Inside learning express

Learning Express of NC | Shop in Raleigh & Cary — Learning Express Gifts

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS

Countdown to Christmas

days
Hours
Minutes
Seconds

Shop Our 2022 Holiday Catalog!

All Things Plush
Catalog Fidget
Catalog Games
Catalog Tween
Stocking Stuffers
Catalog Active
Catalog LEGO
Catalog Science

CHECK OUT OUR BEST SELLERS

Sale
Sale
Save 13%
Sale
Sale
Sale
Sale
Sale
Sale
Sale
Sale
Sale
Sale
Sale
Sale
Sale
Save 9%
Sale
Sale
Sale
Sale
Sale
Sale
Sale
Sale

Learning Express - Retail Merchandiser

Work hard, play hard

With its network of locally owned toy stores continuing to grow, Learning Express prepares for its biggest year yet

As a company known for its dedicated network of local storeowners, friendly atmosphere and impressive range of on-trend toys, Learning Express continues to see success. With the help of its brand-new website, exclusive range of Squishmallow plush designs, and strong network of trusted suppliers, the company celebrates 35 years of keeping its customers entertained, and steps confidently into the new year.

With its boredom-busting portfolio of workbooks, puzzles, activities and toys, Learning Express has become a beloved outlet for communities across the US. Over the last two years, the company has adapted its model, and invested in a new IT infrastructure, in order to overcome the challenges of a pandemic. As the company’s Director of Marketing, Lauren Derse, details: “The last few years have been a rollercoaster. At the beginning of the pandemic most of our stores had to close for a few months. Some of our locations were able to remain open with curbside pick-up or shipping only, however a lot of stores were fully closed, so sales were down dramatically. Traffic for our pick-up stores was trickling in, but it was nothing compared to what we are used to.

“We used the time to work on our new website, which was one of the greatest things to come out of the last few years. We changed how the website was structured; before, a customer could go online and place an order based on the shared inventory of all online store locations. Using the customer’s location, a store would then be selected, and they would ship the item. This system was difficult to maintain during the pandemic, and we found that customers wanted local solutions instead. Each of our stores now has its own website, based on its own inventory, so when a customer shops they are shopping in their local store for items that are locally available. That was a huge development for our stores; our teams on the shop floor absolutely loved it.

“We really wanted to create something that was needed by our stores and necessary in the existing climate, for the business as well as the customers. Our hard work definitely paid off, as we were able to turn the project around rapidly,” she adds.

As the new website increased store accessibility during the initial lockdown periods, it also streamlined Learning Express’ operations, and kept local customers in contact with local stores. As market trends became more prominent throughout 2021, Learning Express used its impressive new infrastructure in order to supply its customers with the most on-trend items, as Lauren explains: “After a challenging initial few months, two trends became unbelievably popular: Squishmallows and fidget toys. We have a really strong working relationship with Kelly Toys, and as a result the company was able to manufacture some Squishmallows for our stores and customers. We were then able to offer exclusive Squishmallows in our stores, which really drove a lot of traffic, both online and in-person.

“The other major trend was fidget toys; we have stocked fidget spinners for a few years now, but with this latest trend came demand for all kinds of fidget accessories, including Pop-Its, tubes and fidget rings. Because of how our business is structured, we were able to get the new products into our stores very quickly. This helped us to continue offering our customers a new and unique mix of toys.

“That’s really what I mean when I say it’s been like a rollercoaster. We’ve had the lows of 2020 and the initial pandemic, which were then met with good internal developments, a new website and leading the way in terms of toy trends. Overall, we’ve had the best year in the history of our company, so it just goes to show how important adaptability and resilience is.”

Alongside these company-wide successes, Learning Express was supported throughout the pandemic by its network of local storeowners, who worked hard to ensure customers were able to beat the lockdown blues with the best toys, activities and games. “All of our stores are locally operated, so each store owner had the freedom to do what their customers needed. Some were able to get private tours arranged in their stores, others did telephone and Zoom tours. I am head of marketing at Learning Express but I also own my own store in Bedford MA, and I was making local deliveries all over the town, because customers were uncomfortable coming to the store. Every store owner was able to adapt and offer their customers a shopping experience they were comfortable with,” enthuses Lauren.

