Letter from UK

ELearning budgets increase in the voluntary sector

London (UK), May 2010 - (by Bob Little) A survey of learning technologies in the UK's voluntary sector - encompassing over 80 charities, representing more than 50,000 staff and volunteers - has found that: The top four benefits of adopting learning technologies are: improving flexibility of learning; improving access to learning; cutting costs and increasing reach.




Over 66% of participants are looking for their investment in learning technologies to help increase staff retention; improve training quality; increase the number of qualified staff; enhance the induction process; reduce time spent learning; and improve administration efficiency. Improving learning delivery and its impact is more important than just finding a 'cheaper option' when it comes to employing learning technologies.


There's nothing particularly 'earth-shattering' in these findings - although there would have been if the survey hadn't revealed these things. Nonetheless, it's nice to see that the voluntary sector is beginning to wake up to the advantages of 'learning technologies' (otherwise known as eLearning systems and content) and so follow the leading of all the other sectors in the economy.


However, what is really innovative in this story is how the third sector is freely sharing best practice through, for example, the Charity Learning Consortium.

According to sources close to this Consortium, there is a genuine openness among members to collaborate in this field at least. Consortium members include some of the major charities in the UK - notably the British Red Cross, Mencap, The Prince's Trust, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID), the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Barnado's, Breast Cancer Care, Guide Dogs for the Blind, and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award.





For over 20 years, Bob Little has specialised in writing about, and commentating on, corporate learning - especially elearning - and technology-related subjects. His work has been published in the UK, Continental Europe, the USA and Australia.
You can contact Bob.