Category Archives: Academy

Henley Business School Reveals HR Paying Lip Service To Coaching

Henley Business School has revealed the results of its Corporate Learning Priorities survey which shows coaching remains high up the list of development priorities for 2010. However, while 61% of respondents said developing a coaching culture was one of their top 5 priorities, only 9% made it their 1st or 2nd priority.

Henley has suggested that this reflects an uncertainty about how to go about creating a coaching culture and concern as to whether the senior team will support the initiative. In addition, a quarter of respondents made ‘developing leadership coaching skills’ their first or second priority.

Dr Patricia Bossons, Director of Coaching Services at Henley Business School, commented: “I am hearing from clients and students alike that coaching has never been more important since it helps maintain clarity and resourcefulness in people driving business recovery. The fact that so many in the survey recognize the importance of coaching yet few appear to make it a high priority may be because coaching is seen as a process, rather than a specific ‘management development‘ area, such as strategic thinking or managing change. It is also still perceived by many to be something that lies in the hands of HR, or external coaches, so coaching skills development can easily be seen as someone else’s responsibility.”

She added: “Coaching can be the ‘oil’ that enables the rest of a management development agenda deliver tangible outcomes and results. A senior strategic leadership programme for example, is going to have much longer lasting impact, and a much greater return on investment, if each individual is supported by an independent coach as they go through their programme. Individuals recognize this, which is why the statistics in the research show leadership coaching skills development as a high priority.”

Via EPR Network
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PLH Online Launch NCPLH Personal Licence Holder Qualification And Exam In England & Wales

After a successful first year of delivering online SCPLH training and qualification throughout Scotland, PLH Online have launched an online version of the NCPLH (England & Wales).

PLH Online Launch NCPLH Personal Licence Holder Qualification And Exam In England & Wales

PLH Online enables users to achieve full certification in accordance with the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 or the Licensing (England and Wales) Act 2003.

The modules are fully approved by SQA who are accredited to award the Scottish Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (Off-Sales and On-Sales) and the QCF Level 2 Award for Personal Licence Holders in England and Wales. PLH Online has been developed in association with who Montpeliers (Edinburgh) LTD have extensive knowledge of training in the UK licensed trade.

The training can be purchased and accessed instantly on-line, and used at a time and a place to suit, helping managers become qualified personal licence holders quickly and conveniently. The training modules – which have been in development for over two years – have been tailored for both on and off-sales operators Director Karen Calvert explains:

“We are extremely pleased with the success of our Personal Licence Holder training in Scotland, so launching the product in England & Wales was a natural progression for us. We have attracted customers from a wide range of businesses across the industry, from large multi nationals to corner stores.

“It is proving to be a very cost effective and practical training solution, and the feedback on the quality and content of the training itself is fantastic. We are also appealing to a wide range of age groups proving that e-learning is for everybody.”

SQA Head of Business Development & Customer Support, Alasdair MacRae said, “SQA are delighted to be working with PLH Online to deliver our Personal Licence Holder qualifications through their innovative e-learning system. This will provide flexibility and choice for our candidates in when and where they undertake the course, benefits which are key in this busy and diverse industry.”

Via EPR Network
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Centres And The Scottish Qualifications Authority To Deliver The Scottish Personal Licence Holder Exam In A Secure Electronic Environment

PLH Online launched a pioneering e-learning solution to Personal Licence Holder training in April 2009, and since then have provided a huge number of employers and individuals across Scotland with a welcome solution to their licensing training needs.

Centres And The Scottish Qualifications Authority To Deliver The Scottish Personal Licence Holder Exam In A Secure Electronic Environment

PLH Online enables users to achieve full certification in accordance with the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 or the Licensing (England and Wales) Act 2003. The modules are fully approved by SQA who are accredited to award the Scottish Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (Off-Sales and On-Sales) and the QCF Level 2 Award for Personal Licence Holders.

SQA Head of Business Development & Customer Support, Alasdair MacRae said, “SQA are delighted to be working with PLH Online to deliver our Personal Licence Holder qualifications through their innovative e-learning system. This will provide flexibility and choice for our candidates in when and where they undertake the course, benefits which are key in this busy and diverse industry.”

Pearson VUE are the world’s leading computer-based testing company and have the largest network of owned test centres in the UK. Pearson VUE provide learners with a secure testing environment and are conveniently located throughout the UK. 80% of the population (either at home or work) are no more than 20 miles away from their nearest test centre.

PLH Online has been developed in association with Montpeliers (Edinburgh) Ltd. who have extensive knowledge of training in the UK licensed trade, and helps managers become qualified personal licence holders quickly and conveniently. The training can be purchased and used instantly on-line, and used at a time and a place to suit.