As the company continues to grow, so does its community of storeowners, as Lauren reveals: “In 2020 and 2021, we opened up a number of brand-new stores, which is fantastic. We have seen lots of interest in terms of new franchisees, because as a brand we add a lot of value to each local store. On a qualitative basis, because of the relationship and history we have with our vendors, we are able to offer very good discounts to our storeowners. Every time they place an order, they are getting an incredible deal, which in itself is worth the royalty.

“In terms of the more qualitative aspects, Learning Express is a locally owned community toy store, and so most of the franchisees that are interested in the company are looking to be a part of their community, and have a flexible lifestyle that works with their schedule and family life. They are giving back to their local community, which is something you rarely get in a career.

“The other selling point for a lot of franchisees is the fact that Learning Express is truly a family toy store; the communication between all of our stores is remarkable, and some of our hottest products have been discovered by franchisees who have had success in their own store, communicated it with our buying team and stores, and then turned it into a huge trend. That’s how we made all the fidget toy discoveries, and another one of our storeowners started discussions with Kelly Toys about exclusive Squishmallows. People come to us for a sense of community, as well as the high levels of communication we maintain, and the strong relationships we all have with one another.”

Bolstered by its strong, adaptable model, hard-working team and incredible insight into the market, Learning Express prepares for an exciting 35th year. As Lauren concludes: “We think 2022 is going to be good. Our sales in January of this year have been higher than they ever have been, and because of the trends in 2021, we were able to acquire many new customers. Our goal now is to continuously communicate with them and encourage them to come back to the store.

“I know our home office team has never been more well positioned, and excited about our strategic projects getting us to the next level; our stores are coming out of their best year ever in 2021, and so we are excited to continue that momentum. We have all engines ready to go.”
https://www.learningexpress.com

Express education: fast and efficient? - External students of Moscow

Nowadays everyone is in a hurry to go somewhere. They rush to school or work in the morning, rush to get two higher educations, rush to love and rush to pass the exam ahead of schedule. It seems that everyone is in a hurry, except for small children and schoolchildren. But it was not there! Schoolchildren, it turns out, are not far behind adults and also have the opportunity to quickly get a certificate of secondary education and go to storm the university walls. The name of this feature is external.

Externships are different in the form of education.

The most common type of external study is part-time. An external student (one who studies externally) independently studies certain topics, then comes for a consultation with a teacher and after some time passes an exam.

The second type is part-time external study intensive. You don’t need to go there every day, but only 2-3 times a week (usually classes start at 2-3 pm). The form of conducting classes is lectures. Teachers themselves give the material, and after passing the topic they take an exam. The main thing here is not to forget everything that you have learned immediately after receiving the coveted mark, otherwise it will turn out that the efforts were wasted. As one of my friends said: "Here you do not study, but only prepare for exams."

The next type of external studies is intensive. It is almost no different from a regular school. The only difference is that two years of the program take place here in one. In such educational institutions, the emphasis is on those subjects that the student needs most. For the rest, only basic topics are given, and no one goes into details.

And finally - correspondence external study intensive. With this form of training, the student himself must study the entire program and pass all exams.

By the way, external schools have recently begun to appear that offer distance learning via the Internet. In the classroom in such a "school" they sit not at a desk, but at their own computer at home and comprehend various sciences, so to speak, virtually.

What's inside

Regardless of which type of external study you choose, you will still have to pass intermediate and, of course, state exams. Exams that are taken after passing a certain topic are a test of the student's knowledge and how he learned the material. If you don’t pass, no one will feel sorry for you and will not leave you for the second year. They will just show you politely at the door and transfer you to an ordinary comprehensive school.

