Raising The Bar in Leadership and Management
A Coventry not-for-profit organisation that supports individuals, start-ups and businesses around Coventry & Warwickshire to access business finance, is working in partnership with Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber Training to help optimise management skills and productivity across its workforce.
For many reasons, obtaining business finance can sometimes be difficult for individuals, so Coventry & Warwickshire Reinvestment Trust’s (CWRT) aims to fill the gap in mainstream lending by offering affordable alternatives to high interest lenders. The team at CWRT has loaned nearly £6.5 million to businesses in Coventry & Warwickshire that have had difficulty in raising finance.
Sheridan Sulskis, who joined CWRT six years ago, has always had a passion for learning and development. In October 2017 she turned to Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber Training for support and guidance in identifying skills gaps in management training within the business. As an added bonus the firm was able to access ESF funding through Skills 4 Growth and started making solid plans for the future and the business.
Commenting on the support she gained from Chamber Training, Sheridan said: “Although I was not new to management, I wanted to enhance my skills to enable me to get the best out of my team and a refresher qualification in Leadership and Management seemed like the perfect way to go about this.”
Sheridan initially signed up for the ILM level 2 Award and found it to be a fantastic starting point.
“After such a positive experience with Chamber Training, I progressed on to ILM 5, which helped me to enhance my people management skills and become a more effective leader. I received valuable training, support and encouragement from Tracy Sawrey and Rob McDonald, Management Trainers at Chamber Training, and truly enjoyed Tracy and Rob’s style of training and delivery and they were able to give me the support and guidance I needed to achieve.”
On 1st April 2019 all that hard work was rewarded by a promotion to Chief Executive and Sheridan is thoroughly enjoying the role. “I recommended the ILM training to two members of my team, Leah Blocksidge and Jacqueline Maya. Both ladies are new to management and these courses have enabled them to be better equipped at people management by giving them a good, solid platform to enhance their skills.”
Tracy Sawrey, an ILM Management Trainer remarked: “The ILM management qualifications offer a great way of moving your career forward and they are ideal for those who are practicing or aspiring managers. From first line managers (level 3) to middle/senior managers (level 5) we will help you to choose the right course to enhance your skills and knowledge of management theory and more importantly apply to practice. “
To find out more about the ILM qualifications and if your company is eligible for Skills 4 Growth ESF funding, please contact C&W Chamber Training’s Business Development Team on 024 7623 1122 or enquiries@cw-chambertraining.co.uk
Photo caption: From left to right: Sheridan Sulkski, Tracy Sawrey and Leah Blocksidge