Learning Light
Second Floor, Gladstone Building,
1 St James Row, Sheffield, S1 2EU
Tel +44 (0)114 223 2442; Web www.learninglight.com
29th September 2010
US e-learning magazine names Sheffield as the UK's new e-learning
capital
Sheffield has been named as the UK's new corporate e-learning
capital in an article published in eLearn magazine, the New York
based e-learning magazine with a worldwide readership.
Having stated: 'when many industries first gain maturity, the
individual companies that make up the sector often begin to cluster
in certain geographic regions', the article goes on to claim that
Sheffield is becoming a magnet for e-learning businesses.
In the early days of industry, clustering happened because an area
had advantages in natural resources that were used in a particular
manufacturing process. Later, when many businesses became more
reliant on knowledge than physical resources, there was clustering
around universities, like Cambridge in the UK, or the so-called
Research Triangle area of North Carolina in the USA.
The article points out that: 'Industry hubs happen when a big
company, say Microsoft, Ubisoft, or Oracle, sets up shop, grows and,
after a few years, has dozens of former employees lingering around
the area, starting up their own companies and making use of the
talent that has been attracted to the area.' It adds that: 'the
concentration of e-learning companies in one area does lead to the
growth of a pool of skilled labor, from which all may draw.'
According to the article, which was published at the end of
September: 'Examples of companies in the Sheffield area which have
spun out from other, larger local e-learning companies include PTK,
set up nearly three years ago by Patrick FitzPatrick, and Xoolon,
established some four years ago by Martin Spence, formerly of ACT
E-learning and then Vantage. Others have moved within the industry.
Among these are Wendy Weller Davies, formerly of Sanderson CBT, Tata
Interactive Systems and Learning Light, who is now working for Kineo,
recently named the second largest e-learning developer in the U.K.
with more than $8 million in annual turnover, and Keith Downes, who
left Peakdean Interactive to set up the Sheffield office of LINE,
the U.K.'s largest e-learning developer generating some $11 million
a year.'
The article went on to say: 'Another reason the city of Sheffield
appears to be establishing itself as the capital of the U.K.'s
e-learning industry, is the presence in that city of the
headquarters of Learning Light, a centre of excellence in the use of
e-learning and learning technologies in the workplace, established
in 2006.'
Learning Light researches and produces the only independent market
analysis reports on the UK's e-learning industry - and is currently
working on its third such report, which is due for publication in
November.
Learning Light's David Patterson commented, "Key e-learning related
knowledge and skills are now well-represented among the working
population in the Sheffield area, and this is helping to attract
e-learning content and systems developers to set up in and around
the city. So we're beginning to see a virtuous circle develop, which
should continue to benefit both the industry and the area by
continuing to provide more and more e-learning related jobs - and
the people to do them!"
The eLearn magazine's article concludes: 'It's interesting that
Sheffield, having grown prosperous in the 19th century through
becoming noted for making steel and steel products, should be
following a similar (clustering) path in the digital age to bring
further prosperity through attracting e-learning and other digital
industry producers'.
End
Notes for Editors
About The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE
Directive)
The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE
Directive) was introduced in January 2007. The Directive aims to
reduce the amount of electrical and electronic equipment being
produced and to encourage everyone to reuse, recycle and recover it.
The Directive also aims to improve the environmental performance of
businesses that manufacture, supply, use, recycle and recover
electrical and electronic equipment.
Electrical and electronic waste is the fastest growing waste stream
in the UK. Some 1.8m tonnes of this waste are generated every year.
The WEEE Regulations aim to reduce the amount of this waste going to
landfill and improve recovery and recycling rates.
The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations
apply to electrical and electronic equipment with a voltage of up to
1000 volts for alternating current or up to 1500 volts for direct
current and cover: large household appliances; small household
appliances; IT and telecommunications equipment; consumer equipment;
lighting equipment; electrical and electronic tools; toys, leisure
and sports equipment; medical devices; monitoring and control
equipment, and automatic dispensers.
About Learning Light Ltd
Sheffield-based Learning Light is a centre of excellence in the use
of e-learning and learning technologies in the workplace. Its
knowledge base contains over 400 papers offering insights and advice
on how to use e-learning & learning technologies.
Learning Light, which operates www.e-learningcentre.co.uk one of the
leading resources on e-learning in the UK, works closely with the
Universities of Leeds and Sheffield and has undertaken a Systematic
Literature Review of the available papers on the effective use of
e-learning in conjunction with the University of Sheffield.
Learning Light occupies a unique space in the e-learning and
learning technology sector networking with:
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Suppliers of e-learning and learning technologies to support the
growth of the sector
-
Buyers
seeking out learning technology solutions to improve the
effectiveness of their business or organisation
-
Leading organisations worldwide who provide it with market knowledge
from around the globe
It:
-
Provides unbiased and impartial advice to both suppliers and
buyers
-
Hosts events and workshops that provide the platforms to impart
and gain knowledge by encouraging collaboration and sharing of
best practice
-
Acts as a conduit between suppliers and buyers to forge
successful business partnerships
-
Provides market intelligence and benchmarking information gained
from its many contacts and networking partners
-
Provides access to research materials from leading learning
technology professionals
Further information from:
David Patterson/ Gill Broadhead, Learning Light, +44 (0)114 223 2442
Bob Little, Bob Little Press & PR, +44 (0)1727 860405
www.learninglight.com
