news


Brazil IT boom takes Speexx to São Paolo


Online language learning company Speexx is opening its first office in South America, at São Paulo in Brazil. The company points to research from Gartner that says Brazil is now the second-largest IT market among emerging economies after China, making the country a number one target for online learning providers. Jörg Koberling, founder and CEO


of dp, the company behind Speexx, said: “Brazil has experienced some of the world’s largest growth over the past decade, tripling its economy to become the seventh largest in the world. With Speexx we have grown our user base in the market by more than 200% over the last 12 months. To leverage their position in a global economy, companies based in


Jörg Koberling: Brazil growth


Brazil will need to improve the business communication skills within their workforce – most notably in English and Spanish – to communicate with the rest of the world.” DP recently won a contract to provide language services to ArcelorMittal. The steel and mining company’s 262,000 staff across 60 countries are expected to be given access to English, French, Spanish, Italian and German courses through an online portal.


Rival language learning company Rosetta Stone is working with Gatwick Airport and trade union Unite to deliver language training to airport staff, including customer service staff, security officers, first-aid providers and the fire service.


Customer relationships benchmarked


Brightwave and Towards Maturity are exploring how learning technologies can help firms build better relationships with their customers. The e-learning company and the researcher are


launching a ‘speedy benchmark’ to dig deeper into how technology can help deliver results in this critical business area. The two organisations want to find what works well and what doesn’t. They are also interested in what is on the horizon for customer strategies and what the top performers are doing to improve the customer experience. The study is working through a short survey which helps participants compare and improve their work in this field. The deadline for the survey is mid-April and the report is due out in May. The speedy benchmark can be found at bit.ly/GZ3lDo


CIPD updates professional code


Contract Opportunity


Newcastle Business School, Northumbria University is inviting tenders for the development of their teaching materials into online learning format. Tender documents, including full details, can be accessed once registered on the University’s e-tendering portal at the following link www.northumbriaunitenders.org


Please note the response deadline is 25th April 2012. If you have any queries regarding accessing the documents please contact the procurement team at fi.procurement@northumbria.ac.uk


A revised code of professional conduct, along with modernised complaints and disciplinary procedures, has been unveiled by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). Vicky Wright, chair of the CIPD’s nominations and professional conduct committee and Immediate past president, said: “Public expectations of the behaviour of professionals are rising and it is vital that the CIPD demonstrates its members are subject to a strong code of professional conduct and that complaints regarding the conduct of its members are taken seriously and can lead to appropriate penalties.” The new code sets out clear and simple requirements of members under four headings:


 Professional competence and behaviour  Ethical standards and integrity  Representative of the profession  Stewardship.


The CIPD board has also agreed to new complaints and disciplinary arrangements. These arrangements will now comprise two distinct phases with their own specialist panels, and it claims this will result in greater ownership of the investigation process by CIPD members and a wider group of professionals being able to hear disciplinary cases.


The full code can be viewed at: www.cipd.co.uk/about/code-of- conduct-review


e.learning age april 2012 www.northumbria.ac.uk


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