"Get paid to be a 'Switched-On Learner'" is the theme of a new campaign to be launched this week.

TrainingZONE has learnt that at this week's HRD 2001 Conference, a senior goverment minister will announce a new programme which actually PAYS you and your staff to become involved in training and learning. The government is so concerned about the skills shortage that it is bringing forward proposals originally contained in the March 7 Budget but which attracted little attention at the time. We have learned that the project is to be called the Action Programme for Regular Individual Learning (- or A.P.R.I.L.) and that the promotional campaign due to run on TV and newspapers will feature the "get switched on" imagery of electronic On/Off symbols (0/1). In essence, the project will pay employees to become engaged in their own learning and staff development. For a sneak preview of the payment which will be offered to individual staff to engage in learning and staff development you can check the campaign website at www.APRIL-01.co.uk