Conference showcases the benefits of management training
A Cornwall Business Club conference was hosted by Truro and Penwith College Business and focused on the importance of quality training in leadership and management.
Over 70 local business representatives attended the event, which began with an introduction from Martin Tucker, Director of Operations at Penwith College, who reported on the approach to leadership and management practised throughout Truro and Penwith College. Guest speakers Tamsin Thomas from Cornwall Hospice Care and Alison Fry from Trescobeas Surgery in Falmouth presented their experiences of training with the College and the tangible benefits delivered to their businesses as a result, as well as the impact on their personal careers.
After completing the ILM Level 3 Dual Certificate in First Line Management, Alison Fry from Trescobeas Surgery has not only become more knowledgeable and confident managing her team, but has also achieved a City & Guilds Medal for Excellence and was awarded ILM Learner of the Year 2014. The impact the training has had on Alison and the business has prompted other members of staff to seek training with the College in a variety of areas, including in customer service, administration and medical secretary skills.
During the conference, Alison spoke about her learning experience with the College: “The level of support we received was great, tutors were always available at the College and encouraged one to one meetings as well as site visits out to the business. Discussing challenges and issues with my colleagues on the course was a great help as they were in similar positions to me and we could all learn from each other’s experiences. The course notes were extensive and I still refer to them from time to time if I am looking for guidance. The tutors are fantastic, incredibly knowledgeable and always happy to talk and give their feedback.”
Tamsin Thomas, Head of PR and Fundraising at Cornwall Hospice Care, described how Truro and Penwith College accessed EU funding and designed a bespoke five day management course, taking the charity’s experiences and requirements into consideration: “Our journey with the College has been transformational – building on our joint knowledge and skills. We’ve outlined our requirements and the College has met and embraced them in designing our training package.”
Alison Wittamore, HR Director at Cornwall Hospice Care, added: “We came to Truro and Penwith College on the recommendation of our Head of Retail, Mike Voyzey who had worked with the College before and had found the experience very positive. We didn’t have any formal training programmes for our Shop Managers in place at the time so we approached the College and were met with a very positive attitude and a very helpful team who were willing to work with us to develop suitable training packages and to help find valuable funding – vital to a small charity like ours. This liaison has proved very fruitful and has now expanded to encompass managerial training for teams in other departments, such as fundraising.”
A variety of Leadership and Management courses were delivered to delegates showcasing the range of quality training programmes available including Motivational Management, Leadership and Managing Risk during Growth and Change.
Tamsyn Harris, Head of Truro and Penwith College Business, said: “Feedback from the delegates who attended the Cornwall Business Club Conference has been outstanding! It’s reassuring to hear that our high quality delivery and solutions based provision is adding real value within the local business community. We continue to work with thousands of local businesses across Cornwall helping them to develop solutions based programmes that really enhances their business and we’re very much looking forward to releasing dates for our nextCornwall Business Club Conference.”
