ELITE Conference 1998
(Economic Learning in Training for Enterprises)
project part-funded by the EC Leonardo da Vinci Programme
25 and 26 November 1998
Plymouth Pavilions, Plymouth, United Kingdom
CALL FOR DELEGATES
Focus of the Event
Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs - those employing up to 250) are the most important type of company in the world.
They are very often the driving force behind many of the innovations we have seen in recent history, being responsible for the development of many new products and services, and for opening up valuable markets around the world.
In order to improve the survival and growth rate amongst SMEs, owners, managers and employees need to be equipped with the skills and experience which will support business success, whether it is in its infancy or whether it is looking to consolidate and grow.
It is essential for organisations to examine the roles, costs, value and benefit of all training interventions, from tutorial and company mentor support within existing and emerging forms of open and flexible learning, to bespoke training interventions held either as company specific events or through open access programmes.
Aims and Structure of the Conference
At the conference, we will be presenting the CBA model, and the research findings, including the case studies, as well as papers from other Leonardo da Vinci projects and from other leading researchers concerned with issues in the same areas:
1. PAVE project (Promoting Added Value through Evaluation) (Jill Strachan, University of Plymouth)
2. Selecting Appropriate Telematic Delivery Systems for Flexible Learning (Steve Wheeler, RATIO, University of Plymouth)
3. The Learning Network (Anthony Felstead, Hampshire TEC)
4. The impacts of professional training on small and medium sized hotels in the Algarve (Georgette Andraz, Universidade do Algarve)
5. The Credit Framework for Industry (Brenda Eade, Anglia Polytechnic)
6. Innovation and Learning in the Textile and Apparel sectors (Ruth Carter and Ed Rhodes, Open University)
7. SMEs in an Environment of Change: Computer Based Tools to Aid Learning and Change Management (Graham Winch, University of Plymouth)
8. Quantifying the effectiveness, in economic and training terms, of academia-industry partnerships in a low prosperity region of the UK (Jan Bennett, University of Plymouth)
9. Experiential Learning (Kathy Martin, Adventure North, USA)
The Conference and Exhibition
All conference and exhibition activities will take place under one roof, giving delegates easy access to sponsors and exhibitors.
Papers will be presented throughout bot days, enabling conference participants to meet and discuss innovative training and evaluation tools.
Who should attend?
Managers/Owners of organizations
HR and Finance Managers/Directors
Employees
Researchers
Trainers
Costs (discounts for 'early bird' bookings)
Delegates Normal £180 for both days
£90 for one day
Concession (i.e. Students) £50
Exhibitors £235 per stand
Sponsorship Various sponsorship packages are available, including:
Gold £2000
Silver £1000
Bronze £400
The ELITE Project - Background Information
Funded by the European Commission through the Leonardo da Vinci programme, a transnational partnership of leading academic, industrial and social research insitutes in 5 EU Member States has been developed to assess the economic impact of different types of training undertaken in SMEs:
PROSPER, University of Plymouth, University of Exeter, University College of St Mark & St John, Plymouth Chamber of Commerce and Tellus Ltd in the UK.
Universidade do Algarve in Portugal
Universidad de Murcia in Spain
Lifelong Learning Institute in Finland
University of Tilburg in Netherlands
The starting point for this project and its 'working hypothesis' is that if SMEs are to invest in training, there must be an economic return on this investement in human resources, in the same way that the business would expect a return on machinery investment.
The project has 4 aims:
1. to develop a model which enables SMEs to quantify the economic benefits of the training undertaken adn to determine the most appropriate training methods for the delivery of different training programmes
2. to examine the roles, cots, value, benefits of tutorial and company mentor support within existing and emerging forms of open and flexible learning
3. to examine the cost, value and benefits to smes of undertaking training utilising existing and emerging forms of open and flexible learning, including delivery utilising telematics
4. to actively disseminate project findings.
In addition to a trans-national model(s) of Cost Benefit Analysis, the project aims to conduct a comparative evaluation of findings from the partner countries to explore and comment on differences in approach and aid the transfer of good practice.
More information is available by contacting
Mireia Rogers
Tellus Limited
Parkway Court
Marsh Mills
Plymouth
PL6 8LR
Tel +44 (0) 1752 207007
Fax +44 (0) 1752 207008
email
mireia@intelligence.co.uk