Business owners and managers ‘urged’ to train

The performances of many businesses could be improved with the right management training, it has been claimed.

To mark National Learning at Work Day, the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) urged employers and managers to make good use of the training available to them.

According to the National Employer Skills Survey 2007, a significant number of employers are experiencing managerial skill shortages.

Of the employers whose managers have a skills gap, 73 per cent said they lack management skills. Well over half of employers whose managers have a skills gap reported that this creates an increased workload for other staff.

One third found that operating costs increased, while a similar number found it difficult to introduce new working practices. In only 20 per cent of cases did employers claim that managerial skills gaps created no particular problems.

Professor Cary Cooper, a leading business psychologist, argued that increasing numbers of managers are struggling to delegate effectively.

Professor Cooper added that managers may realise employees lack the skills to enable delegation, but don’t know how best to solve this.

He said: “It is clear that increased social and interpersonal skills among managers will mean that people are given more control and autonomy over their job through delegation and are provided with manageable workloads and achievable deadlines, so that we can get the most of out them and minimise employee stress and burnout.”

The LSC pointed out that there is particular training help available for smaller businesses.

More money is being used to fund Train to Gain, the government flagship training programme. This includes an increase in finance for SME management training – from £4 million to £30 million per annum – that will support managers in around 42,000 companies over the next three years.

In addition, the LSC said, grants of £1,000 are available to SME owner/managers who want training to improve their leadership or management skills.

Skills Minister, David Lammy said: “To really succeed in an increasingly competitive climate, every business manager needs to get the best from their employees. Despite the time pressures they face, no manager can afford to cut corners on training – either for their employees or themselves.

“This is why I have made the provision of leadership and management training a priority. In expanding Train to Gain, we’ve listened closely to the business community to ensure high quality, bespoke training is available when and where they want it.”

Train to Gain can be contacted on 0800 015 55 45. The website is at www.traintogain.gov.uk