KMT: IT Strategy 2011-2014

KMT: IT Strategy 2011-2014

KM Training
ICT Strategy
Including the use of learning and communication
Teresa Mullin
2013
The overall ICT strategy for KM Training reflects our organisational aims and objectives and the strategy that will be implemented in order to achieve those aims.

Table of Contents

Organisation Background 3

Derby 3

Nottingham 3

IT requirements 4

In the workplace 4

Nintendo DS’s for maths training 4

Touch screen tills 4

KM client consultation website 5

E-induction Website 5

E-Tracking/Portfolio Website 5

E-learning Surveys Website 5

CPD Website 5

KM Training Videos Website 5

KM Internal Verification Website 6

In the training centres 6

Market place 6

Babington Lane 6

All online resources 6

Online testing VTCT Linx 6

ATT Software 6

Microsoft Office / Open Office 7

CCTV 7

In use by administrators 7

Management information system 7

Our IT Vision 7

Our key goals 8

SWOT analysis (2013) 9

Technological considerations 9

Current systems and developments 9

Organisation Background

KM Training (KMT) has been established since 1996. Kieran Mullin Ltd salons are our main employer placement partner with whom we collaborate closely but we in 2012 we are diversifying which will mean we hope to link with more employers.

Our Mission at KM Training is:

“To offer and provide opportunities for our learners to achieve their full potential within a supportive work-based (learning) environment in conjunction with Kieran Mullin Ltd and other employers”

“To offer and provide a business support service to Kieran Mullin Ltd and other employers to promote a sustainable, high quality, work based learning environment.”

KMT work with one main employer, Kieran Mullin Ltd to deliver Traineeships, work based Apprenticeships and Advanced Apprenticeships in Hairdressing, Barbering and Customer Service. We have recently expanded this to include, Nails, Beauty Therapy and Teaching & Assessing Awards. Learner numbers can be found in the learner analysis profile. The nature of our provision alters in relation to the environment and context within which we operate. Salons are ICT friendly and promote embedded IT development skills in such activities as using a client database, touch screen tills, laptops for embedded development of essential learning and understanding etc.

Derby

Learners in Derby are based at the following KM salons; Westfield (W), Market Place (MP), Cheapside (CS), Sinfin (SF), Littleover (L) and Babington Lane (BL) which is a dedicated training salon. All learners spend time at the training salon on a rota basis and further develop their practical skills at their KM placement salon. KMT’s Head Office is based in Derby city centre and learners attend theory sessions here. Facilities are available to support learners with the demands of the theory element of their apprenticeship frameworks. These currently include vocational resources including text books, videos and work books. Basic Skills development and Functional Skills assessments take place both in the workplace and at the training centres.

Nottingham

Learners in Nottingham can be placed at the following KM salons; Beeston, Stapleford and Arnold. All learners spend time at the training salon on a rota basis and further develop their practical skills at their KM placement salon.

Scunthorpe

The KM salon in Scunthorpe is situated within an Asda superstore (S). Model sessions provide learners with assessment opportunities and practical skill development. Theory sessions take place at Ashby Link, a local council operated adult education centre where rooms are hired for training. The rooms are equipped for learners to watch videos and do computer work as well as work independently or with their tutor. However, KMT are limited in the use of this equipment as we are not allowed to download any permanent software or materials onto the ICT equipment at Ashby Link. Basic Skills development and Functional Skills assessments take place both in the workplace and at the training centres.

IT requirements

KMT has identified a need to provide a more structured approach to ILT for both its learners and also for its future growth and competitiveness. As IT provision comes under increasing government scrutiny and e-learning is held in increasingly high regard, so KM Training should reflect this in their ILT strategy. We have developed a site for accessing free e-learning and IAG(Information, Advice and Guidance) resources www.education-net.org and linked to this is a self-assessment quiz to assist employers initially assess ICT skills.

We aim to employ e-learning as a catalyst for change in both the ‘off the job’ and ‘on the job’ provision of employed apprentice hairdressers and barbers. E-learning has already been rapidly embedded into the learning and assessment process at KM Training. Increasingly ICT is being embraced by the employer and thus the exposure to e-learning opportunities that the apprentices have in the workplace is growing.

Through apprentice and staff training we aim to enable e-learning to become fully embedded and integrated in the daily applications within the workplace, thus enabling real change to take place. These changes relate to learning, assessment, testing and learning in addition to employer-based systems changes.

In the workplace

Most salons are fully equipped with at least one computer. Instead of printers we are now using Dropbox to share documents within our network. All salons have access to a broadband connection and software for all anticipated computer usage. All salons are currently emailing each other and Head Office and learners are also emailing their questions to KMT and have begun both vocational assessments. Babington Lane has a range of computers , laptops and soon to be installed tablets. All salons use this computer to access the client database and this is used by apprentices and by salon staff. We have also developed an increasing wealth of resources which learners can access over the internet from these computers. All have undergone training in the use of the facilities. The equipment now available within the salon network is as follows:

There are now a multitude of computers in the salons and training centres and an additional number of laptops that can be used for peripatetic assessment. Each salon computer is linked to a printer and all of the salons have an internet connection through broadband. The main provider is “Be There” but this is to be reviewed in 2013 as some of the provision is not consistent. All the salons have access to the KM database which is functioning well and has been updated to include new salons. In 2011 KMT aimed to transfer over its server provision to its own internal server which will be based in the KMT head offices in Derby (MP) and integrate the following websites. However, with lack of maintenance abilities we decided to continue to host the websites.

