25 will be in services. Further, there will be many jobs created in high-skilled occupations, but also some job creation in “elementary jobs”. More and more jobs will require high and medium education levels from the working population. Across sectors, transversal and generic skills will be increasingly valued on the labour market: problem-solving and analytical skills, self-management and communication skills, the ability to work in a team, linguistic skills and digital competences.

Teachers and parents across the country will be able to request support and training on how to help school aged children access the internet at home for learning, from a new foundation to be set up by Becta. The foundation will provide a vehicle for all interested organisations to demonstrate their commitment and support to this initiative.

Becta, the education technology agency, will work closely with industry and other interested parties to create an independent foundation, which will administer and distribute industry funds in support of the government’s Home Access programme. The idea was proposed by Microsoft in response to the government announcement made in September 2008 and the foundation is open to other organisations who wish to get involved.

The Home Access programme, which will be piloted in Oldham and Suffolk from February, will work to ensure every child has access to a home computer and the internet for their school or college work. The pilot aims to ensure every 7- to 18- year-old in full time state-maintained education has access to the internet at home.

The Home Access programme forms part of Becta’s Next Generation Learning campaign, which promotes the best use of technology in learning.

The new foundation is expected to be launched later this year, to coincide with the national rollout of the Home Access programme. It will be charged, on behalf of the government, with supporting local training of teachers and parents, including raising awareness of the importance of home access and how to overcome barriers in the community. The independent foundation will be overseen by Becta and other organisations are being encouraged to join Microsoft in providing support for the foundation.

Stephen Crowne, Chief Executive of Becta, said:
“We need to ensure that every learner has an equal chance to tap into the benefits of the internet to enhance their learning – and the Home Access programme seeks to do just that, by offering this opportunity to all learners.

“Getting parents and teachers on board is clearly vital to the success of the programme, so we are really excited about this opportunity to support them, in partnership with the industry. I welcome the leadership Microsoft has shown and am now calling for more leading companies to join us in the drive to support parents and teachers.”

Steve Beswick, Director of Education, Microsoft, commented:
“We believe that all children should have access to the learning tools they need in order to realise their full potential. As part of a global programme, we have created an investment fund to support activities that will help ensure the home access programme has maximum impact. Our goal is now to support Becta in setting up the foundation and encourage others across the industry to get involved.”

In early 2009 a pilot begins in two local authorities, focusing on learners aged 7-18. Low income families may be eligible for support towards the purchase of an approved package consisting of a device, connectivity and support.

The Learning and Technology World Forum (LATWF), a major international conference on technology in learning, opened today, Monday January 12th, in central London with a call for greater co-operation between countries to ensure technology is benefiting learners world-wide.

The Forum is designed to assist educational policymakers and leaders from all over the world in the development of strategies and policies that will enable technology to be used more effectively and efficiently in education.

The Forum has attracted over 500 participants – representing over two thirds of the world’s population – who are actively engaged in policy development and implementation of technology in learning, and over the three day period will be the largest gathering of its type in the world. At the event, UK Schools Minister, Jim Knight will welcome ministers, policymakers and practitioners from over 60 countries.

The event is hosted by Becta, the UK government agency driving the effective use of technology within learning. Describing the Forum, Stephen Crowne, Becta’s Chief Executive said: “The Learning and Technology World Forum provides a rare opportunity not just to debate the policy and application of technology in learning, but also to signal that the education community, individuals, commerce and the world at large all stand to benefit from its effective application”.

“The UK has long championed the development of better and more effective use of technology in education. Greater international co-operation will stimulate new ideas and opportunities for us all to learn from each other concerning our own respective national experiences, which ultimately will transform policy into practice and provide real benefits to educators, learners and governments everywhere.”

The event will include addresses by a number of high profile speakers, such as Andreas Schleicher, Head of Indicators and Analysis at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Mmasekgoa Masire-Mwamba, Deputy Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, and Richard DeLorenzo, who is renowned for his work in education reform in the USA.

Participants will also have the opportunity to attend workshop sessions which showcase innovative practice and new research. Some examples of the workshops include: “using effective online learning to deliver large scale skills improvement”, “transformation needed – trends in ICT and global economic trends”, and “assessing 21st Century skills, national efforts and issues.”

In addition, participants will be able to elaborate on their participation both during and post the event through engagement with a dedicated online collaboration website which has been designed in conjunction with GetIdeas.org specifically to assist participants in their information exchanges with other participants during and after the event.

