Coming of Age Newsletter
Calibrand, the currency for talent®, provides solutions that assess, monitor, measure, benchmark, track and test people during periods of employment and training.
We often operate in highly regulated markets where the measurement of training and competence is critical. The company was founded in 1991 and celebrated 18 years in business on the 8th January 2009.
Solutions for testing times
It’s official, another recession, 18 years after we set-up in business in the teeth of the recession of the early nineties – along comes another one!
So, how are we all going to cope – and at what cost? And are there any tips we can pass on?
The first thing is: we’re in a pretty good position. We have no borrowings or loans so, unless a bank we deal with literally goes bust (could happen), with our cash reserves we can confidently predict we should get through the recession servicing the customers we currently have and hopefully gaining some more… but, we are taking nothing for granted.
 It seems like it’s a “30%” recession. House Prices down by 30%, new car sales down by 30%, mobile phone company earnings down 30%, etc. Of course these are either ‘big ticket’ items or items where immediate costs can be cut.
For many organisations the ‘net’ effect may be a 30% drop in the marketplace, but it can be spread over time and depends on the marketplace you are in and the condition of your customers.
Of course there are exceptions; by cutting supplier costs, winning more business and out performing those less well-placed, it is possible to thrive in a recession, and that is what we aim to do, so we’re looking forward to celebrating the next 18 years!
Calibrand produced a White paper in November 2008:
‘12 ways to reduce HR costs during a recession.’
In March 2009, Denis Saunders, MD and founder of Calibrand will present 'E-Assessment in the credit crunch/downturn/recession' at the e-assessment question 2009 conference click here for more details
Return to the top
Relocation, relocation, relocation
Calibrand has moved into new premises as we build on our success
In June 2008 we re-located to newly built office premises at Pride Park, Derby. Our new location gives us further opportunity for expansion and is more accessible for customer visits with improved presentation facilities and transport links.
Our new base is larger than our last location (we have already increased staff by 20% since the move) and aligns with our ethos of continual improvement for our products, services and staff.
|
Our new details:Calibrand House,
Mallard Way,
Pride Park,
Derby,
DE24 8GX.
Tel: 01332 222680
Fax: 01332 222690
|
Return to the top
Feature - The Great South Run
I was entered in the Great South Run, a ten-mile race held in Portsmouth, and discovered that Paula Radcliffe would be running in the very same race!
I appeared on the Portsmouth seafront on a blisteringly cold and wet morning and began my normal race routine, banana in one hand and sports drink in the other. Given the weather, I would have gladly swapped those for a cup of tea and a warm blanket.
Before my race I did get to see Paula start her race; well I saw her for the few seconds before the starting pistol fired and she sprinted off into the distance. Despite my best efforts I was sadly unable to catch her up: well, it was raining.
Within the next few minutes the weather didn’t matter; I found myself involved in one of my most enjoyable experiences ever. I was one of 19,000 people (plus their families and friends offering moral support) running in one of the best-supported events I have been to. Everybody there was running to raise money for charity, including myself, and the crowds were cheering us on from the start to the finish. I have no doubt we helped to raise a phenomenal amount of money for many different charities.
Paula was not the only celebrity I managed to spot. On my way to the line up I quite literally bumped into David James, the Portsmouth and England goalkeeper. He was there supporting his wife who was running in the event before he had to dash off to Fratton Park for the one-all draw with Fulham.
I crossed the finish line in 875th place with a time of 1h 14mins 18secs, some seven and a half minutes slower than my personal best and some 24mins behind Paula but like it said, it was raining.
My time did not matter as I had the most fantastic experience. I would thoroughly recommend any of these Great Run events to anyone. It’s wonderful to be a part of something that makes a real difference to the runners and those that benefit from their charities.
Ian Robinson, Consultant, Calibrand
To support Ian and his preferred charity cancer research – please click on his name.
Return to the top
How Green is our valley?
The move to our new offices this year has been an excellent opportunity to try to reduce our use of the world’s resources. By moving into new premises built to the latest standards, our offices have become more energy-efficient.
The move has also encouraged ‘energy-consciousness’ amongst our team, because small steps can add up to a big change, so for example:
- All equipment is switched off in the evening and when not in use
- Thermostats are set to the ‘just comfortable’ setting
- When making a drink, we only boil the water we need
We have encouraged more recycling in our offices, particularly of paper, and are looking to increase the amount of material that we recycle. Our new location has also allowed more use of public transport and cycles.
 |
May ‘08 |
Nov ‘08 |
Car journeys to work
(Per employee per week) |
4.23 |
3.19 |
By next summer, we hope to reduce this even further by travelling to work by walking, cycling, train, bus and even canoe!
Return to the top
Assessment Led Training and Candidate ‘Self-Management’
The concept of assessment-led training is a simple one. Organisations use assessments to drive the learning process and to create a participant-managed skills gap analysis and personal development plan.
On-line assessments make it easy to implement assessment-led learning. The candidate is encouraged to take preparatory examinations – often in their own time and at their own pace, and identify their own personal skills gaps.
