Podcasts | Virtual College

Episode Eight | How do you roll out digital training during a turbulent landscape?

Organisations are facing a difficult period where budgets are being cut and are experiencing challenges to retain their staff. Understaffed departments mean training is required to upskill employees and encourage career development. So how do you do this?

In this podcast episode Mel Kilcoyne, our Business Development Leader, and Claire Turner, one of the Business Development Managers here at Virtual College by Netex, share some fantastic insight into how to roll out digital training during times like this. Mel and Claire address the challenges HR and Training Managers are seeing and share some great tips on how to best utilise a Learning Management System to keep your learners engaged and save time. They also discuss how organisations are moving towards face-to-face training and how this can be used best within a blended approach.

If you would like to know more about rolling out digital training during turbulent times, get in touch with Mel or Claire here.

Episode Seven | Managing and Leading in a Hybrid World

Even though we’ve been managing and leading within a hybrid work environment for some time now, are we actually doing it effectively? What do we now have to consider whilst half our teams are online and half are in the office?

In this podcast episode, Jamie Ashforth, Head of Sales at Virtual College by Netex and Sophie Steel, Consultant Trainer and Certified Coach at Sales Activator delve deep into how managers and leaders are having to change their practices to effectively manage their hybrid teams. They have an open, honest discussion about everything from change management and the fear of the unknown, growth mindset, neuroscience within leadership and much more.

To find out more about Virtual College by Netex’s online training content, get in touch with Jamie Ashforth here.

To find out more about Sophie Steel and or Sales Activator, you can find her on LinkedIn here or on the Sales Activator website here.

Episode Six | Let's talk about the Skills Deficit

Across the UK, organisations are facing skills shortages as the impact of the pandemic has led us to an "employees' marketplace". Although this is beneficial for workers, businesses are experiencing a lack of skills internally and are left facing challenges when recruiting talent externally, which in turn is having a knock on effect, resulting in lower revenues and higher costs.

In this podcast episode, Adam Wade, Learning Technology Consultant and Nicole Horsman, Sales Director at Virtual College engage in an indepth discussion with Katy Neep, Gender Equality Campaign Director at Business in the Community (BITC), on the challenges organisations are facing when it comes to closing skills gaps and the "Skills Deficit". They also discuss the barriers to people accessing skills and share some expert advice on how to retain expertise within organisations.

"Businesses are describing their learning opportunities as a shopfront, where the shelves are stocked with exciting products but the shutters are down" Business in the Community.

Episode Five | How can we use learning design principles to support & inform digital learning?

Jez Anderson, Learning Solutions Consultant and Abi Holmes, Learning Solutions Enablement Manager, got together to chat about how we use ‘human centred design’ to underpin our design processes and the benefits this has for the learners.

They cover the basics from the simple question ‘what is digital learning’ and ‘life before the internet’ through to topics such as ‘utilising digital to make the most of your training’ and ‘the importance of putting the learners and learning front and centre’.

If you're thinking of introducing digital learning into your organisation, this short podcast might help show you the way and we're always on hand should you wish to find out more.

Episode Four | How does mental wellbeing influence people strategy in organisations?

Mental Wellbeing is important now more than ever for organisations. With the pandemic changing the ways in which we work, mental wellbeing should be an important part of our people strategy.

Sarah Cooksedge, Learning Technology Consultant at Virtual College interviews Denise Smith, L&D Consultant and Kath Armitage, Business Psychologist and Coach from To Flourish to address two fundamental questions about mental wellbeing in organisations.

Why have the recent changes in people’s working patterns and locations led to a change in the wellbeing strategy in organisations?
What have we seen that organisations are doing to ensure mental wellbeing is just as important as physical well-being?

Listen to find out more about the preventative measures organisations can take to help their staff’s mental wellbeing and the how to implement mental wellbeing into your people strategy today.

To find out more about The ISO standards on psychosocial risks and promoting wellbeing at work, click here.

To take To Flourish’s Workplace Mental Health Audit, click here.

Episode Three | What does it mean to truly 'go digital'?

Have you really gone digital? Or have you simply switched to using Microsoft Teams? Many organisations claim to fully embrace ‘going digital’ but simply translate their face-to-face activities online. We can use digital technologies and tools within learning to complement face-to-face training and deliver learning programmes that are digitally based.

In this podcast episode, host Jez Anderson, Learning Solutions Consultant at Virtual College and guest Paul Westlake, Digital Director at People Unboxed, unpack what it means to “go digital”. They offer practical advice on how to fully embrace digital technology within training and give you some great examples of digital tools you can use to engage and interact with your learners.

Episode Two | How can you use Marketing Principles to Engage your Learners?

Did you know that you can use marketing principles to engage your learners? By simply understanding their needs a little more and using the channels that are right for them, you could open up your learning and development programmes to a whole new audience.

This episode hears our Chief Marketing Officer, Simon Falconer chat to Ashley Sinclair, Managing Director of MAAS Marketing about how to really understand your learners and apply marketing tactics and principles to keep them engaged.

Episode One | How has Equality, Diversity and Inclusion evolved?

Organisations and businesses are recognising the role they play in creating inclusive, safe and fair workplaces, and understanding that empowering diverse talent is a big step to building a successful organisation.

This episode hears Adam Wade, our Learning Technology Consultant talk to Zahoor Ahmad ED&I Expert from Skipton Building Society about how ED&I has evolved & offers insightful and practical advice on how businesses can start to implement ED&I policies.