Mon, 10 Jan 2011
A local authority in the north of England is taking part in an initiative that will offer professional training to top level staff to help them weather the economic storm.
Calderdale Council believes that just because directors and executives have made it to the top already, that does not mean there is nothing else they can learn. The council has joined with Leeds Metropolitan University and the Institute of Directors (IOD) to offer the two programmes that are aimed at boosting the bosses' effectiveness.
The training is subsidised by the national Economic Challenge Investment Fund and consists of a one-day course, followed by four hours of one-to-one coaching. Normally costing £1,000, the subsidy brings the price down to just £386 including VAT.
The council's higher level skills co-ordinator, Joanne Mackintosh, said: "We're working with West Yorkshire Life Learning Network on the higher level skills agenda. This is the first package we have put together to get companies interested in investing in skills.
"It's an area that needs looking at - the UK skills level is lower than in the rest of Europe. It's a challenge for the UK."
She said there was already strong interest from companies purely from the strength of the IOD's exceptional reputation. The two IOD modules - Effective Marketing Strategies and People Mean Business - are due to take place in September.
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