Director Karen Calvert explains “We are extremely pleased with the success of our Personal Licence Holder training so far. We have attracted customers from a wide range of businesses across the industry and from all parts of the country. It is proving to be a very cost effective and practical training solution, and the feedback on the quality and content of the course itself is fantastic. We are also appealing to a wide range of age groups proving that e-learning is for everybody.”

The training modules – which have been in development for over two years – have been tailored for both on and off-sales operators in Scotland. PLH Online are now set to launch the Level 2 Award for Personal Licence Holders in England and Wales in April.

Via EPR Network
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Henley Launches New Themed Corporate Finance MBA

Henley Executive MBA applicants can from this year onwards choose to take advantage of the exceptional scope of expertise offered by Henley through a range of themed MBAs. These themed MBAs are designed for experienced, practising managers who are looking for a world renowned general management MBA but with a particular application to three different industries – corporate finance, construction management and real estate.

Henley Launches New Themed Corporate Finance MBA

The three different themed MBAs are delivered via collaboration between the industry respected schools of Henley – the International Capital Markets Association (ICMA) Centre, the School of Real Estate and Planning and the School of Construction Management from the University of Reading.

Participants will study as part of the executive MBA programme and follow the core curriculum whilst periodically studying tailored modules bespoke to their subject theme at appropriate points in time.

Associate Professor Susan Rose, the Associate Head of the School of Management responsible for The Henley MBA, said: “I am delighted to work in collaboration with colleagues of the Henley Business School and The University of Reading who have such strong industry connections and reputations in their respective fields. This enables us to offer MBA participants something really different. The themed programmes provide the best of both worlds for those who want general managerial development whilst applying it to the very specific challenges of their sector and thereby demonstrating commitment to their organisation.”

The Henley Executive MBA is a two year part-time programme aimed at aspiring senior managers who wish to develop their management competency as well as focus on their own personal development, alongside their full-time employment.

Via EPR Network
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Henley MBA Bursary Supports Great Women Managers

Henley Business School has launched its annual range of scholarships and bursaries for the Henley full-time and executive MBA 2010 intakes.

This year, the scholarships are designed to reward real academic merit and will be offered to the four candidates across both modes of study who can bring most academic value to the programmes. Each scholarship is worth 50% of the full fee.

The bursaries however are designed to support the very special mix of experience and backgrounds characteristic of those studying for the Henley MBA. Ten candidates will be offered the 50% bursary from those applying from a variety backgrounds including emerging markets, the public sector, the voluntary sector, SMEs or if they are women in business.

The Henley scholarships and bursaries are only open to those who are 100% self sponsored and the closing date for both is Monday 12th April 2010. The Henley Executive and Full-time MBA both start autumn 2010.

Director of MBA Recruitment Ashley Arnold says: “The Henley MBA is designed for experienced managers from around the world and from every industry. Every year we meet a fantastic mix of great people, all with something to share.

“I am delighted that this year the scholarships and bursaries support that combination which ensures a very special learning experience for all.”

The Henley MBA is for experienced, practicing managers seeking a world-class MBA programme that will develop potential and prepare those studying the course for a senior management position.

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Henley Business School Responds To The Way Businesses Want To Learn

Henley Business School has launched its new Executive Education Portfolio which features 13 brand new programmes designed to meet the challenges of today’s economic uncertainty, in response to both the results of its recent Corporate Learning Priorities survey and to expert feedback from its own Faculty.

Henley Business School Responds To The Way Businesses Want To Learn

“The learning & development professionals who responded to the survey gave us a clear indication of their ‘worry list’ for 2010.” explained Linda Irwin, Executive Director, Corporate Development. “They want to focus on leadership development – both of senior and middle managers, managing change and developing high potentials. For renewal, regeneration and recovery, continued investment in all talent is the only sustainable option and the big emphasis seems to be on continuing to develop leaders holistically to make the right choices; for themselves, their organisations and for the wider society. Skills that respond to the new business zeitgeist feature in this research – areas of such huge importance for global, 21st century responsible leadership; innovation, sustainability and rebuilding trust with all stakeholders. This reinforced the views of our Faculty and conversations with our existing corporate clients and our Alumni. We have designed this new Portfolio specifically to meet those needs.”

The survey also indicated what is important to businesses when choosing an executive education programme. 76% said reputation was extremely important, as was inclusion of recent, original research to 86% or respondents.

“This is not surprising,” reflected Linda Irwin, “Providing innovative and impactful programme design based upon relevant and rigorous research is the main differentiator between business school provision of L & D solutions and that of many other providers.”