Everyone can study as an external student. Obtaining general education in the form of an external student, according to the law, is not limited by age. By the same system, you can finish 8 and 9classes. It will take about six months to master the material of grades 9 or 11.

Pluses and minuses

From this follows the main advantage of external studies - saving time. Instead of going to school during the day and going to courses or tutors in the evening, you can devote yourself entirely to preparing for admission to a higher educational institution. Yes, and in the head does not form a mess of Newton's laws, chemical reactions and Mayakovsky's poems. However, danger can also lurk here. Many simply do not know what to do with a huge amount of free time and begin to kill time in the most “brutal” way. The main thing in such a system of education is to organize your schedule well, harmoniously including hours for study and leisure. For example, I know two people who studied in the same external program, who entered completely different educational institutions. The young man, who took his studies lightly, fit only for the Russian State University of Physical Culture, and the girl, who studied intensively, is now studying at MGIMO. So it all depends on you and how seriously you take your studies. Many of those who graduated from school as an external student were satisfied that they saved enough time and were able to enter prestigious universities.

School against external studies

We have considered the advantages of an external student, and now let's see what the school can oppose. In this old and good educational institution, knowledge is “invested” in everyone, regardless of whether a person wants it or not. This is good for those who cannot organize themselves on their own and are constantly lazy. At school, such a person will still be drawn to the "troika" and will be issued a certificate of secondary education. By the way, the certificate received at school is absolutely no different from the certificate received in the external study: both of them are of the state standard and without any notes on the form of education.

Another, no less important aspect than knowledge, is communication. Communication is one of the most important components of human life. It is at school that a child first, then a teenager learns to communicate with other people, live in a team, resolve conflicts, here he finds his first friends, perhaps his first love.

An ordinary secondary general education school is a school of life, after passing which it is easier for a teenager to navigate in the adult world. So this very human communication with peers, the school of life, is deprived of the one who goes to study as an external student. Many people face the question: where and with whom to celebrate the end of school? And what about the graduation ball, this wonderful crowning of schooling, which schoolchildren are looking forward to with such impatience throughout the last year, for which they begin to prepare for a few months? Such a “holiday” happens once in a lifetime, and depriving yourself of pleasure is at least stupid. I know girls who went into externship after graduating 9class, but graduation was celebrated with their former classmates.

In the end, if you don't want to leave your native school and at the same time you really need time to prepare for admission, you can take free attendance at your school. To do this, your parents must write an application addressed to the director. And you will only be able to go to school 2-3 times a week (it varies from school to school). Only for those topics that you missed, you will have to “report” to teachers in the form of tests. Well, why not an external student?

By the way, school teachers recommend the form of free attendance. The student does not “drop out” of the team, and receives good knowledge. As for teachers of higher educational institutions, their opinions differ. Someone thinks that an external study is better than school and sends their children there, while someone remains a supporter of school education.

Now you have learned what it means to complete a program of two academic years in one year. And how - quickly, externally, or slowly, like everyone else - to get a secondary education, you decide. In any case, teachers and graduates recommend thinking carefully, weighing all the pros and cons before making a final decision.

"I want to know everything!", Julia Yatsyk, AiF

Modern systems of personnel training and development

Modern systems of personnel training and development | Advanced training of the Higher School of Economics, RANEPA

Top

Study period - May 22 - 26, 2023

The program provides practical and theoretical skills in the field of personnel training and development, allows you to create tools for creating a self-learning organization and apply them in practice in your own business.

Ask a question about the program

Program booklet Program teachers

Mastering modern knowledge in the field of methodology and technology of personnel training and development, building effective educational systems within the company

Development of skills in creating educational programs and designing educational business systems and business units

Obtaining a toolkit for creating a self-learning organization for use in the practice of one's own business

