A message from Richard…..

As I’m writing this there’s a chill wind blowing over the Black Mountains of the Languedoc, the sun is bright, and I’m ignoring the urge for another glass of vin rouge.

And if you think I’ve been ignoring you, well, I have; I’m hiding in the south of France to produce the Learning Management System for the forthcoming event apprentice programme; lots of clever online lraining to supplement the workshops that form the backbone of the programme.

I was a bit strapped for column ideas because I’m desk-bound for a month, but then I had that wonderful flash of inspiration, the one that accompanies a good Merlot. Writing and collating this material is like designing an effective conference, albeit one which lasts for 18 months.

Right at the start I have to create an introduction that is compelling, entertaining and encouraging; apprentices are going to be enthused by the buzz of our industry, and sitting quietly with a computer may not be what they had in mind. And although the new world of apprenticeships is open to everyone, the likelihood is that these will be the Gen Y and Z that we’ve all heard about, with the attention span of a hiccup. So large blocks of content have to be broken down into bite-size chunks.

Tests and quizzes have to follow the rules of gamification. And, wherever possible, video is needed to get a point across.

There have to be regular breaks, and the opportunity for the learner to go and apply what they’ve just learned. They then need to come back and share, and get individualised feedback; which is why, at the moment, this LMS is one step ahead of any conference.

The parallels are amazing, and I’m really looking forward to sharing it with you, dear reader.

And that’s not just the wine taking.

All the best, Richard… our CEO  (Chief Education Officer)