Calderdale College launches free management development programme to support local SMEs

Calderdale College has launched a brand-new fully-funded management development programme, designed to equip participants with the skills they need to “confidently and effectively manage and lead their teams to ultimately drive business growth”.

The new eight-module programme, which is part of the Collaborative Apprenticeships project, is available to employers across Calderdale and its surrounding areas, and is specially designed to upskill line managers who are responsible for managing small teams in a range of roles, including those who may manage young individuals or apprentices.

The programme comes in response to the 2019/2020 Leeds City Region Labour Market Information Report which found that managers are the occupation most likely to be identified by employers as requiring future upskilling.

The course is delivered by a “highly successful” business coach with director-level experience in a variety of sectors, who has extensive knowledge of both public and private sector organisations, as well as 10 years’ experience working on business support initiatives such as Enterprising Barnsley and MadeSmarter.

The programme is fully-funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) and only available for a short time, until May 2023, so Calderdale College is urging employers to take advantage before it’s too late.

Claire Williams, head of employer engagement at Calderdale College, said: “Working closely with employers, specifically SMEs, in the area, we appreciate how difficult it can be to know how to effectively manage employees and get the best out of them, especially when the team might be quite junior and include apprentices, who are only just starting in the world of work.

“Our Management Development Programme aims to tackle this, giving managers the tools they need to effectively lead and inspire their teams with confidence, boosting morale and job satisfaction in the workplace. It’s a win-win situation, as we all know that a happy workforce is a more productive one.

“What’s more, the programme is fully-funded, so we’d encourage employers in the local area to get in touch as soon as possible to check whether they are eligible and find out how we can help them to create motivational leaders within their business.”

The Collaborative Apprenticeships project is managed by the West Yorkshire Consortium of Colleges (WYCC) and funded by the European Social Fund (ESF). Calderdale College is supporting the delivery of the project in partnership with local employers and training providers.