A security services company which invested in graduate management skills development has achieved a 30% growth in Northern Ireland.
Tim Devine, head of management and leadership at the Department for Employment and Learning (DEL), recently met with Isobel Allison, HR manager of G4S, Northern Ireland to congratulate her on the successful completion of the Departments INTRO programme.
The INTRO programme, developed by DEL and delivered by Parity Talent Management, is designed to enhance key leadership and management skills within local businesses. G4S has used the programme to develop four of its graduate managers, including Isobel.
Over the last three years G4S has achieved 30 percent growth in Northern Ireland, with success driven by the skills and expertise of the company’s staff.
G4S which employs over 2,000 people is a provider of outsourced security services. As a result of completing the programme, Isobel and her colleagues have developed a much broader commercial and business awareness.
The INTRO programme helps recruit new graduate managers and develop them to achieve business results. The programme can also be used to up-skill existing or potential graduate managers already within the business to equip them with the expertise to drive business performance.
Isobel Allison, HR manager at G4S used the INTRO programme to develop her own and a number of other manager’s professional and personal effectiveness skills.
She said: “I use my learning from the INTRO programme every day at work and it keeps me on track when the pressure is on.”
Tim Devine, Department for Employment and Learning said: ” The INTRO Programme is an integrated and flexible training initiative designed to support and develop management and leadership capability in Northern Ireland.
It offers businesses the opportunity to ‘test drive’ ambitious graduates who will be focused on delivering business results over the 24 weeks of the programme, or up skill existing graduate talent to help improve management and leadership skills development.”
The INTRO programme lasts for 24 weeks and consists of 15 days classroom based learning, with one to one coaching from Parity’s business experts throughout. Each participant is expected to demonstrate and report how they have applied the learning to make a difference within the business which contributes to the Advanced Diploma in Management Practice qualification, accredited by the University of Ulster.