New management strategy will lead to success says Empey
18 June 2007
Employment and Learning Minister, Sir Reg Empey, today launched ‘Leading…to Success’, the new Management and Leadership Strategy for Northern Ireland.
The strategy was the result of a year long consultation with a wide variety of groups in the private, public and voluntary sectors. A number of challenges were identified by the Management Leadership Network (MLN) including lack of engagement among local companies in management development activities, low skills expectations among employers and a lack of investment in training. A range of initiatives have been put in place to address identified shortfalls.
Speaking at the launch of the strategy Sir Reg said: “The importance of good management and leadership skills to the future development of our economy cannot be overstated. As Northern Ireland strives to develop as an internationally competitive, knowledge-based economy we must develop the management skills necessary to support that growth. ”
The strategy highlights the need for increased innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship in Northern Ireland and outlines the size and complexity of the challenge facing the Northern Ireland management sector.
Welcoming the publication of the strategy, Mark Ennis, Chairman, MLN said: “We look forward to working with colleagues in the Department, the Sector Skills Councils and other representative bodies to deliver the longer term vision of this strategy. Northern Ireland provides opportunities for collaborative synergies and the transferability of management skills should allow the implementation of this strategy to cause a sea change in the performance of our management cadre.”
Commenting on the strategy, Declan Billington, Chairman of the Confederation of British Industries (CBI) and Chair of the Economic Development Forum Skills Group said: “Northern Ireland’s future prosperity will ultimately be built upon the back of globally competitive local businesses. There has never been a greater need for the outstanding management and leadership skills required to drive our economy and prosperity forward. These things do not come about by chance however, and I am pleased that ‘Leading…to Success’ has not only identified the difficulties, but has outlined a number of specific actions to be undertaken within government and the private sector to create a step change in our current performance.”
NOTES TO EDITORS:
1. Following extensive cross sectoral consultation work during 2006, the Department for Employment and Learning has developed a new comprehensive Management and Leadership Strategy, ‘Leading…to Success’, that outlines the challenge, articulates a vision for the future and maps the actions required to deliver it. It draws together a number of existing major strategies and related strands of work across several Departments and organisations so that actions may be developed and implemented in a coordinated way. The strategy embraces the Private, Public and Voluntary Community sectors.
2. For copies of ‘Leading…to Success’ contact the Department for Employment and Learning on 028 9044 1774 or email claire.beattie@delni.gov.uk 
3. Media queries to the Department for Employment and Learning Press Office on 028 9025 7872.