LATWF builds on last year’s international seminar “Moving Young Minds”, at which UNESCO launched the international ICT competency standards for teachers. The event is being run in partnership with BESA (British Educational Suppliers Association) and the British Council. It takes place between 12 and 14 January 2009 at The Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, London, and it is designed to link with BETT, the educational technology show at Olympia (14-17 January). It is being run in partnership with the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) and the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), and it has support from major sponsors such as Cisco, Intel and Microsoft.

The Learning and Technology World Forum is a global platform for information exchange among key policy makers and practitioners whose primary areas of focus involve the design of policy and implementation of programmes to ensure effective application of technology within education. For 2009, the event theme is “Next Generation Learning” with three sub themes covering 21st century skills, 21st century leadership and an education workforce for the 21st century.

Source: PublicTechnology.Net

Service Skills Australia welcomes the Minister for Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, The Hon. Julia Gillard’s announcement that the Government will fund half the cost of training for existing workers of two of Australia’s largest retail organisations under the Productivity Places Program.
Service Skills Australia, the Industry Skills Council for the service industries, will work with Woolworths and Westfield to deliver training to existing workers under the program.  The announcement is particularly welcome for the retail trade, an industry in which nearly two  thirds of workers do not hold post-school qualifications and at a time of economic uncertainty.
“The retail industry is currently experiencing a skills shortage of suitably qualified staff who wish to
pursue a life-long career within the retail industry” CEO Jeanette Allen said.
“The Productivity Places Program will greatly assist both Westfield and Woolworths to retain their existing staff and allow them to move into future management roles”.
“This in turn creates new employment prospects for entry level positions, and will increase the
businesses productivity levels, and increase workforce participation”.
Westfield will have seventy-five employees trained in a Diploma of Retail Management and Woolworths will train a total of 103 employees at Certificate III in Retail and forty-two employees in a Certificate IV in Retail. The retail industry is the largest employing industry in Australia, with more than 1.5 million workers, 15% of the Australian workforce.
Background
Earlier this year, Service Skills Australia (SSA) was offered an opportunity to submit an expression of interest to Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations from interested employers that would be prepared to participate in a pilot program to train existing workers in skill shortages areas under the Productivity Places Program.
SSA in collaboration with their industry partners, made a number of submissions at this time and in late October, SSA received correspondence that confirmed the Commonwealth was prepared to match the employer contribution up to 50% of the cost of training. Formal applications were submitted last month from a range of service sector employers that were interested in training their existing workforce to improve workplace productivity and participation.

24th October, 2008 – UK – A short-life task group has been set up by Ministers to review qualifications within the hospitality and tourism sector and ensure these are relevant and responsive to the changing needs of the industry in these tough economic times.

The group will also examine a recommendation from the Parliament’s Economy, Enterprise and Tourism Committee that education, skills and training in these sectors should be rationalised, with resources prioritised to support an industry-backed system.

The group, which will include representatives from the industry, national education and skills bodies, and college and university sectors, will help inform Ministers on what action may be required. Its remit will be to:

* Identify what hospitality and tourism qualifications are available and advise Scottish Ministers on what is required to make them more relevant and responsive to employer needs during these uncertain times
* Establish how many and what type of hotel school developments are currently under consideration in Scotland and advise on how these can support the industry’s needs
* Summarise, for the industry, the roles of the respective public bodies in relation to qualifications development, validation and funding

Minister for Schools and Skills, Maureen Watt, said:

“Tourism is a key sector in Scotland and the Scottish Government is committed to ensuring the right conditions exist to enable it to flourish, particularly in these tough economic times.

“Ensuring that those within the industry and those seeking to join it in the future, have access to the right skills and training is an essential part of that – both for employees and employers.

“The task group will help us ensure that resources are targeted towards skills and training that best meets the industry’s requirements and that training is also sufficiently flexible to adapt to those changes needs.”

Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism, Jim Mather, said:

“Scotland has a fantastic tourism product. From our wonderful scenery, to our compelling history, diverse culture, and friendly people, we have so much to offer the world.

“But if we are to continue to compete in one of the world’s most competitive markets, we need to ensure that we have a new generation of well trained young talent who can take Scotland’s reputation to the next level in years to come.

“It is their Scottish hospitality, their standards of service and their skills which will set our great country apart. This new group will ensure that those standards continue to rise, leading to a highly responsive Scottish tourism industry which will be the envy of countries across the world.”

