15/05/2015 - Developing coach industry managers
People1st and The Guild co-operate
Twenty coach industry managers from the Guild of British Coach Operators recently completed the Management 1st training and development programme run by People1st, the workforce development organisation for the bus & coach industry. Two courses were run exclusively for managers working in the coach industry, allowing delegates from ten different companies to learn how to improve their management skills and discuss how to apply them in an industry context.
Guild Administrator Richard Delahoy explained "Developing our existing and upcoming managers is vital to the future of our businesses. The Guild already facilitates training for drivers and engineers and so we were delighted to work with People1st to provide courses tailored to our specific needs. Feedback from the first two courses has been excellent, delegates saying they are now more confident and better organized to cope with the pressures of their demanding jobs".
Typical of the feedback were the comments from Neil McCarthy, an Operations Manager at Richmond's Coaches: "Very good!! I feel I have learned a lot that I can take back to work".
People1st's Business Development Manager Sharon Gailey added "Often, coach industry staff are promoted on the basis of being ‘good at their job' but aren't given support with developing the soft skills they need to manage other people effectively - for example, how to handle difficult conversations, or understanding the different ways to motivate staff. That's why we developed our Management 1st training - it's a real need for businesses. We're proud to be working with The Guild and its members to help the industry develop its managers and ensure effective leadership for the future".
Richard Delahoy continued: "the first twenty delegates are now putting their learning into practice and we will be running more courses later in 2015".
Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2015, the Guild promotes and markets the services of its members, all of whom commit to meeting the highest quality standards, assured by regular independent audits. The Guild is also registered as a Driver CPC training centre. Membership comprises 23 of the most respected operators across the UK, with two more companies about to join.
People 1st is the leading workforce development charity for employers in the hospitality, tourism, leisure, travel, passenger transport and retail industries, identifying employers' needs and working in partnership with them to develop solutions that increase performance through people.
Established in 2004, over the past 10 years People 1st has successfully developed a reputation for industry-defining intelligence and delivery, and is the first port of call for employers wanting to find out how to improve the skills in their organisation.
Picture: Craig Sharratt, Passenger Transport Supervisor at Johnsons Coaches, receives his course certificate from People1st's Sharon Gailey.