ILM & JBE Training and Development

19 July 2007

Leadership, effective management and organisational performance are at the very heart of our business. We are proud that JBE Training and Development is leading the way in developing the management skills of employees, companies and organisations across Cumbria.

We have been a successful ILM centre for several years. But when we heard that they were overhauling their qualifications - moving from a programme-based system to a more user-friendly unit-based system - we knew that there would be so much more potential for both us as a training provider and for businesses and organisations in the region.

We offer 35 units covering both core and specialist areas of management such as planning change in the workplace, motivating performance in the workplace and solving problems and making decisions. Learners can pick and choose the units that they take, dip in and out of the management development programme, build up credits and then put them towards a full ILM qualification. But to be honest we have found that it’s not the prospect of a qualification that motivates our learners – it’s the content of each unit and the practical benefits of the training.

We’ve also found that the unit-based system is very attractive to employers. There has been lots of interest from organisations that have not traditionally invested in management and development – they couldn’t see how training would result in an immediate return on their investment, and were worried about losing their staff to long and expensive courses. When they realise that each ILM unit can be covered in a one-day workshop, and that they can match the units to the specific needs of the organisation, they are much keener on the idea!

We work alongside employers, helping them to select the most appropriate units for their organisation. Then we tailor make a training programme for them so that they have a bespoke management development system in place. Added to this is the prospect that their employees could gain a nationally recognised qualification. The combination of all these elements is means everyone is a winner!

One of the key ways in which we deliver the learning for the ILM units is through our groundbreaking Virtual Training Centre (VTC). The VTC is a virtual learning environment which allows learners to access information and develops their skills and knowledge no matter where they are or what day or time it is. Progress can be tracked online and we have recently introduced video conferencing to enable learners and tutors to see, hear and communicate with each other. There’s nothing else like it in the UK and we have fount it markets itself. Increasingly clients are approaching us, because they’ve heard about the benefits of the VTC and the ILM awards, and they want to get involved.

ILM has always offered us great support and guidance. At JBE we proactively seek to interest more organisations in the benefits of management training and development. ILM always respond positively to any new ideas that we have. They never say ‘no’ – they prefer to say ‘let’s see what we can do’!

ILM awards are our key offering and we are delighted to be working in partnership with them. Our customers’ feedback on the new unit-based approach has been 100% positive and with ILM’s backing we are looking forward to developing the skills of many more managers and leaders in the Cumbria region and beyond.