Many respondents said that partnering where appropriate with external experts and guest speakers was significant for 88% or respondents. “Businesses expect that we stay close to our markets; both through our research, through practitioner Faculty and by collaborating with the best industry speakers and expert contributors where relevant”, suggested Irwin. The use of up to date case studies was key to 65% of respondents and use of experiential learning and a focus on soft skills to 57%. 71% also cited the environment where the training will take place as quite important to them.

With little time to spare away from the office 53% of respondents indicated that for open programmes 2-3 days are optimal while 18% stated ‘the shorter the better’. However, 27% thought programmes ‘should be as long as the learning objectives require’ – revealing scope for longer interventions where a case for them can be made.

Irwin commented, “Our new executive education portfolio reflects the respondents views; shorter, incisive, knowledge-led 2 day interventions on issues such as commercial insight for HR, systemic innovation and managing reputation and longer, more experiential management programmes on leadership and coaching for example, which offer opportunities to change behaviour at a deeper lever.”

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Reed Learning Team Up With The British Institute Of Learning And Development

Reed Learning has announced that all delegates who attend their Learning and Development training courses and qualifications will receive one year’s free membership of the British Institute of Learning and Development.

Reed Learning Team Up With The British Institute Of Learning And Development

Reed Learning’s L&D qualifications have been designed specifically for L&D professionals and benchmark best practice and provide proven skills across a wide range of competencies. All these qualifications are underpinned by Reed Learning’s Trainer Competency Framework, which has been approved by an independent Academic Board.

The BILD is the UK’s leading membership organisation committed to addressing the needs of individuals and organisations working within the learning and development sector.

BILD member benefits include:

• A professional membership grade
• Networking opportunities through the BILD forum
• 6 free member events per year
• A fortnightly membership newsletter
• Access to the Online BILD membership magazine
• A free copy of Learning Magazine
• A membership certificate and card

Membership Levels
• Affiliate – any Reed Learning L&D courses including, Train the Trainer, Advanced Train Trainer, Learning and Development in Practice and Managing the Learning and Development Function
• Associate (ABILD) – Certificate in Learning and Development
• Member (MBILD) – Advanced Certificate in Learning and Development and Advanced Certificate in Professional Training Competence

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Henley Business School Reveals Results Of Corporate Learning Priorities Survey 2010

Henley Business School has revealed that developing the leadership skills of middle managers and equipping them to manage change are among the top learning and development priorities for organisations in 2010, according to the Corporate Learning Priorities Survey 2010 carried out by Henley’s Corporate Development team.

Respondents indicated a significant focus on leadership development in 2010, particularly at middle management level. They also anticipate focusing on high-potentials as they grow and develop to lead their businesses into an uncertain future. One respondent commented they were placing, “Change even higher on the agenda in 2010” and 67% of respondents chose ‘Managing Change’ as a specific development priority for managers.

The survey, amongst 2,500 HR and learning development professionals, was designed to
provide an up-to-date perspective of the executive education and development landscape. Over 60% of those completing the survey were HR Directors, Vice-Presidents or Heads of HR or Learning & Development in some of the UK’s largest employers.

Linda Irwin, Executive Director, Corporate Development for Henley Business School, said that the research showed many were planning for the long-term, and not making budget cuts they may live to regret:

“Managing Directors, CEOs, HR Directors and Learning & Development professionals have adopted a pragmatic, level-headed, measured approach when faced with the tumultuous economic climate we have endured. As one respondent commented in the survey, his organisation’s priority is to ‘Ride out the storm that has been created by the recession without losing our A teams.’ Rather than axing development budgets and cutting leadership development they have focused effort on those individuals who they expect will lead their organisations into a future yet to be created. Softer skills, in leadership styles and in leadership coaching for instance, that bring out the very best in people and facilitate team working are also a priority.”

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Henley Business School Dean Questions Cadbury Takeover Bid

Following speculation over Kraft’s proposed takeover bid of Cadbury and subsequent fears of major job losses, Professor Christopher Bones, Dean of Henley Business School, has also raised serious concerns regarding whether Kraft could be trusted to keep to its commitments in light of past failings. This warning comes after the pledge by Kraft that it will ensure the Cadbury’s Bath factory will stay open bearing in mind Kraft gave the same commitment to Terry’s of York in 1993 but then closed the factory 12 years later.

Henley Business School Dean Questions Cadbury Takeover Bid

Professor Bones gave evidence to the select committee for Business, Innovation and Skills enquiring into company takeovers, mergers and acquisitions on Tuesday 12 January. His evidence, which drew heavily on the example of the current takeover bid of Cadbury by Kraft, received widespread coverage in the UK media. The Today Programme, Wake Up To Money, BBC West Midlands, BBC World News and News Channel and The Guardian all carried interviews with Professor Bones.

