For a fresh perspective on the issues surrounding the training profession, be sure to check out the UK Training Magazine Online , published by Changing Times. We hear so much about the current and emerging trends here in the states that it’s refreshing to read about what’s important in training in other parts of the world.

What you’ll find on this British site
UK Training Magazine Online provides a compilation of training-related sites, short articles, reviews, and UK training news reports.

The most useful resource on the page is definitely the Links to Other Training Web sites (mostly UK sites). Of the many articles on the list, I found the following to be most interesting and useful. Do not be fooled by the pedestrian titles; these articles are worth reading:

  • “Training To Understand Others.” This article describes a personality model, developed by the author, that can help trainees focus on the perspectives of others.
  • “Trainers and Technology.” Did you know that CD-ROMs and other computer-based learning packages do not appeal to extroverts? This article discusses the conclusions of a study that found that only a small group of people enjoyed learning from CD-ROMs and similar packages. These people were predominantly female, over-35, and introverted.
  • “Training Method Selector.” This short piece refers you to a Web-based decision-making tool that helps trainers choose the most appropriate training method for a particular topic.

Most of the topics on the Web site are fairly short, but they link you to other pages or provide resources that supply more detailed information.

To start your day off on a humorous note, you can click on the link to the “Cartoon of the Day” found on the main page of UK Training Magazine Online . Ted Goff’s cartoons offer a take on corporate life that most of us can relate to. The page links to a database of his cartoons, which are available for use when your presentation or training material yearns for some extra pizzazz. The cartoons are an excellent value—the price for using one of his cartoons in a single presentation is $35 ($100 in a newsletter).

The down side of this Web site is that the content is not updated as frequently as it should be, but that is because the content is contributor-driven. It could definitely use some jazzy graphics to spice it up, too—it looks more like a discussion forum than a corporate Web page. But then again, maybe I’m just a spoiled American!

The verdict:
UK Training Magazine Online will help you to think “out of the box” and it will show you some training perspectives that differ from the current trends in the U.S. It is an especially good resource to check when you need a change of pace and are feeling a bit global!
If you have a training tool or product you’d like to recommend to other trainers and would like to have your review published, please let us know by sending us a note . If you’d like to comment on this review, please post your comments below.