With the skills gap still a major issue in workplaces today, a number of recent reports have pointed towards giving employers more involvement in the design of training programmes.

Responding to the review on apprenticeships carried out last year by entrepreneur Doug Richards, the Government has said apprenticeships should be more focused on the needs of employers as some businesses find they are not tailored enough to their requirements. Clegg said he believes it is “vital” that apprenticeships are tailored around what employers want.

Clegg thinks this will enable the employer to design their own qualifications and choose their own training provider, rather than getting a “one-size-fits-all-programme” that is “bad for apprentices” and “bad for employers”.

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A new survey published this week by the HR Group Penna and the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) found that 43% of managers found their managers ineffective.

The main criticisms of managers include not setting clear direction, failing to manage conflict well, not providing development opportunities and not asking for feedback on their performance. As a result staff felt less committed to their organisations.

Manager effectiveness is closely linked to business performance with 80% of managers in high-performing organisations rated as effective compared with39% in low-performing organisations. We are in challenging times for businesses and developing effective managers allows them to make better decisions and release the potential of the people who work for them this increases how engaged they are and this impacts on the bottom line.

Managers and Leaders Underqualified

By 2017 the UK will have a requirement for a further 2 million new managers and there is little sign of preparation to meet this need. One problem is that the UK’s managers are severely underqualified compared with other professional groups, with ONLY one one in five holding a management-related qualification. The research found that young managers often take on their first management role without any training and feel they are in a catch-22 situation – they cannot get training unless they are managing people but then if they apply for a management role they have not got any experience or training.

What Type of Leadership and Management Training is Required

The research found 26 types of development in use and a real gap between what managers rate as effective and what companies provide.

Managers rate MBAs, management qualifications and management programmes by external providers highly but the most the most commonly provided development by organisations includes on-the-job experience, professional body membership and appraisals/skills audits. The research found that:-

• Short management courses by external providers are best for developing teams
• MBAs improve creativity and strategic awareness
• On-the-job experience led to managers making fewer mistakes
• Coaching improved how managers managed their emotions

Accredited Leadership and Management Courses Rated Highly

Leadership and management courses with qualifications, including CMI and Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM), are rated highly, particularly by younger or first line managers which suggests that new managers need to learn the techniques of management before they are effective.

Coaching is rated as very effective by experienced managers. However in spite of the enthusiasm for development only 47% of managers report that they get the chance to use the skills they gained suggesting that organisations need to provide development which is relevant and then provide opportunities for managers to build on their training.

For more information on the CMI survey click here.

Take a look at our latest open courses. Please note that details may change daily, including availability and our prices.

Leadership, Management and Team Building Courses

We offer a great range of training courses for business management and team building – take a look at our latest open courses. Please note the details may change daily, including availability and prices.

Training Courses and Workshops

These can be open or closed courses. Please contact us for more information.

1. Achieving and Maintaining Peak Performance in Challenging Times

In these challenging economic times many staff feel under pressure – whether  because of demanding objectives, job insecurity  or simply being asked to do more with less. Mental toughness is the quality, which determines in some part how people deal with these challenges, stressors and pressure at work.

Mental Toughness as measured by the MTQ 48 questionnaire is the ability of an individual to deal with the ever increasing pressure and demands of organisational life in these challenging and turbulent times!

Developed by Dr Peter Clough head of the Psychology department in Hull University, the MTQ 48 Mental Toughness business management training course  offers individuals and their organisations a powerful development tool which enhances workplace resilience.

2. How to Motivate Your Staff – Our Training Courses and Workshops

Motivational Leadership

Motivational Team Development – Walking the Talk with Polar Explorers

Institute of Leadership & Management Awards (ILM)

Effective Communication Skills to Motivate Your Staff

3.Leadership

These are a sample of the type of course we can prepare and deliver for you. All our courses are bespoke and designed to specifically to meet the needs of our clients.

Developing Future Leaders

Leadership Essentials

Institute of Leadership & Management Awards (ILM)

4. Social Media Interactive

Become part of an exciting new concept in social media training – The first of its kind!

In partnership with one the foremost social media training companies in the UK, Marketing Tom Media, we have jointly designed this ground-breaking social media course entitled Social Media Interactive.

Social media interactive represents a break from traditional social media training and combines social media tools with management training and team building approaches.

For more information about business management training courses or team building at Call of the Wild talk to one of our team on 01639 700388, or e-mail info@callofthewild.co.uk