Speaking at this year's Annual Skills Conference at the La Mon Hotel and Country Club on 25th March, Employment and Learning Minister, Sir Reg Empey, announced an extension of 100% funding for approved Management and Leadership programmes. The Minister highlighted the crucial role that the management and leadership skills of the local workforce will play in helping the Northern Ireland economy pull out of the economic downturn, and commented:
Management and Leadership skills are crucial to increasing the productivity of individual companies and making them competitive in the world marketplace. These skills bring tangible benefits to business including higher productivity, better returns on capital and more robust growth.
I can announce today that 100% funding of the Department's approved leadership and management programmes will continue until the end of March 2011. This measure has had a direct, positive impact on Northern Ireland businesses over the last year – encouraging them to invest in the management and leadership of their workforces. I believe that this is a key way in which government can impact on increasing the productivity of Northern Ireland businesses.”
To encourage companies to improve their management and leadership skills, the Department for Employment and Learning has recently undertaken a run of free road shows and master classes under the banner of the ‘Made Not Born’ campaign. The 10 ‘Made Not Born’ road shows and 3 master classes were attended by more than 800 local companies and provided practical, well-focused guidance, hints and tips to help leaders and managers improve their performance in these challenging times. Further information on the Department's suite of funded management and leadership programmes is available at the Made not Born site