The Development Manager

Helping Adult Learning providers to prosper with free software and people development

Using technology, The Development Manager helps you to grow your business.

Practical support for training providers:

Some examples (the list is endless!) of the FLOSS Applications Derrin can help you to run:

Virtual Learning Environments

Content Management Systems

Blogs

Wikis

Internet Telephony (VOIP)

Trixbox

Customer Relationship Management

SugarCRM

Enterprise Content Management

Alfresco

e-Commerce

OSCommerce

The Development Manager, Derrin Kent, is dedicated to supporting learning providers in the UK to improve their profit margins, contract values and performance standards through realising the benefits of effective tendering, staff training and development, Knowledge Management and Free Open Source Software.

Somebody to manage your staff and web development...

Derrin Kent describes himself as something between a project manager, a teacher and a geek. He is now available to adult learning providers for practical training, consultancy and outsourced projects.

At low consultancy fees and via blended staff training / free web software interventions, Derrin can help learning providers to:

cut costs and improve the bottom line
increase revenue and widen revenue streams
meet targets and directly tie-in your practical organisational development to your Business Plan/3YDP/QiP
win your tenders for new business (LSC, ESF, LearnDirect, JCP, etc.)
improve learning delivery quality and standards
actively engage with employers
dramatically cut assessor and staff travel expenses
implement a working e-learning programme
implement a free e-portfolio
deliver more effecive skills for life training
make budget savings on staff development while improving learning quality and staff satisfaction
...and more. Please get in touch to discuss the possibilities.

How can The Development Manager help adult learning providers?

...by offering a pick and mix of practical services which learning providers really need!

Derrin Kent understands what adult learning providers need and where their priorities and key concerns practically lie. He also understands a typical adult learning provider's budget constraints and Derrin's hourly and daily pay rates are set correspondingly low. Derrin is knowledgeable about the UK skills sector and knows what pushes the buttons when it comes to dealing with the LSC, JCP, learndirect and other funding bodies in the UK.

Derrin also understands how to combine the range of Free Open Source Software currently available to improve the bottom line and add real delivery value for forward-looking learning providers in this country. In your own interests, please take ten minutes out of your day to browse around a few of the links on this website, or drop Derrin a line, and explore the kind of cost-savings and development support Derrin is able to offer your organisation.

Derrin's skills in using free software for adult learning innovation have been recognised by ALP - The Association of Learning Providers and also by NIACE = The National Institute for Adult and Continuing Education. In 2007, Derrin has given the following national conference presentations:

an open conference presentation on the application of Free Open Source Software for Work-Based Learning providers at the ALP Learning Providers of the Future event
two conference workshops on using Moodle to set up a Virtual Training Centre at the same ALP event.
a Moodle Moot 2007 workshop attended by Martin Dougiamas on "Exploring the Applications and Limitations of Moodle as a Knowledge Management Centre" at the Open University in Milton Keynes.
two conference workshops on the application of Free Open-Source Software for Adult Learning Provision at the NIACE "Essential Skills for the 21st Century" event.

Derrin's e-learning creativity has also been called upon in 2007 in the role of "reviewer" on William Rice IV's latest book on Moodle, "Moodle Teaching Techniques", with Packt Publishing.

Please don't hesitate to contact Derrin if you would like to talk more about how he can help you to add performance value and increase profits for your learning provision

Who is The Development Manager?

Derrin Kent has a unique combination of skills and is available at low rates to help YOUR adult learning provider organisation.

Derrin's skills:

Face-to-face corporate trainer
Qualified distance e-learning facilitator
Web designer
IT systems administrator
Highly successful bidwriter
Project designer and manager
Knowledge Manager
Trainer trainer and developer
Manager & team leader
ES(O)L & adult literacy Teacher
ES(O)L Teacher Trainer (CELTA/DELTA)
Spanish language:
- Fluent speaker
- Accomplished translator
- Spanish teacher

Derrin has been working in the field of Education, both in the UK and in various overseas locations, since graduating with a Dip.H.E. in Education Studies from the University of Worcester in 1988. He has been training staff, at all levels from Director to groundsman, in the corporate sector since 1992. Derrin gained a Masters level teaching qualification (Cambridge DTEFLA) in 1995. When not working as a trainer, trainer developer or trainer trainer himself, Derrin has also spent eight years working in top-level leadership and management roles within four very different educational institutions.

Derrin is passionate about the potential for Information Learning Technology to support both formal and informal learning development within educational organisations. He designed his first website in 1999 and has developed a firm commitment to the principles behind free software. He has also developed a practical awareness of how to implement the range of free software available to improve performance in all aspects of WBL provision (from leadership through sales to WBL training and assessment).

Derrin lives in a bilingual Spanish/English household in rural Worcestershire with his beautiful Peruvian wife, Elizabeth, and their children Salvador (two and a half) and Micaela (eleven months).