ILM welcomes proposals for building leadership and management skills of SMEs employees
24 October 2008
ILM has welcomed the Government's move to repackage £350m of its Train to Gain funding to focus on staff development within SMEs. ILM believes that it will open up opportunities for more employees to access leadership and management training and so improve business efficiency across the UK.
The announcement made by Skills Secretary John Denham this week indicates that the Government has responded to employers’ demands, particularly those from small business owners, for shorter qualifications.
Penny de Valk, ILM’s Chief Executive, said:
“This is an extremely welcome development for our members and ILM centres, one which will allow employers and learners to access funding more easily and will ultimately improve the quality and efficiency of hundreds of smaller businesses. With the UK teetering on the bring of recession, the funding is a timely boost for SMEs; helping them to drive up critical leadership and management skills that will improve efficiency and performance in this challenging economic climate.”
ILM believes that the new system will allow for short development programmes and individual units, such as its Awards for Team Leaders and First Line Managers, to be funded rather than longer, more time consuming qualifications.
ILM has led the way in getting its qualifications onto the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF), ensuring that employees gain credits for any units completed which are then used to build up to a qualification over time. What’s more, ILM has deliberately designed relatively small units so that they can be delivered in a one, two or three day course, so reducing the disruption to work that is so problematic in small businesses.
Highlighting extra funding at Level 3 and the relaxed rules towards Level 2 funding, de Valk continued:
“This will open up leadership and management training for more learners. It means that people who already have craft or technical qualifications, but are moving into leadership roles can get funding for training such as an ILM Level 2 Award or Certificate in Team Leading – something that has previously been unavailable to employers under existing Train to Gain rules.
“Team Leaders and First Line Managers are best placed to address weaknesses in their workplaces and ILM qualifications specifically require them to undertake workplace improvement as part of their programme. This SME-focussed funding package will make a major contribution to those that take advantage of it, in equipping them with a workforce ready to tackle today’s tough operating conditions.”
ILM will now be working with its network of centres across the UK to help them access this funding and promote the relevant qualifications to their customers.
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For further information and interviews with ILM Chief Executive Penny de Valk, please contact:
Amy MacLaren or Rebecca Griffiths at Colman Getty
T: 020 7631 2666
E: amy@colmangetty.co.uk
E: rebeccagriffiths@colmangetty.co.uk