Why take part?
Business Interchange provides support to learning and skills providers who want to offer teachers, tutors and trainers work placement opportunities as part of their professional development.
Taking part in Business Interchange is the first step towards enhancing CPD provision in your organisation – whether your teaching workforce is a single trainer with a specific vocational remit or a 50-strong team responsible for delivering a wide range of courses.
Work placements contribute to a teacher, tutor or trainer’s annual 30-hours of mandatory CPD required by the Institute for Learning. They could also contribute to your organisation’s achievement of the Learning and Skills Council’s Training Quality Standard and employer responsiveness aspects of its Framework for Excellence.
Placements can be arranged around the needs of your organisation and staff. They can be anything from a short visit or series of visits, to a longer, project based placement or a two-way exchange (which also gives the host chance to spend time observing learning practices in your organisation).
Guidance and expert help are available in arranging a placement to help your organisation ensure that vocational capacity and engagement with employers increase as a result of taking part.
This includes the availability of a brochure/information pack, and best practice guides to help you support participants on placement and branded information materials to help you promote this type of CPD activity to your staff (see resources for more information).
A Business Interchange helpline (0845 602 5291) is staffed with experienced co-ordinators who can answer your questions and give you the help and support you might need in implementing Business Interchange in your organisation - as well as suppoting tutors in every step of the process. The helpline can also put you in touch with a team of co-ordinators 'on the ground', who provide more dedicated support to tutors who are having trouble finding a host or setting their objectives - or who just need more of a helping hand.
Register your organisation now to take advantage of Business Interchange support.
