Kent businesses are being urged to meet the challenges of the economic recovery by investing in their managers.
Kent Learning and Development, one of the South East’s leading business training providers, has thrown down the gauntlet to the county’s small and medium enterprises, urging them to be prepared if they are to lead the region into economic recovery.
“Small and medium-sized businesses are the lifeblood of Kent’s economy but they need to be in a fit state to compete if they are to make the most of economic recovery,” said Learning and Development’s manager Coral Ingleton.
“They can do this by making sure they develop professional managers and leaders in their organisations.”
To help SMEs prepare for the challenge Kent Learning and Development – the training arm of Kent County Council – is increasing the frequency of its diploma courses in management training at its Maidstone-based Qualifications Centre.
Ruth Spellman, Chief Executive of the Chartered Management Institute, added her voice to the challenge, saying: “UK Plc is facing a skills shortage which employers urgently need to tackle head-on.
“While the recession has led to redundancies, we are also seeing staff voluntarily leave their organisations because the training opportunities provided are woefully inadequate.”
Kent Learning and Development – accredited to award Chartered Management Institute (CMI) qualifications – is one of the UK’s most successful management training providers, boasting a 98 per cent success rate for its students.
The well-established provider, draws on a pool of 130 accredited trainers who issued 65 management qualifications last year. It is on target to achieve 91 CMI diplomas this year with two CMI programmes currently running and another four starting this autumn.
The qualifications on offer are CMI Diplomas in Management at Levels Three, Five and Seven. The courses, require two to three days of tuition every four to six weeks and cover generic management as well as skills training in the trainee’s specific field of business.
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The Level Three Diploma is ideal for the career development of would-be managers or new managers while Levels Five and Seven require students to project manage specific tasks for their own company. This provides vital on-the-job management training and best practice for their employer’s business.
