1 Learning while working

Name: Deborah Palmer
Age: 34
Job title: PA to Chairman & CEO
Company: James Donaldson & Sons Ltd
Learning: Deborah took a Higher National Certificate in Marketing in her spare time

"Initially I’d wanted to take a distance learning course or on-line marketing course, but there was nothing suitable available so I plumped for the part-time HNC in marketing at my local college. Most of my college work was two nights per week and then Saturday or Sunday to study at home. The occasional Friday afternoon was required, but this fitted in fairly well with my work schedule as Friday afternoons tend to be fairly quiet.

There were some time constraints during the course when various assignments for college had to be completed while I was under pressure at work. To me my job came first and if I was unable to complete an assignment on time then so be it – it wasn’t the end of the world. To be fair, my tutors were understanding and did everything they could to help."

Advice to others
"Anyone considering something similar should be very sure that they have the time to commit to the study. At the beginning the study time required at home is not particularly high but your enthusiasm is. As the enthusiasm wanes the study time required increases and it’s all too easy to lose impetus."


2 On-line learning

Name: Victoria Wornell
Age: 33
Job title: Secretary
Learning: Victoria undertook a Time & Expenses computer-based training (CBT) Online Learning

"The first attempt I made at CBT was before I’d received any training on a finance package which was meant to help. It was hopeless. While doing the training phones continued to ring, people came up with requests and queries, and there were a lot of distractions. People do not see that you are training when you are just sitting at your desk staring at the screen and moving the mouse occasionally, and you cannot expect everything to stop and everyone to quieten down simply because you are training.
The programme took about 20 minutes to run and by the end it was very difficult to remember the early stages properly as there had been no opportunity to try each out along the way.

I did try CBT again after training on the finance package and found that it made a lot more sense. Further experimentation allowed me to find shortcuts, etc. Unfortunately CBT was the only option offered for learning the new Time and Expenses package, and overall I would say that it was my least favourite method of learning."

Advice to others
"My experience convinced me that when training on-line you must be in a quiet environment where you will not be disturbed. I also think that no training programme will be as good as having the opportunity to play around with a system in a controlled environment where mistakes do not matter and with people who can answer your questions as and when they come up. The savings to a company may seem great at the time, but when you consider the complications that can arise from errors and the time lost correcting errors and phoning helplines, then I wonder if it really is that cost efficient."


3 National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs)

Name: Rachel Long
Age: 24
Job title: Divisional Co-ordinator for the Customer Support Division and acting PA to the division Director.
Company: OCR
Learning: Rachel took the OCR Level 3 Customer Service NVQ

"When I first started at OCR everything was new and the work was unfamiliar, so I was looking for some form of training which would help me to do my job better. I wanted a challenge and a new experience but didn’t really want to go for academic or off-site learning as I’d done a lot of that in the past. While working towards the NVQ I switched jobs within OCR. Because the NVQ is flexible, the change didn’t interrupt my learning and the two jobs were similar enough for me still to be able to gather my evidence for my NVQ from my new role.

I’m very pleased with the NVQ. It’s given me a lot more confidence which shows in my work, it’s provided the opportunity for me to focus on particular areas of expertise which I wouldn’t have been able to do before, plus it’s a portable qualification which proves that I’m proficient and dedicated."

Advice to others
"If anyone is looking for learning which is particularly relevant to the job they’re doing I’d suggest they think seriously about an NVQ and at a level which stretches them. It’s not the same as taking a fixed course; you’re given a standard and then you must produce evidence of your own competence from your own work. The learning gives you confidence in your job and, by improving your knowledge and skill, benefits the workplace too."


4 Distance Learning

Name: Leah Fairman
Age: 27
Job title: PA to the Directors
Company: buyingTeam
Learning: Leah put herself in for the Executive Secretary’s Diploma through Kudos Training

"I had the decision to do distance learning made for me by circumstances, as it was the only way my work commitment would allow me to do the course I wanted. Having said that it worked quite well. My firm supported me financially through the course because I’d demonstrated the commitment of spending personal time on it. And, although it was more difficult than I expected to fit in the time to study – the learning is cumulative so falling behind was not a viable option – I would have had homework if I’d been doing a full-time course anyway. It’s also easier to take time off from studying if you need to; you know when the assignments are due and the tutors are very understanding if you have a problem meeting a particular deadline. The down-side was that there was no formal structure and I had to be very disciplined about when I studied and for how long.

Advice to others
"Anyone doing distance learning should be very sure of the training providers and facilities. I was fortunate in that I could go in and see staff at Kudos; others who can’t should ask for references. With distance learning you don’t have the encouragement of other students and so rely more heavily on the support of the tutors. You must be sure that it will be there when you need it – and you will need it.

The other important thing to think about is the length of time you’re prepared to commit to distance learning. It is normally of a longer duration than a full-time course, and is consequently more disruptive to social life over a longer period of time. You must be sure you’ll accept that."


5 Classroom off-site training

Name: Carol Naylor
Age: 40
Job title: Assistant to Chairman/MD
Company: Sherwood Group of Companies
Learning: Carol took courses in Publisher (one day) and Access (two day Basic and two day Intermediate)

"I was given training in Publisher and Access because they were applications which could be put to immediate use. They were 'day release' by arrangement with my employer so there were no difficulties fitting them in as I merely ensured that all urgent matters were covered before I was away. I also took Illustrator and PhotoShop evening classes.

Although much of the training was done at the same establishment, the tutors taught in very different ways. One preferred people to work through task workbooks and to ask for help if having problems, one took the whole class through a task practically mouse click by mouse click, explaining every feature along the way.

The major drawback was that, although courses are clearly labelled 'introductory', the students ranged from having no experience at all to being fairly knowledgeable. It could sometimes take quite a long time for every person in the class to get to the same point and then move on. Some people were three or four workbooks ahead of others who had not had as much experience."

Advice to others
"Try and find out in advance which tutor takes which class, and what method of teaching they use. It can be very frustrating if they’re using a method which doesn’t suit you."


Contacts:

OCR www.ocr.org.uk
Kudos Training www.kudostraining.org