Minister opens first Made not Born roadshow
Employment and Learning Minister, Sir Reg Empey, today (29 September 2010) officially opened the 2010 / 2011 ‘Made Not Born’ campaign when he addressed representatives from more than 100 Small and medium sized enterprises (SME) at the first information roadshow event held at the Park Avenue Hotel, Belfast.
The Minister was joined by special guest speaker, business commentator and writer, Guy Browning, who explored the concept of innovative leadership and how SMEs could leverage competitive advantage by utilising staff skills by introducing a dedicated and focused leadership and management training programme.
Made Not Born is based on the proven concept that great leaders and managers are not born, but rather made. The campaign aims to highlight, to SMEs, the benefits of deploying simple but effective management and leadership techniques.
Speaking at the event the Minister said, “I am very proud of what the ‘Made Not Born’ campaign achieved last year. More than 800 SMEs engaged with my Department to learn more about the benefits which management and leadership development can have on their business operations. This year I am confident that we will again deliver the right advice to the business community and arm them with the tools they need to become more competitive, increase productivity and utilise the skills base that exists internally.
“I am all too aware that the economic landscape has changed a great deal since my Department published the draft Skills Strategy and the subsequent ‘Success through Skills’ implementation plan. However through many business engagements and the feedback received from those companies participating on the Made Not Born campaign, I know there is a real desire from business to invest in workforce skills as a means of positioning themselves to take advantage of growth opportunities when market conditions improve.
“I believe that the Made Not Born programme offers business owners the ideal resource to achieve this – it provides SMEs with vital funding, valuable training and business support. Now is the time to embrace the tough economic conditions, leverage them as a advantage and strive towards a more prosperous trading environment.”
The latest information roadshow / masterclass events are as follows:
Roadshows:
Thursday 30 September, 08.00-10.30 Civic & Conference Centre, Craigavon
Tuesday 2 November, 08.00-10.30 Tullyglass House Hotel, Ballymena
Wednesday 3 November, 08.00-10.30 Marine Court Hotel, Bangor
Masterclass:
Wednesday 1 December, 08.00-11.30 Balmoral Hotel, Dunmurry
To register for any of the above events and for information on further events visit the events page