Professor Bones drew attention to the threat to the UK’s science base and leading-edge research in GM other food related areas. The government has identified food security as one of the core STEM subjects of critical importance to national security.

The Global Science Centre for Cadbury plc which researches food security is located at the University of Reading. The centre employs 130 skilled researchers and is an established centre of excellence in the UK attracting research investment and international students f r o m around the world. Kraft plans to transfer such activity to its US laboratories.

Additionally, Cadbury plays a prominent role in building the UK’s reputation for ethical and responsible business in areas of the world where the UK has a significant interest in maintaining and sustaining its economic and political influence. In particular their commitment to ethical and sustainable practices in cocoa production and their endorsement of the Fair trade movement are major symbols locally in Africa and worldwide. Professor Bones expressed his concern that Kraft’s approach to its consumer brands – the company has rejected fair trade as a model for their coffee and chocolate – may impact on the reputation of the UK in areas of strategic importance such as India and Africa.

Finally Professor Bones questioned whether it was right that a UK bank (RBS) which is 84% owned by the UK taxpayer should be funding the acquisition of an iconic UK company by a US conglomerate, especially when the CBI Director General in his New Year message called for more funds to be made available for investment in UK businesses.

He said: “The ultimate irony for any government would be the sight of the corporate banking team at RBS or any other government-owned institution being paid multi-million pound bonuses for funding the acquisition of a UK company by a US conglomerate at a price that failed to reflect real market value with an outcome that damaged the long term interests of the UK economy.”

About Henley Business School
Henley Business School was formed f r o m the merger of Henley Management College and the Business School at the University of Reading. It is one of the longest established Business Schools and the world’s third largest supplier of MBA courses. It delivers business management training to managers in more than 140 countries worldwide with around 7,000 people studying at any one time.

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NalandaU – New Website Allows Students To Access MIT Quality Education For Free

NalandaU (www.NalandaU.com) is an education website with a mission to democratize education and enable people around the world to access quality education f r o m top universities. They aggregate videos provided by universities worldwide and stitch them with open text materials to build comprehensive courses. The courses will help any motivated learner to get in-depth knowledge of a subject for free at the comfort of their home.

They currently have about 300 courses with about 6000 hours of instruction material. Of these courses include 126 f r o m MIT, Stanford, Yale and Berkeley and 36 f r o m Indian Institutes of Technology. The subjects interest not just college students but also curious minds of any age. The site is clean and loads without any ads and doesn’t require any login unless you want to access the advanced features. Most modern browsers that came in the last 5 years should work fine with it though there might be problems with older browsers like Internet Explorer 6 that came with Windows XP.

Apart f r o m watching the videos, the students can take notes in the page and access them later – organized by courses. They can also connect with their friends in Facebook who are also in the same virtual class, and share information. The course pages also have related courses that the student can take next and improve the knowledge further. Selected courses also have online quiz that the students can take to get their grades, and can manage their transcripts f r o m a central location. It has a simple search tool with search suggestions and course results organized by broad topics.

The site has been designed to reduce distraction and information-intimidation as much as possible. The information available at each page is organized well, unintimidating and more homogeneous, and when playing the videos you can go full screen or hide everything other than the lecture by using “Dim the lights” option. Company founder Balaji says, “In some of the courses the teaching is so good, you might get the feel of actually attending classes in Boston while you might really be sipping a cup of coffee, strapped with your laptop in the middle of nowhere”.

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Henley MBA Receives Formal Re-Accreditation From AMBA

The Henley MBA has now received formal re-accreditation from the Association of MBAs (AMBA) for the maximum possible term of five years. The accreditation covers all 3 modes of study for the Henley MBA – Full-time, Executive and Flexible Learning, a distance learning programme.

Commendations from AMBA leading to the re-accreditation cover a variety of aspects including leadership of the business school, programme content, ambitions, staff, and student interaction. Highlight commendations include:

– “The skilful management of the merger with Reading, which has created the possibility of a large and diversified major business school.”

– “The thematic coverage and integration of personal development (in the MBA programme)”

– “A good balance of assessment provided through the use of ‘assessment bundles’ and the quality of feedback provided to students.”

Henley was also praised for the evident enthusiasm and accessibility of staff and their responsiveness to student needs, as well as the overall quality of leadership of the School, including the role of the Subject Area Leaders in managing teaching resources and ensuring quality and consistency of standards in the delivery of the MBA.

