Women’s Professional Progression

A blend of IT and Entrepreneurial skills offered in a suite of courses for the new entrant to business or professional life in order to educate and build confidence.

1. Skills Needs Analysis

Method of Delivery:  An individual analysis completed online prior to any of the courses selected.

Duration: 30 minutes

Understanding your strengths and the areas you may wish to develop will help you to make your professional and business career decisions. Effective training or development depends on knowing what is required – for the individual, the team and the organisation as a whole. All organisations, large or small, need to know that the resources invested in training are targeted at the areas where training and development are needed and a positive return on the investment is guaranteed.

Effective Skills Needs Analysis are particularly vital in today’s changing workplace as new technologies and flexible working practices are becoming widespread, leading to corresponding changes in the skills and abilities needed. Analysing what your training needs are is crucial for selecting an effective training programme.

2. Developing a Business Plan

Method of Delivery: Group and individual face to face sessions

Duration: 3 days

Understanding the steps you need to take to prepare a plan that supports your business proposition. We will take you through the key steps and allow you to challenge and check the idea, market viability, developing an effective marketing and sales strategy, preparing your finances, the importance of picking the right team and moving from concepts to actual start up.

3. Developing a Customer Base

Method of Delivery: Group and individual face to face sessions

Duration: 1 day

No matter what your official title is, you are a salesperson for yourself and your company and the best way to increase your value as a sales person is to build your customer base.

We will consider your positioning and differentiation when considering how to ensure you provide great customer service and support the retention and growth of your customer base.

4. Customer Service

Method of Delivery: Group face to face sessions

Duration: 1 day

We will consider essential customer service techniques enabling you to identify your customer’s needs and deliver a level of service that ensures loyalty and increased profits.

Courses 3 & 4 are offered as a 2 day module.

5. Business English Basics

Method of Delivery: Group face to face sessions

Duration: 4 days

This short course is designed to help you communicate effectively in professional or business life. Written communication etiquette will be explored and informal/formal modes of address.

6. Business IT

Method of Delivery: Group face to face sessions

Duration: 2 days

Understanding the use and selection of software applications to meet needs and solve problems. Learning to present information to suit its meaning and purpose, to include email etiquette, mail merge and using Outlook as a business tool.

7. Flat File Data Management

Method of Delivery: Group face to face sessions

Duration: 2 days

Using a spreadsheet to enter, edit and organise numerical and other data. Learn how to select and use appropriate formulas and data analysis tools to meet requirements. Understand how to select and use tools and techniques to present and format spreadsheet information to keep track of customers and stock.

Courses 6 & 7 are offered as a 4 day module.

8. Effective and Safe Internet Use

Method of Delivery: Group face to face sessions

Duration: 1 day

Identifying different types of connection methods and when to change browser settings to aid navigation. Learn to use references to make it easier to find information again and identify opportunities to post or publish material to websites. Identify the threats to user safety when working online and understand how to keep business and personal information secure.

9. Communication and Presentation Skills Including Effective PowerPoint Use

Method of Delivery: Group face to face sessions

Duration: 3 days

Use word processing software tools to format and present documents effectively to meet requirements. Input and combine text and other information within presentation slides, having identified the types of information required for the presentation. Learn to use presentation software tools to structure, edit and format slide sequences and prepare a presentation.

Courses 8 & 9 are offered as a 4 day module

10. Health and Safety Basics

Method of Delivery: Group face to face sessions

Duration: 1 day

All companies and businesses, large and small, need basic health and safety training. You will learn to understand the importance of personal responsibility, how to define and assess a hazard or risk and how to identify common hazards, mechanical, environmental and personal. Safe systems will be explained in easy to understand and implement terms.

A suite of courses for those, such as middle managers, who wish to advance further in their business or professional life. Useful for business owners who wish to continue the growth and development of their business.

1. Skills Needs Analysis

Method of Delivery: An individual analysis completed online prior to any of the courses selected.

