Press Release

Mon, 21 Mar 2011

Press Release

Britain’s top comic talent provide valuable lessons to small businesses

learndirect Business has today launched a series of eCourses featuring the cream of British comedy talent, designed to boost key business and management skills within small to medium enterprises (SMEs).

Widely used by large employers, the courses will now be made available to micro and SME businesses via learndirect Business.  For the first time, businesses of all sizes can access the courses online in a way to best meet the needs of their staff and themselves.

Developed by Video Arts, the courses engage the learner with entertaining video content using memorable characters played by the likes of top comic talent, Ricky Gervais, Hugh Laurie, Dawn French and James Nesbitt and cover  key business skills including, Interviewing, Customer Service, People Management, Communication Skills and Selling Skills.

Kirstie Donnelly, Products and Marketing Director, learndirect Business, said:
“These courses offer engaging online learning that is proven to be effective and inexpensive, which are two of the key concerns of small business managers when it comes to training. They offer an efficient way for staff to develop their skills that is enjoyable and therefore more likely to be put into practice and drive positive behavioural change to benefit the business. They are designed to address skills that are key to business performance and to integrate into the working day without causing disruption or drop in productivity. Not having to send staff offsite to train can be a real advantage to businesses.

“More and more organisations are developing a wider understanding of the value of skills and training to business performance and are switching on to the benefits of e-learning. Smaller business, with fewer than 10 employees, are now more likely to have a written training policy than ever before, and the average training spend has risen by 56%.* However, in tough market conditions, cost is the key issue for smaller employers and this has fuelled the rise in e-learning, which offers the benefits of external training in a more cost-effective manner.  Companies are also more aware of e-learning and comfortable with the concept.” 

* (Source: learndirect Business brand tracker research 2007/08)
1. John Cleese appears in the Video Arts e-learning course 'Budgeting: constructing and controlling budgets'