Simon Le Tocq, Chief Executive of the GTA University Centre looks back over another successful year for the organisation.
2021 was another year significantly impacted by COVID-19 but a year in which businesses were starting to find their feet in terms of adapting to the new normal of operating in a pandemic. At the GTA, a second lockdown meant a further temporary cessation of all face to face to training, but it certainly did not mean an end to learning.
The demand for online learning continued its upward trajectory with almost 1/3 of the training delivered by the GTA in 2021 being online in one form or another (94 courses out of a total of 294). Online learning is not perfect - it can be a frustrating experience when the technology doesn’t work, and our experience is that the majority of our delegates prefer the actual to the virtual classroom, but eLearning does present a number of advantages and opportunities which we have started to explore. In the later part of 2021, we started offering training which delegates could receive either in person in our training rooms or if they preferred virtually from home, the office or elsewhere. This hybrid format has been very successful not only in terms of providing choice and flexibility for delegates but also in terms of opening up our learning beyond local shores. For example, we are now able to deliver a training course to employees of an organisation working in different jurisdictions. For some, their experience of online learning may have been as a result of the pandemic but while the effects of COVID-19 will hopefully soon be but a memory virtual training, like remote working, is here to stay and at the GTA we continue to exploit its potential to open up learning opportunities to the Bailiwick and beyond.
Director training continued to see strong demand in 2021 which is excellent news for Guernsey boardrooms. We saw record numbers going through the IOD Company Direction programme with 3 cohorts and a total of 56 delegates. The NED Development Programme, our mentoring programme for aspiring directors, also attracted very good numbers of both participants and host boards.
We saw increased demand for bespoke training, and this is an area in which we have developed considerable expertise over the past few years as more organisations have begun looking towards personalised learning and development solutions for their employees. Our Programmes Managers work closely with organisations to understand their specific needs and translate these into training programmes. In 2021 we designed 48 such programmes across a variety of different subject areas delivered both in-house and at the GTA.
The GTA is proud to be a part of the Guernsey Institute and 2021 saw close working with the College of Further Education and Institute for Health and Social Care Studies with numerous working groups and events bringing staff together to improve the post-16 offering for the Bailiwick. The GTA has a small team but we certainly punch above our weight and are keen to play our part for TGI in helping upskill the workforce of Guernsey and ensure we remain a competitive jurisdiction on the global economic stage.
In 2021 our team of 14 staff coordinated the training and development for over 2,700 islanders, delivering 294 courses. The range and depth of the programmes we offer is extensive and we work continually to ensure our learning portfolio meets customers’ needs. Our Programmes Managers spend much of their time visiting businesses to ensure that our courses are meeting industry needs and in 2021 we introduced 18 brand new courses.
We would like to thank each and every one of our customers for their support in 2021 and look forward to assisting them with their training needs in 2022.
See our full stats infographic HERE
If you would like to learn more about how the GTA can help you on your learning journey, please call 01481 224570 to speak to one of our Programmes Managers.