Duration: 30 minutes

Understanding your strengths and the areas you may wish to develop will help you to make your professional and business career decisions. Effective training or development depends on knowing what is required – for the individual, the team and the organisation as a whole. All organisations, large or small, need to know that the resources invested in training are targeted at the areas where training and development are needed and a positive return on the investment is guaranteed.

Effective Skills Needs Analysis are particularly vital in today’s changing workplace as new technologies and flexible working practices are becoming widespread, leading to corresponding changes in the skills and abilities needed. Analysing what your training needs are is crucial for selecting an effective training programme.

This can be offered for just the individual, or, if you wish, a 360 degree review can be facilitated taking into account the feedback of your line manager, peers and team members.

2. Growing Your Market Sector

Method of Delivery: Group face to face sessions

Duration: 1 day

Focus on your options to grow considering your current market and how to improve your sales through both new and existing customers. We will consider when to grow your business and what may be your growth options.

3. Developing More Complex Databases Using Access

Method of Delivery: Group face to face sessions

Duration:

• New to Access software 4 days
• Some familiarity with Access 2 days

Selection and effective use of appropriate data analysis tools to meet requirements such as managing customer and stock data. Creating and modifying database tables using a range of filed types. Using database software tools to run queries and produce reports. Creating and setting up a database system to use for refining and linking information on customers/stock/employee info and data.

4. Line Managing a Team

Method of Delivery: Group face to face sessions

Duration: 4 days

Designed to help you understand and engage with the responsibilities of a line manager. This course focuses clearly on key line management skills such as delegation and motivating and supporting team members. We will also cover giving essential feedback to keep people engaged, becoming more decisive, taking responsibility, managing conflict, learning how to feed upwards, establishing clear boundaries and, of course, setting and achieving team and individual goals. This is a practical course, which will leave you feeling more confident in your abilities to manage others. Topics covered can include:

• Look at the line management role
• Getting from being managed to managing
• Each person’s unique qualities and strengths
• Unspoken line management responsibilities
• Increased confidence in the line management arena
• Examine the nature of authority and responsibility
• The change process and the emotions it generates
• Motivation and how to motivate and inspire others
• Performance management and feedback skills
• Dealing with difficult situations including conflict
• Practical tools and techniques for effective delegation
• Trust relationships and their role in the workplace
• Add to each person’s ‘line management toolkit’

5. Excellence in Customer Service

Method of Delivery: Group face to face sessions

Duration: 2 days

We will consider essential customer service techniques enabling you to identify your customer’s needs and keep delivering a level of service that ensures loyalty and increased profits. We will lead you through how to:

• Identify what your organisation has to offer customers
• Understand who your customers are, what they need and what they expect
• Identify the key elements of customer service excellence
• Create a positive impression on your customers and enhance the image of your organisation
• Choose appropriate behaviour for different customer service situations
• Identify methods of promoting your organisation and boosting business
• Deal effectively with situations where customer expectations have not been met
• Review your performance and plan for customer service improvement.

6. Finance for Non-Financial Managers

Method of Delivery: Group face to face sessions

Duration: 1 day

Assisting you to understand financial management principles and concepts and how they are put to use in businesses of all sizes.

The emphasis of this course is placed on enabling you to use the knowledge and skills gained on the course immediately in your work and personal life.

7. Management Communication and Presentation Skills

Method of Delivery: Group face to face sessions

Duration: 2 days

Helping you to become the most skilled, articulate and passionate presenter and communicator that you can be. These skills have to be developed, honed and added-to on an ongoing basis if you are to make an impact. Presentation is business critical, we show you how to refine and enhance your skill. There is no right way, it’s about understanding the audience and environment in which you have to present.

8. Health and Safety for Managers (IOSH Managing Safely certificate course)

Method of Delivery: Group face to face sessions (Maximum number of delegates not to exceed 15)

Duration: 3 days

Managing safely is for managers and supervisors in any sector and any organisation.

