Survive and thrive

Peter Houillon discusses why a firm commitment to training is vital in good times and bad.

“Online products and services are opening up so many new possibilities for organisations and learners alike”
-Peter Houillon

Many employers chose to maintain commitments to training and development during the recession - why do you think this was the case?
Peter Houillon. Employees are moving between organisations with greater frequency, and even making one or more career change over the course of their working lives. Yet the reality is also that people expect their employer to provide learning and development opportunities. It's not so long since employers were engaged in a 'war for talent' - and that meant not just rewarding people well but also demonstrating a deeper commitment to development. And of course, we've had Generation Y coming through the ranks, making greater demands on their employers to help them enhance their employability, supporting them to develop soft skills alongside the more formal pursuit of professional qualifications. When the recovery starts to look more sustainable, people will be quick off the mark to seek new job opportunities if they feel their development has suffered as a result of neglect by their employer.

How are advances in internet technology impacting on the training choices employers faces?
PH. Online products and services are opening up so many new possibilities for organisations and learners alike. While I don't anticipate the end of classroom training, we can now deliver 'live' over-the-internet training that is increasingly able to mirror the classroom environment for those who can't access a Kaplan Centre due to location or time constraints. And the cost-effectiveness of online and blended learning courses makes them more attractive to employers who may otherwise have not made that investment in their staff. And, there's far more that we're doing online - for instance, Kaplan's pages on the social networking site Ning.com, where learners can read and discuss Q&As, or catch up with tutors' blogs - our technology team is continually developing new ideas; and employers and students are highly receptive.

Kaplan has recently been accredited to award its own qualifications, in partnership with employers and industry. What will be the advantages for clients of Kaplan Professional Awards?
PH. Employers are likely to enjoy improved retention levels with people feeling more positive about themselves and their employer if they know they've been supported to do a better job. It's a clear demonstration that the employer is giving something back to their employees - especially as the qualifications that we're going to be developing will be on the Qualifications and Credit Framework, which makes them transferable. And we consult throughout the process with the originating employer, observing their staff in the workplace, asking them about their jobs, attending existing training events and evaluating alternative methods of assessment. And I can tell you that many clients have already told me how excited they are by the prospect of working with us in this new way; it's an initiative where we will be able to add significant value. 

You are one the first training providers to be recognised as a professional qualifications awarding organisation. Why do you think it has taken this long to get the involvement of the trainers?
PH. To be successful, you need extremely close working relationships with employers and government departments, as well as being able to meet very strict requirements to ensure quality. You also need to demonstrate that your operations as an awarding organisation are entirely separate to those of the training division. These are quite onerous conditions. We were successful in part because of our long-standing track record of developing unrivalled links with industry. These go back in some cases 50 years. We will use these to develop the highest quality provision specifically targeted at the needs of the workforce.

What's the next step for Kaplan Professional Awards?
PH. We will work with employers to develop qualifications specifically meeting needs within their sectors and will then submit these qualifications to the UK qualification regulator for approval to be included onto the Qualifications Credit Framework. We will also be looking at existing qualification provision designed by Kaplan globally, with a view to developing these, where appropriate, for the QCF. This will create a truly global strategy of learning.

Peter Houillon is CEO of Kaplan Professional UK, which provides training for professional qualifications and higher education programmes to more than 55,000 domestic and international students. Previously, he was Chief Operating Officer and Head of the Kaplan centre in London. He has more than 20 years' experience in managing and delivering adult training and education.