A dozen Forth Valley College staff members have become the first cohort to complete the Leadership Development Programme (LDP).
Launched in autumn 2018 and developed and organised by FVC’s Learning and Development team, the LDP encourages candidates with the potential and aspirations to become future college leaders, to participate in a mix of educational activity, practical project work, on-the-job learning, and self-development paced throughout a two-year programme.
In addition to the offer of leadership - and management - themed workshops facilitated by CDN, ACAS and college L&D, the cohort also led on specific college infrastructure projects and developed their self-awareness through use of leadership tools including Belbin Team Roles, Strengths Profiles, Action Learning Sets and Motivational Maps.
Candidates - Laura Calder, Miles Lagan, Laurence Ferguson, Stephen Jarvie, Richard Reid, Gemma Dempsey, Fiona Clelland, Jennifer Hogarth, Alistair McKean, Pauline Donaldson, William Forrest and Mhairi Hay - were supported by mentors drawn from the college leadership team. The programme was also underpinned by successful completion of the SVQ L4 (SCQF L9) Management qualification.
A number of candidates also took up secondments and progressed towards promoted roles throughout the duration of the programme, with the group also benefitting from the opportunity to discover more about different aspects of the college, network effectively, and learn from each other.
Laura Calder, FVC Project Support Officer, who completed the course, said: “I have learned that continuing professional development is something I have really enjoyed and I feel I have gained skills and knowledge which will assist me in the future.
“The programme has also cemented the belief that I love being part of large scale projects which bring opportunities for significant change in the organisation.
“I would definitely recommend it to my colleagues and I felt completely supported by my manager, team, HR and my assessor and mentor throughout. I feel it has given me a greater understanding of the cross college processes. I would like to thank FVC for allowing me to be part of the programme and consider myself incredibly lucky to be an employee within FVC!”
To read Laura’s full case study click here
Alistair McKean, Lead Commercial Trainer, Hazardous Area and Electrical Safety Training, said: “I was very grateful to have been given the opportunity to attend the Leadership and Management programme at Forth Valley College. The course involved working with other managers and leaders across the college where we could complete both self and peer assessment of our individual management and leadership styles.
“The training days provided us with various tools we could use which would provide us with key information on the strengths and weaknesses we may have as managers and leaders, which we could reflect upon to continually improve.
“After almost 15 years in management, it was also refreshing to ask members of my team to give me feedback. They reviewed the various projects I have completed within the department, especially on the new Falkirk Campus move and the various mentoring projects, to take team members through training and assessment qualifications.”
Andrew Lawson, FVC’s Depute Principal and Chief Operating Officer, said: “Well done to all who have completed the programme and we look forward to seeing how it helps them progress in the future.
“The development programme was a great opportunity for candidates to increase their knowledge, skills and behaviours, gain experience and challenge themselves to achieve individual goals.
“Programme success very much relied upon individual goals and the personal commitment each candidate wished to make to achieving them. Everyone’s goals are different, so a one-size programme does not fit all.
“Each candidate received support from mentors, line managers, HR, and a dedicated SVQ Assessor, and all were encouraged to take the lead in shaping the programme to ensure that their individual experience was rewarding, the content relevant to their specific needs, and that the programme gave sufficient challenge and stretch to help prepare them for future roles.
“Ultimately, our college can only benefit from the significant investment made through developing its people.”
Anyone wishing to find out more about the Leadership Development Programme should contact their relevant Human resources Business Manager.