It is designed to bring managers up to speed on the practical actions they need to take to implement and maintain health and safety in their team.

This course gives you the knowledge and tools to manage the health and safety issues for which they are responsible and is an essential part of the manager’s role.

9. Project Management

Method of Delivery: Group face to face sessions

Duration: 4 days

Project management skills can be used in both your professional and personal life. They are a building block of taking business ideas and turning them into reality and provide a clear way of sharing with your team what needs to be achieved. We will consider:

• Using a 5 stage project management framework
• Developing a Business Case for a project
• Defining your project through completing a PID including scoping
• Identifying project roles and assigning responsibilities
• Stakeholder analysis and management
• Producing measurable success criteria
• Identifying and managing risks
• Understanding what is driving the project; quality, cost, or time
• Communications planning
• Using a robust project planning process
  • Developing a work breakdown structure
  • Using predecessor or dependency relationships
  • Milestone reporting
  • Developing realistic estimates – time and cost
  • Producing and using effectively Gantt charts
• Agreeing a robust project control system
• Dealing with variations
• Project closure and review of learning – passing this learning onto others

This suite of courses is appropriate for business leaders in any sector to support you in maintaining your position, enhancing your sophisticated skill set and inspiring your staff.

1. 360° Skills Needs Analysis (SNA)

An individual analysis completed online prior to any of the courses selected. Understanding your strengths and areas you may wish to develop further will help make you make the professional career decisions you need to make. Effective training or development depends on knowing what is required – for the individual, the department and the organisation as a whole. All organisations need to ensure that the resources invested in training are targeted towards areas where training and development is needed and a positive return on the investment is guaranteed.

Effective Skills Needs Analysis is particularly vital in today’s changing workplace as new technologies and flexible working practices are becoming widespread, leading to corresponding changes in the skills and abilities needed. Analysing what your organisation’s training needs are is crucial for selecting effective training programmes.

At this professional level we recommend a 360-degree review should be facilitated, taking into account the feedback of your line manager (if applicable), peers and team members.

2. Effective Utilisation of SNA

Method of Delivery: group face to face session followed by individual appointments

Duration: 1 day

Taking time to consider and understand yourself which could include further analysis such as learning styles and behaviours. The group session will consider and provide an overview of why skills needs analysis is helpful and how it can support both you and how you might use it in your organisation. One to one sessions will allow confidential time to discuss your own results and consider an action plan for any areas of development

3. Leadership Communication and Presentation Skills

Method of Delivery: group face to face

Duration: 1 day

Effective communication is a critical element of successful and inspirational leadership. We will consider how to communicate with influence and work through a number of examples to better understand the impact different communication styles can have on your organisation and other audiences. This will include techniques for running effective meetings, a crucial part of your leadership communication.

4. Health and Safety for Leaders (IOSH Leading Safely certificate course)

Method of Delivery: group face to face (Maximum number of delegates not to exceed 15)

Duration: 1 day

This course will assist delegates with leadership responsibilities – for example, senior managers, directors, heads of departments, executives, board members, business owners, chief executives and trustees. It is valuable for anyone who aspires to these roles, or who wants to share the same language so they feel confident entering into discussions with people at leadership level.

The course aims to help delegates recognise the importance of robust health and safety leadership as an essential for business leaders and to understand their responsibilities and the possible consequences of failing to manage health and safety effectively.

5. Building an Effective Team

Method of Delivery: group face to face

Duration: 3 days

We all want teams who understand what our organisation needs to achieve and are motivated and engaged and feel part of how this is going to happen. The focus is on understanding the difference between a manager and a leader and improving your abilities to operate functionally and contribute to the strategic development of your organisation, department or business.

1. a) Setting Clear Objectives
2. b) Coaching and Mentoring
3. c) Managing Poor Performance
4. d) Encouraging Innovation
5. e) Effective Future Proofing

These are five discrete sessions which develop and enhance leadership competencies.