Learning & Development
We believe learning and development to be central to the successful delivery of quality and effective services and our training and career development opportunities support this belief.
We provide comprehensive training opportunities for people of all skill, competency and experience levels ranging from people straight from school or college through to professionally qualified status.
“Skills for Life” is a government led national strategy for improving literacy and numeracy skills. Free training is available to the equivalent of an NVQ Level 2 in Literacy and Numeracy Skills.
The Essex Leadership Centre gives future leaders the opportunity to join in a range of personal and group development activities, including collaborating with others to resolve business critical issues.
The centre offers a different approach to leadership development in that:
- Personal and organisational development are intertwined and learning features coaching sessions intended to challenge and develop each participant
- Personal development focuses on competencies identified as important to future individual and service effectiveness. Development is managed throughout the centre by a personal development Plan.
- Participants collaborate to resolve business critical issues
- The content, length and extent, timing, method and location of development are negotiated
- Success is measured by the impact of the centre on individual, service and Essex performance
Relevance to service delivery is ensured through an initial business diagnosis and a development centre that is focussed on personal competence.
One cohort has now completed the leadership Centre, a second will complete in April 2007 and we are developing the Leadership Centre for a third cohort which is anticipated to begin during the autumn of 2007.
Essex Interchange is a key tool in assisting authorities to develop staff and help them become more outward focussed.
Secondments are an important feature of the interchange and usually last between 3 and 12 months and can be on a full-time or part-time basis.
Attachments can take place for less than 3 months to undertake, for example, short term projects or studies. Job Swaps are an exchange of job roles to gain new experience and skills in a different organisation. They are likely to last 3 to 6 months depending on the role and the skills needed.
Work Shadowing involves accompanying someone through their working day or week in order to gain a greater understanding of their role.
Team Leader Programme
We provide Team Leaders and Supervisors the opportunity to undertake the Certificate in Team Leading, which is accredited to the Institute of Leadership and Management. The course lasts for 6 - 7 months and consists of 12 modules plus an assessment, a mini project and presentation at the end.