Leadership training at Inspiring Learning

As the parent company of Skern Training and Skills (STS), Inspiring Learning have insider knowledge into the huge gains many organisations experience by investing in their managers and leaders of tomorrow. As an organisation with a large number of employees working in various parts of the business, from day care providers to residential centres, spread across different departments nationwide, and in France, consistency in opportunities, company values and support were also paramount when it came to management training.

Investing in our managers and leadership talent at Inspiring Learning not only futureproofs the business, but it instils appreciation, value and trust in individuals. Recognising employees is so important for career satisfaction, as well as employee retention. High quality leadership is sought after by every company.

Phil Page, Head of Learning and Development at Inspiring Learning, said:

"We analysed the business to find out what leadership and management skills we need. So rather than taking a textbook or blanket approach to leadership and management, we listened to all of our employees using some feedback, we listened to all of our managers using the appraisal tool, we interviewed lots of the key stakeholders and the senior leaders to find out what does leadership and management mean to Inspiring Learning. Where are we strong, where are we not so strong and where does that intervention need to lie. What we then did, partnering with STS, is find a real blended program between the the traditional management theories to practical real world applications, out using activities to hang that learning off."

Hear more from Phil and take a look at the week in action in our coverage below:

How Inspiring Learning’s leadership programme began:

A group of 40 aspirational managers and future leaders at Inspiring Learning were invited to Skern Lodge to kickstart their journey on the CPD accredited leadership programme. Selected by a career committee, set-up by Inspiring Learning, participants were identified as high performing talent across our business. The purpose of working with STS, and at their main adventure hub at Skern Lodge, was to inspire, upskill and empower these individuals to meet their potential. STS delivers a range of Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) qualifications, meaning the 40 participants will complete the months-long course with an official qualification depending on the level they have applied to. The scene was set from the very start by using experiential adventure learning, including coastal traversing across rocky obstacles and kayaking across the River Torridge, delivered by our invaluable team of instructors at STS.

By bringing together talent from different departments, relationships and ways of working together also had a positive impact; further improving communication, peer-to-peer learning and innovation across the business.

Bespoke leadership training

STS provides an ‘educational window’ that encourages rapid knowledge transfer through experiential learning, assignments and high-quality training to motivate and inspire progression in current managers and future leaders.

Rather than taking a text-book approach to training, research was carried out to understand what leadership and management skills were needed at Inspiring Learning and fundamentally what leadership meant to Inspiring Learning. In doing so, key stakeholders were interviewed, and focus groups carried-out with further insight gained from employee surveys to create a completely bespoke and impactful programme. Working in collaboration with Inspiring Learning, STS’ programme delivered both the necessary leadership and management skills with transferable life-long learning gained through memorable experiential learning experiences. Resilience and leadership skills were built when paddling against the rapids, with the lasting message that participants can do difficult things and lead teams to overcome challenges.

What Inspiring Learning’s leadership programme entails:

• Practical activity-based in-person learning

• Training on-the-job with projects assigned to test learning and new skills

• Regular mentor support across the business to soundboard challenges and ideas

• Quarterly training sessions as a cohort with subject specialists

• End of learning assessment and career-long support with further learning opportunities

Why choose STS

STS provide unique leadership building opportunities through experiential learning. Powerful moments when future leaders need to dig deep and work together are both memorable and transferable. Preparing and challenging mindsets from the get-go creates progressive impactful learning opportunities, and tangible results. The bespoke nature of STS’ training programmes ensures a company’s vision and values are seamlessly worked into its core content with learning outcomes aligned to company objectives. Training and assessment can be structured online and in-person with immersive experiential learning opportunities built into the programme for lasting and immediate impact.

Get in touch to discuss your leadership training with STS, here