Training Matters…be the best you can be

Fully funded  SMART  Management Places

This innovative management development programme has been designed to maximise the potential of managers and leaders.  It offers a methodical approach to management and leadership development.

The aims of the SMART Management Programme are to

• Develop management and leadership skills, allowing personal development while delivering organisational development
• Improve skills in operations, resource , people and information management
• Allow good practice to be cascaded throughout the organisation as work is based on standards devised by the Chartered  Institute of Management
• Plan and control how managers are developed, ensuring that the development meets and supports the organisation’s needs
• Achieve a nationally recognised qualification

The proven benefits of the programme have been

• Greater team work, with managers working more on their own initiative
• Leadership skills have developed
• Development of teams through improved people management
• Increased awareness of latest management techniques
• Greater responsiveness to customer needs
• Improved quality of product and services
• Better cohesion and commitment to company objectives
• Increased use of available technology to improve working practices

SMART Management Programme Outline

This is a blended learning programme and aims to provide organizational development through individual growth and learning.

Every candidate will undertake vocational qualification units.  These units will form the Management level 3 or 4 group award.  Throughout the qualification the aim is to address the needs and priorities of the organisation as well as the individual’s own personal development, and a full training needs analysis is carried out at the start of the programme.

The broad module titles contain optional modules tailored to suit the individual and the organisation

The professional standards combined with the first class learning system are hard to beat.

All line managers have access to feedback throughout the programme to monitor progress.  All candidates will build their portfolio on the web based system which gives the dual benefits of elearning and ensuring regular feedback.   Completion takes between 9-12 months.

Entry Criteria

Aspiring managers and leaders

No upper age limit

Those who want to improve their prospects with training and development

Costs

The normal cost is £2500 plus VAT per person.  However, Training Matters have secured support funding via Skills Development Scotland which will be available subject to eligibility .

In the rapidly advancing technological age we are currently living in, it is important that as managers we keep up to date and use this technology to our advantage. To embrace this, Training Matters have developed a pilot programme allowing you to complete our SMART Management programme, which incorporates a management vocational qualification, totally online making use of the most up to date electronic mediums.

Due to the innovative nature of the programme we have managed to secure support funding and the normal cost of £2500 (plus VAT) per person will be discounted to only £1250 (plus VAT) per person. Places are limited on this first pilot and we are looking to recruit the first group in autumn of this year.

To be considered for this programme you must be currently working in a management or supervisory position and be committed to continuous improvement.

Programme Details

This innovative pilot programme has been specifically designed to maximise the potential of managers and leaders. The blended learning programme offers a methodical approach to management and leadership development, incorporating, individual development, online portfolios and support to encourage lateral thinking and creativity. We focus on your role as a manager and concentrate on developing your talents and abilities.

The aims of the SMART Management Programme are to

Develop management and leadership skills, allowing personal development while delivering organisational development

Improve skills in operations, resource, people and information management

Allow good practice to be cascaded throughout the organisation as work is based on standards devised by the Institute of Management

Plan and control how managers are developed, ensuring that the development meets and supports the organisation’s needs

Achieve a nationally recognised qualification

The standards are the most up to date available and combined with our first class on line system, we are offering you the opportunity of being the best in your field.

Applications should be made to Smart@trainingmatters.com

CMI (Chartered Management Institute) is today calling on political parties to put improving the quality of management and leadership in Britain higher up the agenda in the next Parliament.

CMI is encouraging politicians, employers, managers and leaders to join over 3,000 of their colleagues who have already pledged their support to its Manifesto for a Better Managed Britain by signing up at www.managers.org.uk/manifesto.

Ruth Spellman, chief executive of the Chartered Management Institute, said: “Britain is suffering because our managers and leaders are simply not up to scratch. It’s clear that turning the present economic situation around is going to be the battleground on which this election is won and lost. But the parties are missing a trick by not tackling the dearth of management skills which are harming UK plc.  Without investment in effective management and leadership in the UK , we are in danger of lurching from crisis to crisis.

“Since we launched our Manifesto  to the three main political parties in November we secured a great level of cross-party support, with MPs including former Minister for Women and Equality, Meg Munn MP, John Hayes MP, Conservative Shadow Minister for Universities and Skills and Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary of State for Business, John Thurso MP signing up to our pledges. We’ve also recruited heavy-hitters from the business world, including PriceWaterhouseCoopers and SimplyHealth. But we want to take this further.Now is the time to stand up and be counted – we need to put pressure on political parties to understand the impact bad management is having on the UK’s profitability and the huge part they have to play in addressing the issue.”