Further recommendations from AMBA, are all encouraging and support the School in its agreed plans to develop the MBA further.

“I am absolutely delighted with the commendations made by AMBA” said Professor Chris Bones, Dean of Henley Business School. “It is a really excellent outcome for the School and supports all of the work that many in the school have been involved with over the last few years to develop our MBA. The recommendations will be taken on board and we will continue to focus on exceeding the expectations of all.”

The Henley MBA is a leading business management course that can be achieved through a number of modes – the Full Time MBA, the Executive MBA and the Flexible Learning MBA, a distance learning MBA.

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Blackwell Continues Support For Growing Number Of University Students

Blackwell, the leading academic bookseller in the UK, has reinforced its focus on assisting the student market following a successful 2008-09 academic year and expects a good 2010 following a rise of nearly 6% in the number of students starting university in Autumn 2009.

The number of students accepted onto medicine, journalism, law, philosophy, chemistry and engineering degrees has risen since last year which supports the key subject areas and resources where Blackwell has already seen substantial growth. The increase in business has been seen both in store and online with ranges such as Oxford Paperback Reference, comprising of medical books, chemistry books and law books, all showing a
rise in demand.

Blackwell prides itself on building good relationships with lecturers to ensure the company stocks the books that appear on university reading lists. During the back to university period Blackwell set up temporary shops on a number of university campuses and worked in partnership with lecturers to fulfill student’s textbook requirements.

To further assist students, Blackwell introduced the new Blackwell Reward card which allows students to earn points and save pounds. Students can accrue 1 point for every £1 spent at Blackwell’s. Once they receive 100 points £5 will be added to their cards. On top of this, Blackwell introduced a second-hand scheme where students can make a saving of up to 40% off the retail value of the book when buying second-hand text books.

The Blackwell web site also provides access to over 6 million books which can be delivered direct to student’s halls of residence or can be reserved online and collected in store from one of the Blackwell campus books shops.

Blackwell has also supported students by offering price promotions on both academic and general books, including Christmas books.

About Blackwell Ltd
Blackwell is the leading academic bookseller in the UK with 44 outlets across England, Scotland and Wales. It has built an international reputation for bookselling excellence with links to academic institutions and libraries around the globe and has continued to expand its UK base on High Streets and in university campuses up and down the country. Blackwell is also a leading supplier of academic books to Libraries across the world.

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Henley Maintains Rankings For Its Executive MBA And Full Time MBA Courses

Henley Business School MBA courses have retained key business school ranking positions in both the Financial Times EMBA Rankings 2009 and Economist Intelligence Unit Full-time MBA Rankings 2009.

Overall positions have remained similar to 2008 MBA rankings, with the executive MBA ranked 6 in the UK, 15 in Europe and 44 in the world. The Henley Executive MBA has retained the top spot for MBA job progression in the UK, and has improved its rankings for both salary increase and the percentage of women students. It is a part-time executive MBA programme for experienced, practising managers looking to complete their MBA alongside full-time employment. The Henley full time MBA remains ranked 4 in the UK, 9 in Europe and 21 in the world. The Henley Full-time MBA has retained the top world spots for its potential to network, breadth of alumni network and student quality, as well as remaining number 2 in the world for Post MBA salary and number 3 in the world for salary increase. It is a full-time MBA programme to develop students’ potential and their management and leadership skills in preparation for a senior management position.

Professor Chris Bones, Dean of Henley Business School said, “The consistency represents quite an achievement in a year of considerable change… our world ranking positions are a real achievement when we consider the size, complexity and shifts in the global MBA market.

“Our intake numbers across all modes this autumn are strong and in some cases at an all-time high and we are committed to ensure that members of our MBA programmes have an experience with us that exceeds their expectations.”

The Henley MBA is a leading business management course that can be achieved through a number of modes – the Full Time MBA, the Executive MBA and the Flexible Learning MBA, a distance learning MBA.

About Henley Business School
Henley Business School was formed from the merger of Henley Management College and the Business School at the University of Reading. It is one of the longest established Business Schools and the world’s third largest supplier of MBA courses. It delivers business management training to managers in more than 140 countries worldwide with around 7,000 people studying at any one time.

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Brilliance Academy Bloggers Shed New Light on Daycare in Dallas

Brilliance Preschool & Academy provides an opportunity for local parents to get information on local news.

There’s nothing more important than a child’s education. For over a decade Brilliance Preschool & Academy has been reaching out to the students in their community, helping pave their way to a better future through a blend of customized learning techniques. Now they’re sharing their knowledge and experience with the parents in the Dallas community with the launch of the Brilliance Blog.

