The best managers keep their teams productive and engaged – and a course offered by Optimum Skills helps delegates do just that and more.
The Skills Bootcamp in Business and People Management gives junior managers, new managers and first-time leaders the toolkit to get the best out of their team – and themselves.
And by encouraging learner participation, the Bootcamp – which leads to a CMI Level 4 Certificate in Management and Leadership – ensures an experience that’s thought-provoking, collaborative and insightful, rather than dry and theory-heavy.
Indeed, as tutor Sal Jefford points out, “it’s not just sitting there watching PowerPoints!”
The course has two units: management and leadership styles, which looks at how to motivate and manage people, and influencing, which looks at what leadership means, communication skills and how to influence and negotiate.
Held one day a week for 6-8 weeks, depending on business needs, the government funds it through the North East Combined Authority, for businesses of only 250 employees or less costs just £250 per delegate, but the training is open to businesses of any size.
Sessions can be held across the region, including Optimum Skills’ head office in Newton Aycliffe, and their hubs in Middlesbrough, Gateshead and Newcastle, and online via Teams.
Indeed, flexibility is one of the course’s key strengths, because it can be made bespoke to suit a firm’s specific requirements.
Three cohorts have taken the course so far, with the next three due to start in January.
And if the feedback from the first three is anything to go by, it seems delegates are getting plenty from it, with comments including “it’s nice to be reassured that you are behaving in the right way and that colleagues and leaders are working in the same way and supporting each other” and “once I got into it, I started to understand why I was on the course and what useful things I could get out of it, like the different management styles.”
Having worked in vocational education for more than 20 years, tutor Sal knows what makes a good course – and she’s delighted how quickly those on this one get involved.
She said: “The course lends itself to lots of learner input. I teach some theory but there’s lots of discussion about things like negotiation skills, motivation and learning about the academic theories of human behaviour.
“A lot of learners I’ve been working with are purely practical learners, so it really suits them – and I often tend to hear ‘I don’t know as much as I thought I did!’
“And because it’s focused on the ‘people’ side of management, it cuts across different workplaces which means it’s very easy to tailor to a specific industry.”
A variety of businesses have enrolled delegates on the course so far, ranging from solicitors and manufacturing companies to an ice cream business!
And while several come from further afield, Optimum Skills is keen to reach out to its Aycliffe neighbours, who might not realise just what a useful and potentially game-changing resource they have on their doorsteps.
Sal added: “A lot of people who’ve done it so far have said they were really pleased that what they were doing was the correct way to go about things. It surprised them what they were capable of.
“For example, we had a 63-year-old who’d left school at 14, went into the army and had no education since then.
“He didn’t want to be on the course to start with but after a couple of weeks, he really started to enjoy it and developed a sense of personal pride in participating and getting the work done.
“I’m very passionate about this course from a learner point of view. Age isn’t a barrier and everyone can take something positive and valuable away from it.
“And the better team leaders are at managing their time and employees, the better it is for their company. It gives them insight they might not otherwise have had.”
For more information, call 01325 311832 or email [email protected].