The learning references available to the candidate provide a personalised skills gap analysis, which guides them to the subject area where they need to improve. Material may be sourced from the Internet, an online learning library, or increasingly relate to National Occupational Standards (NOS). This leads the candidate towards self-management of their own personalised learning paths, increasing his motivation and at the same time it reduces the tracking burden for HR and training managers, whilst managers and mentors retain visibility through exception reports. These benefits advance further when the assessment-led learning is backed up with a linked e-portfolio application, that allows candidates to build up a permanent, accessible record of their achievements.
We have several recent implementations where self-managed assessment-led training has taken off and created very clear measurable benefits to the people within the organisation.
Return to the top
Medical Revalidation
The 2007 white paper ‘Trust, Assurance, and Safety - The Regulation of Health Professionals in the 21st Century’ initiated the recent introduction of medical revalidation; a process that requires all Doctors to be periodically appraised to demonstrate their fitness to practice.
Revalidation follows the proposals set out in the Chief Medical Officers report: ‘Good doctors, safer patients 2006’, providing a new approach to the promotion and assurance of good medical practice.
The Academy of Royal Colleges sees an e-portfolio as "an essential component for revalidation".
Calibrand e-portfolio provides a tool that enables medical organizations of all sizes to fulfil their revalidation needs electronically.
Return to the top
Trends in e-Solutions within Government
With the cost of implementing e-solutions falling, more Government departments are using online solutions such as e-assessment and e-portfolio.
Calibrand has identified the trends that are influencing the growth of e-solutions in the Central and Local Governmental sectors.
- Government departments integrate e-solutions into their infrastructure.
More government sectors are deploying intranets to increase communication and productivity. This encourages employees to participate in more training and allows employees to learn at their desks.
- Churning skill sets require new initiatives.
With job descriptions evolving faster than the supply of qualified candidates, many departments rely on constant, on-the-job training to remain competitive. Calibrand has recognized that e-solutions can help these sectors access new skills and provide improvements to employees quickly and efficiently.
- Government departments deploy e-solutions at all levels.
Government departments have discovered that e-solutions can dramatically improve the quality of life for citizens while reducing the financial burden on taxpayers.
- Organisations use e-solutions to get everyone at the same level sooner.
As the government sector is increasingly managed in smaller, more tightly focused departments, the connections between these operating units determine the success or failure of projects and products. E-solution systems allow employees in collaborating sectors to understand shared objectives. Employees can be assessed and monitored in a timelier manner.
Return to the top
Awarding Bodies Past, Present and Future
The Past…Background
The first Awarding Body was established in 1878 following a meeting of 16 of the City of London’s livery companies and the Corporation of London to create City and Guilds.
To regulate awarding bodies the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority in England (QCA), the Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (DCELLS) and the Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment in Northern Ireland (CCEA) have a statutory remit to accredit and regulate qualifications.
The Present…New Awarding Bodies
The list of awarding bodies is forever changing, with some merging together and new organisations achieving awarding body status such as Network Rail, Flybe and the well-known fast food chain McDonalds.
Calibrand attended the FAB conference for awarding bodies on the 14th--15th October 2008 at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry (see below).
The event was attended by over 300 hundred delegates over the 2 days and saw the launch of Calibrand’s “Online Correction Tool” Calibrand Marker.
The Future…QCF Framework Changes
The revised framework is a new way of recognizing and assessing skills and qualifications. It does this by awarding credit for qualifications and units.
By awarding credits it will make it easier to see what type and level of qualification a learner has.
Calibrand will continue to work with awarding bodies in order to help the process of assessing candidates for qualifications and measuring the achievements of learners.
Return to the top
Events
HR Ireland
27/11/2008
Calibrand exhibited at the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin in November this year, and presented our white paper on ’12 ways to reduce HR costs during a recession’.
FAB Conference
14/10/2008 - 15/10/2008
In October of this year Calibrand exhibited at The Conference for the Federation of Awarding Bodies at Coventry Ricoh Arena, where we launched Calibrand Marker.
Appraisal, Revalidation and Recertification
14/01/2009
Calibrand exhibited in London on 14th January 2009 at The Appraisal, Revalidation and Recertification Implementing Medical Revalidation conference.
The e-Assessment Question 2009
18/01/2009 – 19/01/2009
Calibrand is sponsoring the e-Assessment Question 2009 event near St. Pancras, London in March. Our MD and founder, Denis Saunders will be speaking at the conference on the 18/01/2009.
Revalidation moving forward
25/03/2009
Calibrand will be attending the above event in London.
Return to the top
Product News
calibrand e-portfolio
calibrand e-portfolio system:
- Allows you to track the progress of candidates at all stages within their development programme.
- Enables easy verification of completed assessments, meeting required standards.
- Provides a central, personal collection of achievements, and convenient evidence for yearly assessments.
- Allows candidates, assessors, and managers secure access to the e-portfolio system, at any Internet point, at any time.
- Is interactive, allowing ongoing feedback, reflection, and communication between users.
calibrand marker
calibrand marker is the new online correction tool that can:
- Assist in marking essay and case-study based examinations.
- Increase examination-based revenues.
- Reduce time and costs spent administering, marking and sending exam papers.
- Enhance security using secure online assessments - no more lost or delayed papers.
- Decrease the reliance on paper-based assessment.
Return to the top
|
Return to Calibrand News