The Brilliance Blog being launched will give parents the latest headlines in Dallas daycare and education, along with a healthy collection of parent resources, including information on early childhood education and helpful tips for helping their children thrive both in and out of the classroom.

The Brilliance Blog is the next step in reaching out and connecting parents and their children with the Dallas community. “Brilliance Academy is a change leader in the new millennium, providing an opportunity for…active parents to develop intellectual skills in children that will help them succeed in a competitive and global society,” says Kelly Mayberry, Director at Brilliance Academy. When Brilliance Academy first launched in January of 1996 the institution set-out not to be another Dallas day care. Over the years their commitment to excellence and their dedication to building a positive learning environment for their students have made them the premier early childhood education center for preschoolers and elementary students through grade 4.

“Brilliance Preschool & Academy was founded in January of 1996 to fill a need for preschool education,” Ms Kelly Mayberry exclaims. In the following years, the institution added 1st – 4th grades based on the success of their original programs.

This growth is directly attributed to the positive development that parents have witnessed during their children’s preschool attendance at Brilliance. She adds, “We inspire, in our students, creativity, exploration and social skills that will be valuable in the years to come, as well as fully preparing them for the integration of new technologies and world cultures.”

Check out the Brilliance Blog at http://www.BrillianceAcademy.com/blog.htm and visit Brilliance Academy on the web to find more about their early childhood education experience at http://www.BrillianceAcademy.com.

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Henley Business School Has Launched A New Customer Management Safari As Part Of Its Executive Education Programme

Aimed at business leaders who wish to re-address the way their organisation responds to – and engages with – their customers, this programme concentrates on deepening an organisation’s understanding of its current and future customers. It also considers the impact of organisational climate on customer satisfaction and retention and the important role of people in the value creation process.

The Customer Management Safari will help successful participants understand and use a range of techniques to discover deep, rare, meaningful insights about customers that can form the basis of competitive advantage. Participants will also learn how to turn these insights into a customer management strategy that will deliver results.

The Customer Management Safari draws on ongoing business research by the Henley Centre for Customer Management giving every programme a unique view of customer relationships within the overall business process and that is linked to business management relevant to current business conditions.

Professor Moira Clark, Programme Director at Henley Business School, said: “Customer management is at a crucial point in its development and its strategic importance has never been greater for effective leadership. Achieving excellence in customer management means an organisation must become truly customer-centric; striving to understand the full range of factors that affect a customer’s experience of the organisation and its products and services, seeking genuine, original insight into the needs and behaviours of those customers.”

The Customer Management Safari is a new addition to the Henley Business School open executive development programmes, and a part of the highly successful range of programmes and services offered by Henley Business School Executive Education, which include both customised and tailored qualification programmes. These management courses and leadership courses are highly practical, designed to create immediate impact and make a real difference back in the work environment.

About Henley Business School
Henley Business School was formed on 1st August 2008 from the merger of Henley Management College, itself founded in 1945, and the Business School at the University of Reading. It is one of the longest established Business Schools and the world’s third largest supplier of MBA education. It delivers business management training to managers in more than 140 countries worldwide with around 7,000 people studying at any one time.

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The Henley Human Resources Centre Of Excellence At Henley Business School Has Just Completed New Research To Discover What Organisations Want Right Now From Their HR Function

The Henley HR Centre of Excellence focuses on applied research to help HR clients answer questions like: ‘What does a business want from HR?’, ‘What does a good HR person look like?’ and ‘How do you develop great HR capability?’.

The new research showed that the HR function faces both great challenges and opportunities in understanding the business, its challenges and adding value, to provide:

– Operational efficiency in HR activities: quickly slimming down existing processes and policies in line with cutbacks and finding creative ways of delivering lower cost alternatives that are not too different in quality.

– Balance between the short and long term: with CEOs in survival mode, it is imperative that HR manages the tension between saving money now and the need to identify good people, place them in the right jobs, develop them and keep them.

– Focus on what is important: HR must ensure decisions are fact based so that business performance is balanced with maintaining business reputation for both corporate social responsibility and employer branding.

– Real emotional support to the organisation: HR has to step up and implement sound, consistent strategies to help everyone through the lows of the recession, managing not just the process, but also the sentiment, the environment, and some of the messaging that goes round.

The research analysis also shows that only a minority of HR professionals are stepping up to the challenge of the recession by focusing on adding value to the business and dealing with people with integrity and respect.

