Skills Team's First Fruits of the Train to Gain Level 3 pilot
05 February 2008
Candidates, employers, learning champions, LSC and college representatives gathered together on 1st February at the Institute of Directors to celebrate the achievement of 91 women who have gained the prestigious Institute of Leadership and Management Level 3 NVQ in Management.
This was the first group of over 250 candidates enrolled by Skills Team since they started the Train to Gain Level 3 women’s-only pilot in March 2007.
"The programme has been a runaway success with new groups starting every week and a waiting list for places" said Skills Team Managing Director, Sally Tate. "Feedback has been very encouraging too with women reporting that the have gained skills and confidence and have begun to realise their own potential".
Many of the candidates reported that they or their employers would not have had the funds to support this type of personal development had it not been for Train to Gain.
"There have been so many success stories it is difficult to single any one out but one candidate has really encouraged us" explained Tate. "Anne Hutchins left school with no qualifications and over the years worked her way to the top. For the last 12 years she has been a manager for Merton Libraries working in some of the toughest and most demanding communities. Despite all this success she felt a bit insecure with having no formal qualification." "Coming on the programme has really helped my confidence and given me new skills" said Anne. At the age of 66 she has now gained her first formal qualification which affirms her natural abilities and proves it’s never too late to learn.
Another notable success was mother and daughter – Lauren and Rosehannah Ryall from the South East London Shared Service Partnership both received their awards from Rod Kenyon, Regional Chair of the LSC.
Penny de Valk, CEO of the Institute of Leadership and Management, and Mr Kenyon addressed the gathering and handed out the certificates. Both emphasised the paradigm shift in skills needs for the 21st Century and the increasingly significant role and opportunity for women in management. These greater demands will mean that more and more women will need to develop their leadership and management skills and the Train to Gain Women’s pilot is playing an enormously beneficial part in addressing this need.
For more information on the programme contact Sally Tate at Skills Team, One Hammersmith Grove, London W6 0NB 0203 008 8545, or email sallyt@skillsteam.com.