The creation of the task group will help the industry ensure that people have access to the right skills and training to ensure it gets through these difficult economic times. It will also enable Ministers to respond to a recommendation from the Economy, Enterprise and Tourism Committee’s report – Growing Pains – can we achieve a 50 per cent growth in tourist revenue by 2015?

While the Scottish Government agreed with the majority of the recommendations, Ministers wanted to further investigate issues raised in recommendation 246, which said the Tourism Minister should work with his colleagues and key agencies to declutter and rationalise the provision of education, skills and training in the sector and reprioritise the resources towards a system that is demand-led and enjoys the support of the industry and which offers a smaller number of industry and government approved courses delivered by a limited number of centres with geographical spread.

Full membership of the group, which will meet twice and is expected to report by mid-December, includes:

* Iain Herbert, Chief Executive, Scottish Tourism Forum. Iain has also worked with several premier Scottish tourism agencies, including the Scottish Whisky Heritage Centre as general manager and as manager for the Royal Yacht Britannia. He is also a former head of visitor operations for the National Museums of Scotland.
* Peter Lederer CBE, Chairman of VisitScotland and Chairman of Gleneagles Hotel Limited. He is also a Trustee of the Hospitality Industry Trust Scotland and the Tourism & Hospitality Education Trust.
* David Allen, People 1st. Prior to joining People 1st in September 2007, David spent more than 16 years in the hospitality and tourism industry, in the UK and in Europe. This included working for the Marriot Group and setting up and running a multi million pound conference centre in Fife. He is a member of the Institute of Hospitality and plays an active role in supporting industry led skills and education forums including the Edinburgh Tourism Action Group (ETAG) Skills forum.
* Mandy Exley, Principal, Perth College. Mandy moved to Scotland in 2000 and bought at small hotel on the shores of Loch Tay. In addition to her post in the college, she is a director of the Perthshire Chamber of Commerce, and the Scottish Tourism Forum.
* Mary Nasmyth, Scottish Training Federation
* Professor David Kirk, Vice Principal, Queen Margaret University
* John Kemp, Deputy Director of Strategic Development, Scottish Funding Council
* Chris Taylor, Highlands & Islands Enterprise
* Eddie Brogan, Tourism Director, Scottish Enterprise
* Joe Wilson, Head of New Ventures, Scottish Qualifications Authority
* Darah Zahran, Skills Development Scotland
* Eric Milligan, Skills Development Scotland

Source: Scottish Government News

Barcelona, 18th October – Today ECDL Foundation unveiled ECDL / ICDL1 Syllabus Version 5.0 at a high profile gathering of the ECDL Foundation Licensees2 in Barcelona, Spain. The new features of Syllabus Version 5.0 focus on the evolving computer skills and knowledge areas required to meet the challenges of a digital society. Syllabus Version 5.0 lists the skills and knowledge that must be obtained by a Candidate to become ECDL / ICDL certified.

Syllabus Version 5.0 builds on the success of Syllabus Version 4.0 through a process of evolution. The essential structure of seven modules remains. New areas accommodated include personal devices and new communication technologies. There is an emphasis on accessibility with the ECDL / ICDL Syllabus and tests maximising comprehension and enhancing accessibility through the use of plain language.

The main principle underlying the revision of the ECDL / ICDL Syllabus was the need to accommodate technological changes in today’s fast developing ICT world. Key concepts of Syllabus Version 5.0 reflect the technology landscape that a Candidate inhabits. As such, Syllabus Version 5.0 reflects innovations in mobile computing and considers new emerging media, such as ‘podcasting,’ and new areas of communication, such as ‘Voice over IP’, ‘online chat’, etc. Syllabus Version 5.0 also provides a Candidate with answers on how to manage newly emerged security threats, such as ‘phishing’ and ‘spy ware’.

The official launch of Syllabus Version 5.0 was attended by professionals from national computer societies and international organisations in 148 countries around the world.   On a national basis the organisations that run the ECDL / ICDL programme will commence their localisation process and will announce the roll-out and availability of the new Syllabus in the coming months.

ECDL / ICDL is the world’s leading end-user computer skills certification programme. To date, more than 7 million people in 148 countries participate in the ECDL / ICDL certification programme. Syllabus Version 5.0 was developed by the ECDL Foundation through a rigorous development process that incorporated inputs from computer users and professionals from all over the world to ensure that the ECDL / ICDL programme remains the global standard in ICT certification programmes.

1 The European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) is known as the International Computer Driving Licence (ICDL) outside Europe.
2 ECDL Foundation Licensees represent professionals from national computer societies and international organisations in 148 countries around the world.