The Henley Business School Advanced Human Resources Business Partner programme is based on current new studies like this along with other real-world business research into what is required from HR today. The Advanced HR Business Partner programme is intended to provide HR professionals looking to move to more senior roles with the necessary leadership skills to understand and contribute to overall business management; to help them focus on aligning the HR agenda with the strategic business imperatives of their organisations, on deriving competitive advantage for the business through delivery of that agenda and on developing their own strategic leadership skills.

The Advanced HR Business Partner programme is part of Henley Business School’s portfolio of executive development programmes aimed at helping organisations to develop effective leadership and the right calibre of managers to survive and thrive in today’s turbulent economic times. The extensive executive education syllabus includes both customised and tailored qualification programmes which are highly practical, designed to create immediate impact and make a real difference back in the work environment.

About Henley Business School
Henley Business School was formed from the merger of Henley Management College and the Business School at the University of Reading.

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Henley Business School Has Announced The Winners Of Its Henley Full-Time MBA And Part Time Henley Executive MBA Annual 100% MBA Scholarships

Henley Business School has announced the winners of its Henley Full-Time MBA and part time Henley Executive MBA annual 100% MBA scholarships, after carefully assessing a large number of applications from talented managers.

Henley Business School Has Announced The Winners Of Its Henley Full-Time MBA And Part Time Henley Executive MBA Annual 100% MBA Scholarships

The MBA scholarships are for two candidates who have been judged to offer the most value to the intake by demonstrating their exceptional academic attainment, management experience and other skills that will add value to these world-ranked business management courses for experienced professionals.

The 2009 Henley Business School/Times Executive MBA Scholarship has been awarded to Patricia Rocha-Salume who works for The Learning Trust in Hackney.

The Henley Executive MBA is a two-year, part-time programme for experienced, practising managers looking to complete their MBA alongside full-time employment and significantly enhance their management training and leadership skills.

Dr Susan Rose, Associate Head of School – Professional Studies, explained: “Patricia joins us with a wealth of life and cultural experience and is passionate about her own learning and development being taken back into the workplace and being applied to improve the business practices in the public sector.

“I have no doubt that she will bring a very distinctive perspective to the Henley Executive MBA programme in which our focus is on developing leaders with real character and integrity and the ability to make the right decisions for themselves as well as the communities with whom they go on and work with in life. Patricia’s story and aspirations are consistent with how a great MBA can create benefits not just for the individual but for those around them too.”

The Henley Full-time MBA Scholarship has been awarded to Bijayananda Panda of Pune, India who will be joining Henley with a very strong management record in data engineering and consultancy, together with international experience of project leadership across many European countries. The Henley MBA, a world-ranked business management course for experienced professionals, is designed especially for managers with considerable experience and plenty of achievements to share.

Dr Giampiero Favato, Programme Director for the Henley Full-Time MBA and Henley Executive MBAs said: “Bijay will provide an outstanding contribution to teamwork on the Henley Full-Time MBA and I am delighted to welcome him to the programme.”

There is only one Henley MBA but it can be achieved through a number of modes – the Distance Learning MBA, the Executive MBA and the Full-Time MBA. The Henley MBA is a leading business management course that is ranked number one in the world based on student quality, faculty quality and potential to network.

Lucy Carter, MBA Brand Manager, said: “In the current economic situation it is fantastic to see so many skilled candidates wanting to develop their management skills and trusting Henley Business School to deliver the learning and environment that best delivers that.”

Via EPR Network
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For The First Time Google Has Partnered With A Training Provider To Help Teach Marketing Executives How To Get The Most From The Google Marketing Applications

With the launch of Reed Learning’s Google Marketing Academy, marketers in the UK have been given a comprehensive range of search marketing courses, that not only cover the core disciplines of Google AdWords, Google Analytics and Search Engine Optimisation but are accredited by the search engine giant themselves ensuring that the course content is not only up to date and relevant, but will help marketers, web developers or SME owners to get the most from their online marketing spend.

Reed Learning

Dan Cobley, Marketing Director at Google said “Reed Learning’s Google Marketing Academy is the first of its kind in the UK. We’re delighted to endorse these programmes as effective, best-practice learning in the essentials of search marketing.”

In the current economic slowdown, many businesses are looking to maximise the return from their marketing budget. As “the UK is the world’s most developed market for online commerce, with 17p in every £1 spent online” (e-Retail Sales Index, July 2008) coupled with the ability to see the complete Return on Investment from digital marketing activities, unlike many other marketing methods, online marketing offers an attractive proposition to savvy businesses.

Reed Learning is offering a range of online marketing courses for both beginners and advanced marketers. The Google AdWords training will help teach businesses how to create and maintain effective Pay Per Click accounts, Google Analytics Training will teach marketers how to make websites work harder and how to analyse a website’s online presence, whilst the Search Engine Optimisation training will help businesses maximise their online exposure in the natural search engine results pages.