Nintendo DS’s for maths training

We currently have access to 2 Nintendo DS consoles for use by our learners. These have been useful for improving learner’s mental maths. These consoles can be used by anyone and are very portable so can be taken to any salon.

Touch screen tills

In almost every salon we have touch screen Samstock v2000 tills. These tills are used by all salon staff and learners and are continually helping to improve learner confidence within the use of IT. All learners and staff have been given basic training on using the tills. It may be useful to offer refresher training to users who feel they need help with it and this is something we should offer. Some salons have now got Acer Touch screen computers at the desk and salon staff can sign in and out using our KM salon system.

KM client consultation website

A new addition to our list of resources offered to learners is an e-consultation tool. Developed in late 2010 the website was developed to help learners to interact with clients better when performing the initial client consultation. We found it was increasingly important for the younger learners who often lack confidence to be able to have a tool to support their first discussion with a client.

The website runs on a large touch screen Acer computer and has currently been trialled at the Market Place salon. We are looking to introduce tablets into different salons in order to allow more users including learners access to it.

E-induction Website

Having tried to introduce a uniform process for induction we developed a website that would be used for induction of all staff and learners. This induction tool is a secure web based system that allows users to progress through a series of informative steps which all learners and staff are expected to know. There is a record on the administrative side which records completion of the induction so that it can be logged and recorded. This has been updated and now requires synching with other aspects of the system.

E-Tracking/Portfolio Website

We are continuing to develop a website that is used by learners alongside their logbooks to keep track of their learning progress. By having this online it means that both learners and assessors can access the information and that a secure backup can be kept of their data should they be unable to find their paper logbook.

Issues that we have noticed with the E-tracking system are that although they are all being taught how to use the website some learners are being slow to update their tracking. If their online data is not kept up to date then the data within it is unusable. We often have to prompt learners to fill out their tracking.

E-Tracking is not available for Beauty and nail courses as VTCT have developed an e-portfolio and although we have had staff training on this, feedback from users and VTCT themselves has been mixed and we are waiting for an improved version to emerge. We have a project proposal for Jisc to develop synching for the system and an digital ILP and review as from 2012/13 the SFA accepted electronic signatures on documents.

E-learning Surveys Website

Created to gather and analyse feedback from learners about their views on their progress and course this system is useful in helping us evaluate our methods of teaching and courses in order to continually improve our services. This was a separate website to the other. However, since our subcontracting commitments to our contractors we have been using contractors learner feedback as we have access to the results and also as it seems unfair to expose learners to a number of similar activities. We still have a paperbased staff/ associates evaluation form.

CPD Website

To track and monitor staff CPD and upload lesson observations. By doing this when they come to do appraisals they will have the information needed.

KM Training Videos Website

We are currently developing a selection of videos to help the learners with their theory and practical techniques. This project was Quantum funded. The videos are available online have been linked to youtube and are used effectively by hairdressing learners.

KM Internal Verification Website

The IV website is for the internal verification of records. This is used to ensure moderation across our learners training and to ensure equal marking. The IV website is currently being updated to improve the awareness of assessors and so that they take more notice of the moderation being done.

In the training centres

Market place

In April 2011, KMT had access to the following resources which were deemed suitable to start developing a more substantial e-learning culture. There were eight non-networked, desktop computers fully functional at the salon. These are all connected to a black and white laser printer over a simple network. Most computers have speakers or headphones and this feature is regularly used by learners when viewing training videos. We are moving away from desktops now and will be purchasing more lap tops and tablets.

Babington Lane

We currently have 4 computers at the Babington Lane salon. The main computer is used for the client database and for emailing messages to other salons. The other two computers are used by learners to access online resources and to word-process work. Having these extra two computers at this training centre has benefited the learners meaning they can make more use of their free time at the salon. Learners ‘DropBox’ their completed work into their folder which can then be accessed from other salons and the training centre.

Access to the current workstations is in the process of being restricted to improve safe-guarding and limit access to the internet through the use of “K9 Web protection”.

All online resources

All the websites that are available in employer salons are also available in training centres and we positively encourage learners to find additional resources such as the ATT VLE, www.education-net.org, www.hairdressing.ac.uk, www.scissorboy.com and www.ukhairdressers.com which they can use to support the resources we offer.

LINX testing

This increases our flexibility and cost effectiveness of testing EKU and allows their tests to be completed anywhere at any time.

ATT Software

We have used the ATT software package since 2009 and it has been positively received by all our learners. It has regular updates which although have to be done manually mean that it has the latest information and is a very valuable resource for the learners to learn the majority of the theory they need to support their hairdressing training. There is currently limited support for barbering learners within the ATT software package however and as a result barbering trainee’s may feel like they don’t have as much information available to them.