Obtaining a toolkit for designing a corporate training center / university

Program structure

Topic 1. Competence-based approach to personnel training

Competences as a basis for the formation of training needs
Creation of a competency assessment system based on benchmarking
Modern methods of personnel assessment: express diagnostics, document analysis, analysis of biographical facts, interview, questionnaire, Case Study analysis, peer review, psychological testing, observation, 360-degree method, Assessment Center, business game, etc.
Interpretation and use of employee assessment results in an organization
Individual development planning based on assessment results
Implementation of an evaluation system in an organization. Communication system with employees during the preparation and conduct of the assessment
Forms and methods of personnel training based on the assessment system

Workshop “Selection and adaptation of valuation technology for company X”

Topic 2. Creation of an effective system of training and development of personnel

Stages of creating a system of training and development of personnel in the company
Ways and methods for identifying training needs
Individual development planning based on competency assessment results. Development of individual development plans (IDP)
Forms and methods of personnel training in the company: mentoring, trainings, seminars, coaching, etc.
Formation of the structure of internal training. Managing a team of trainers
Working with external training providers
Methodological support of the training system in the company
Budgeting for training costs and financial management in training
Evaluation and improvement of training effectiveness
Knowledge management as a method of personnel development

Workshop "Program for improving the efficiency of the personnel training and development system on the example of
Company X"

Topic 3. Establishing a Corporate Training Center/University

Conceptual foundations of corporate training
Core corporate training models
Financial models (break-even, return on investment, budget, etc.)
User portrait(s)
Training center internal services portfolio
Internal promotion channels
Motivating company employees to teach at the Training Center
Organization of short-term training
Organization of long-term training
Organization of correspondence (electronic, distance) training
Marketing training organization

Workshop “Development of forms of education within the framework of the Training Center. Learning Matrix. Corporate University Catalog

Topic 4. Modern approaches to training and development of personnel

Block 1. Creation of a self-learning organization according to the 70:20:10 model

Digital transformation, job concept, freelancing economy
Training mentality as a brake on systemic change L&D
How modern man learns. Preferences and habits
Employee of the future - lifelong learner
Strategic Transformation Models: Modern Workplace Learning, 70:20:10
5 steps for building a new development system
New roles and new competencies for L&D professionals
Paradigm Shift: From Learning to Productivity
Formal and non-formal education
Advantages and limitations of the 70:20:10 model

Block 2. Digital tools in staff training

Organization of an online training system for personnel in the organization
Selection of IT platforms and providers for distance learning
Mix of online and offline learning
Budgeting and evaluation of the effectiveness of various forms of training and development

Workshop "The choice of methods and tools of an integrated learning system depending on the business objectives and characteristics of the company"

Our graduates are able to create tools from scratch for designing a corporate training center or university

Teachers

Velikanova Alla Borisovna

Head of Training and HR Development Department of Gedeon Richter Pharma LLC
Topcareer teacher at the courses: “Director of the Corporate University”, “Building distance learning”
Digital trainer, business trainer and business coach, mind fitness instructor

Elena Kaminskaya

Director of HR Transformation Methodology at Evola IT Company
Lecturer and developer of educational programs on personnel management at the HR Academy of the Netology University of Internet Professions, at the GeekBrains/Mail. Ru online university, the National Project " Performance Leaders, City Business School and Professional Human Resources Institute

Krasnova Natalya Vladimirovna

Expert in the field of performance management, organizational development and personnel management.
Lecturer in HR disciplines at a number of leading Russian business schools.

Bobrova Yana Valerievna

Certified trainer and practitioner "Process Communication - Kahler Communication Europe", certified coach ("International Coaching Academy"), business trainer, HR consultant
EMBA course: "Teambuilding"

Learning conditions

Price

60 000 ₽

! 10% discount when teaching 3 or more people on one program
! 10% discount for graduates of RANEPA

Duration

72 academic hours (40 academic hours full-time)

Form of study

full-time (Monday from 15:00 to 21:45, Tuesday - Friday from 09:30 to 17:00)

Conditions

number of students in the group - from 5 to 15 people

work in "immersion mode", individual consultations are possible

students are provided with author's educational materials

Issued document

Certificate of advanced training RANEPA

Program Managers

Our managers will tell you more about the conditions for training in advanced training programs.

Learn more