Alex Fenn, Marketing Director, at Reed Learning said: “We’re delighted to be able to add the Reed Learning Google Marketing Academy to our course portfolio. In our research, 71% of marketing professionals saw Google AdWords as an important tool for increasing return and reducing spend. With so many organisations feeling the pinch this year, one of these courses will be a valuable and timely investment.”

Visit us online or call 0800 132 448 to find out more about Reed Learning’s Google training courses.

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Climate Cops Programme In Worcester Hosted By Npower

npower, one of the UKs largest energy providers, has been hosting the ‘Climate Cops’ programme, which visited Worcester’s Powick C.E Primary School in an effort to help the school become greener and more sustainable.

Over 52 pupils in years 4 and 5 were involved in the Climate Cops Academy which helps children learn how to become greener at home and in school in a fun and engaging way. The highly interactive day was filled with activities, including generating electricity with body movement, working with miniature examples of renewable energy sources and using thermal imaging cameras to see how much heat is emitted from human body and the effects of insulation.

Worcestershire County Council has been working closely with npower for over 12 months on the Climate Cops programme, helping schools throughout the local area. The scheme follows the Government’s National Framework for Sustainable Schools and forms a key part of npower’s Brighter Futures Programme which aims to inspire young people from the first day of school to the first day of work and brings npower’s education programmes under one umbrella.

The Climate Cops programme can also provide schools with ‘green makeovers’, including free energy audits, helping to implement tailor-made energy efficiency measures to reduce a school’s carbon footprint.

Head teacher at Powick C.E Primary School, Mr Richard Drewett, said: “The Climate Cops Academy has taught the children about climate change and saving energy in a really fun way. They’ve learnt some simple ways to conserve energy that will make a big difference to the school, their homes and the environment.”

Rupert Brakspear, Learning for Sustainability Officer at Worcestershire County Council added: “It’s great to see a class of children so excited, exploring ideas around energy and climate change. I’m certain the experiences they have had during the Climate Cops Academy day will give them plenty to think about over the coming weeks ahead. It is the small things we can all do that add up to making a big difference and we hope this programme will work with other schools in the city to help reduce the overall amount of energy used.”

This year, six other schools and over 375 children in Worcester will experience Climate Cop Academies, including; Cherry Orchard Primary, Turves Green Primary, Fairfield Community Primary, Upton upon Severn Primary and Great Witley Primary School. Lyppard Grange Primary School has already benefitted from the initiative at the start of the year.

Teachers and children can go to the Climate Cops website at www.climatecops.com for interactive games and downloadable activities. Teachers can also visit www.npowerbrighterfutures.com to order their copy of the Climate Cops teaching resources that bring education for sustainable development, science, geography and citizenship to life.

About npower:
npower is one of the UKs largest electricity supplier and draws on 50 years experience in supplying electricity and gas. npower offers a range of essential home and business services to 6.6 million customers across the UK.

Via EPR Network
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The 2009 TAP Award, A Scholarship Program And One-Time Grant Opportunity For Outstanding Professionals And Philanthropists, Has Now Been Announced

The 2009 TAP Award, a scholarship program and one-time grant opportunity for outstanding professionals and philanthropists, has now been announced. We are now accepting applications for the Fall 2009 award.

From the scholarship information page:

The TAP Award is a scholarship program and one-time award granted to one or more individuals based on academic excellence, community service, demonstrated professionalism, and dedication to post-secondary education and philanthropy.

The goal of this program is to assist future professionals and philanthropists in obtaining an undergraduate or graduate degree that will allow the winners to continue in pursuing these ideals.

Professionalism, as we will define it for the purpose of this award, is independent of career field. It is a mind-set, a way of thinking and behaving both in and out of the public eye that defines a person. A restaurant cook may be every bit as “professional” as a doctor or lawyer. Applicants must demonstrate, in their own words, why they consider themselves to be professionals.

Philanthropy, as we will define it, is not about writing a check to a charity. As considered for this award, philanthropy embodies a true spirit of giving and giving back. No money needs to have changed hands for the successful applicant. Rather, applicants must demonstrate how, through 100 hours or more of community or volunteer service, they have helped to enrich the lives of others. Again, applicants must prove to us how they have themselves lived as philanthropists and will continue to do so.

Undergraduate members of The Aspiring Professional may begin completing their 2009 Application immediately. Applications must be finalized by June 15, 2009.

More information about the 2009 TAP Award may be found at:
http://www.aspiringpro.com/award/scholarship.php

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