CMI research conducted in November showed that 47 per cent of the UK workforce have left a job due to bad management, while a similar number (49 per cent) said they would take a pay cut to work with a better manager. Following extensive consultation with the 85,000 managers, leaders and employers it represents, CMI then launched its Manifesto for a Better Managed Britain – www.managers.org.uk/manifesto – which sets out six pledges, two each for managers, employers and Government, with the aim of bringing about urgent action to improve management standards and pushing the development of management and leadership skills higher up the national agenda.

Ruth Spellman added: “Improving management and leadership standards is critical to the UK’s economic and social future, and is one of the most significant issues facing UK plc today. The views of the business community will help determine the outcome of the forthcoming election and business leaders have made it clear that improving management and leadership standards and tackling the skills gap has to be a national priority. The shared promise by all three political parties to boost the skills of the British workforce is meaningless unless action is taken to improve management standards.”

Ruth continued: “Only 1 in 5 managers hold any type of professional qualification and managers are no longer regarded as professional, competent or accountable. We cannot allow our three main political parties to lose sight of the need to act now to tackle these inadequacies. By securing candidates’ support for our Manifesto, we will ensure that the next Government realises the issues and what needs to be done to address them as soon as they are in place. The most recent National Strategic Skills Audit estimated that we will need 2,2 million new managers by 2017 so, whatever the outcome of the upcoming election, there is a huge amount to be done in terms of ensuring we can not only recruit and develop these new managers, but also upskill the current generation so the next one is learning from the best.”

The Promise (and Perils) of Open Collaboration

Companies like IBM and P&G have prospered by opening their borders, but there are cautionary lessons from the quality movement of the 1980s. The biggest obstacle presented by both approaches is that they require companies to make deep changes in the way knowledge is controlled and shared. Companies that implement these changes successfully will command an enormous and lasting edge over rivals that do not.

To read the full analysis:
http://www.strategy-business.com/article/09302

The new Management development group started at Turnberry yesterday. The  ethos of the group is to develop projects which will improve business, stimulate energy and challenge the business to be the  best in the business! We need a name for the group and we have asked the team to suggest names.

So far we have Elite, Talkberry, Turnberry Matters and one other that we can’t print! Please suggest your names here on the blog and we will reveal the prize next week. Closing date is 27^th of January

In times of change, learners inherit the Earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists. 

Eric Hoffer, Author, 1902-1983

The thought matters quote to start this year just about sums it up. Continuous personal development is essential. Those who are engaging in learning at the moment are better placed to take advantage of the opportunities afforded by todays business climate. Those who are basking in the glow of a well earned qualification more than 5 years old must now consider their next step in their learning journey.

I’m sure most of us would agree that continuous professional development works. What we are looking for are real examples of this working. What has training done for you last year and what are your plans now? We’d love to know!

It’s that time of year again. People start  talking New Year resolutions and we aren’t any different. Only we are talking learning resolutions. What do you want to do? Where do you want to be this time next year? What skills do you need? What do you already have?

It’s been a tough year with the recession and organisations have slimmed down and gotten fitter to face the challenges of the coming year.  We believe that those organisations and individuals who will do well are those who have taken the opportunity to get fit themselves. So, my question is…..what are your learning resolutions for 2010?

The Modern Apprenticeship awards were held at the Radisson Hotel, Glasgow this year. We were guests of our clients, Buchanan Clark and Wells. Don Waring (HR manager ) and Jackie Sharp (HR Director) hosted the table and they were worthy finalists in the large employer category. BCW are innovative in their approach to learning and development and have been strong supporters of modern apprenticeships as a way of developing their teams and evaluating that input.

Training Matters have worked in partnership with BCW for some 7 years and are looking forward to working with them again in 2010 . Well done everyone who attended the event. BCW were beaten to 2nd place by worthy winners Scottish Gas. This however has only made them more determined to be finalists next year and win!

This is a real example of how the modern apprenticeship method works for businesses and individuals. We’d like to hear how it’s worked for people out there and in particular where it has improved business performance.