We speak with Alex Noble, Head of Learning and Technology about our newly launched training initiative, Bitesize Learning.
Tell us about your role at ASCP
As Head of Learning and Technology my role allows me to use my passion for technology to improve and enhance the experience for our large community of learners that pass through our exciting portfolio every year. As we move forward, there will be an increasing need for different levels of staff to demonstrate and evidence their current skills, as well as continually develop and keep up to date with a fast-changing sector.
Our aim at the ASCP is to leverage the power and accessibility of technology to provide the best tools and experiences for the housing sector. Whether that be the community hub, where members can engage with their colleagues and our experts, or the learning hub where we use best in class tools to upskill at all levels, we adopt and deliver great technology. This enables us to deliver more choice without compromising on that elite level technical knowledge our CORGI experts bring to the table.
You were heavily involved in the creation of ASCPs brand new learning suite – tell us more about Bitesize Learning
When looking at our portfolio, there was an incredibly strong offering to take people through their technical knowledge and expanding that through to management as they advance through their career. There is a whole host of people that come into the housing sector without any experience that need to gain a base level of knowledge quickly to become effective in their roles. That is what Bitesize was born out of - the need to deliver simple and efficient chunks of learning to a wider range of roles. Understanding the context of the world we work in is important for all functional roles not just those that are on the frontline. As someone who has come from outside myself, having a gentler road to absorbing what can often be very technical concepts would have been useful for me when I started.
We also take great pride and effort to make the content engaging. Compliance can often get bad press as a dour topic and our aim has always been to try and break away from just pure scrolling and present the information in a different way.
Who is Bitesize Learning for?
Bitesize Learning is for everyone, that is the intention we set out when making this programme. The modules are as inclusive as possible by keeping the content to the point and not extending into areas that people need to invest more time to truly learn. They fit nicely into our wider product portfolio to support not only people that are fresh into the sector, but also to coach them as they move up the ranks to keep the best talent in roles that can offer a lot. Training is about more than just upskilling, it is how we support and grow the talent we have, as well as making sure that experienced heads stay at the cutting edge of what they need to know.
What else is in the pipeline for developing learning initiatives at ASCP?
While we started with the core compliance topics, we have an exciting roadmap in progress that will see us expand this portfolio to provide a wider range of content. We have the experts in house to deliver on trending topics such as DSEAR, but all still with that housing context and accessible Bitesize format. The format works for such a wide range of options - the sky is the limit, but if anyone out there has a particular need we would love to hear from you.
We also know that refresher content is an important part of maintaining compliance knowledge, especially in a time of great change. We will be developing refresher versions of our Big 7 courses so that precious minutes aren’t wasted re-learning what they already know, confirm that retained knowledge, brush up on any gaps and learn of any legislation changes. We have an obligation to deliver the right skills to the right place, but we also have great empathy with businesses and the difficulty getting budget in for training. Bitesize fits in nicely as a flexible option that will deliver the results you need faster.
Join our webinar on the 23rd July at 10.30am to find out more about Bitesize Learning.
