PICTURE : CHRIS BOOTH
BOOTCAMP FOR BOSSES
Pictured ( from left ) is Danielle Scott , Sal Jefford and Charley Haigh of Aycliffe training provider Optimum Skills .
BY DAVE ROBSON
How an Optimum Skills course brings the best out of existing , new and upcoming managers
The best managers keep their teams productive and engaged – and a course offered by Optimum Skills helps delegates do just that and more .
The Skills Bootcamp in Business and People Management gives junior managers , new managers and first-time leaders the toolkit to get the best out of their team – and themselves .
And by encouraging learner participation , the Bootcamp – which leads to a CMI Level 4 Certificate in Management and Leadership – ensures an experience that ’ s thoughtprovoking , collaborative and insightful , rather than dry and theory-heavy .
Indeed , as tutor Sal Jefford points out , “ it ’ s not just sitting there watching PowerPoints !” The course has two units : management and leadership styles , which looks at how to motivate and manage people , and influencing , which looks at what leadership means , communication skills and how to influence and negotiate .
Held one day a week for 6-8 weeks , depending on business needs , the government funds it through the North East Combined Authority , for businesses of only 250 employees or less costs just £ 250 per delegate , but the training is open to businesses of any size .
Sessions can be held across the region , including Optimum Skills ’ head office in Newton Aycliffe , and their hubs in Middlesbrough , Gateshead and Newcastle , and online via Teams .
Indeed , flexibility is one of the course ’ s key
strengths , because it can be made bespoke to suit a firm ’ s specific requirements .
Three cohorts have taken the course so far , with the next three due to start in January .
And if the feedback from the first three is anything to go by , it seems delegates are getting plenty from it , with comments including “ it ’ s nice to be reassured that you are behaving in the right way and that colleagues and leaders are working in the same way and supporting each other ” and “ once I got into it , I started to understand why I was on the course and what useful things I could get out of it , like the different management styles .”
Having worked in vocational education for more than 20 years , tutor Sal knows what makes a good course – and she ’ s delighted how quickly those on this one get involved .
She said : “ The course lends itself to lots of learner input . I teach some theory but there ’ s lots of discussion about things like negotiation skills , motivation and learning about the academic theories of human behaviour .
“ A lot of learners I ’ ve been working with are purely practical learners , so it really suits them – and I often tend to hear ‘ I don ’ t know as much as I thought I did !’
“ And because it ’ s focused on the ‘ people ’ side of management , it cuts across different workplaces which means it ’ s very easy to tailor to a specific industry .” A variety of businesses have enrolled delegates on the course so far , ranging from solicitors and manufacturing companies to an ice cream business !
And while several come from further afield , Optimum Skills is keen to reach out to its Aycliffe neighbours , who might not realise just what a useful and potentially game-changing resource they have on their doorsteps .
Sal added : “ A lot of people who ’ ve done it so far have said they were really pleased that what they were doing was the correct way to go about things . It surprised them what they were capable of .
“ For example , we had a 63-year-old who ’ d left school at 14 , went into the army and had no education since then .
“ He didn ’ t want to be on the course to start with but after a couple of weeks , he really started to enjoy it and developed a sense of personal pride in participating and getting the work done .
“ I ’ m very passionate about this course from a learner point of view . Age isn ’ t a barrier and everyone can take something positive and valuable away from it .
“ And the better team leaders are at managing their time and employees , the better it is for their company . It gives them insight they might not otherwise have had .”
For more information , call 01325 311832 or email info @ optimumskills . co . uk
The magazine for Aycliffe Business Park | 15