Work done on the training ground

the major service-based companies in Britain today, it is clear that training plays a vital role in their success. What may be

surprising is the fact that although they all operate in different market-places, they have the same kind of people management issues, the same kind of information management issues, the same kind of financial issues and the same kind of operational management issues.

So while each may have its own unique ethos and infrastructure, the training programmes they follow are likely to be adapted from a generic model. As Kenneth Fee, Financial Times Management corporate developments manager for Scotland and Ireland says, it is context that differentiates the companies' training needs.

''What we provide is tailoring to the context but the actual inputs, the underpinning knowledge and understanding, are generic,'' he said.

''Typically a programme will be built around off-the-shelf generic material and then we'll customise in terms of the delivery, discussing the objectives with the client and maybe writing some new assessment material. We frequently do one-day workshops, to support particular study or particular pieces of material, drawing on their own experience.

''Most of the organisations we deal with have a strategic view and are more proactive, understanding that they need to buy

in certain services for external providers or partners. It is an educated market.

''Our materials are best used in the context of a complete training solution that's been designed

with tutorial support or advice

or assessment, and it tends to

be the larger organisations that

pursue that.''

Financial Times Management, the largest provider of management development resources in Europe, was re-formed in January this year, merging a number of existing training and development businesses and other management education interests, including three training companies; the Open College, HDL, and Training Direct.

It designs and delivers training and development services for corporate clients who are likely to have a large number of employees, the scale to make training initiatives work, a forward-looking perspective and the resources to invest in training.

The client base in Scotland includes organisations like ScottishPower, Standard Life, Royal Bank of Scotland, British Aerospace and various other Blue Chip companies which have training staff managing the process internally by accessing training provision from external providers.

''Most companies can't afford to dedicate time to getting

into specialised areas like the

provision of qualifications, or

the development of resources,'' explained Fee. ''We are registered with all the major awarding bodies in the UK and with a number of universities and can offer a credited courses leading to qualifications, from VQs to post-graduate qualifications. We have the biggest range of management development resources in Europe, and the biggest range of health and safety videos in Europe.''

Delivering training to staff located at different bases over a wide geographical area can pose a problem for companies but most training today is offered on a flexible basis so that employees can study at a distance, on their own and without the need to interact with other learners and tutors all the time.

This is attractive to companies because it limits the amount of time and money spent in taking employees to a central training point, although it does not, and should not, preclude live, face to face, traditional training.

Forward-looking employers also see the practical benefits of encouraging staff to train for specific management qualifications like the MBA.

''The function of the qualification in the overall scheme of things is to provide a motivation for the individual, in a way a benefits package for that individual, but in the case of a programme like the MBA where there's a

project or thesis to complete, we always negotiate with the company to agree an issue with them that will have an impact on the business,'' explained Fee.

''If you have a group of 10 people going through a programme, each doing a project, that company is going to have effectively 10 major pieces of internal consultancy work carried out, the outcomes of which are almost certain to yield savings or other business benefits that more than justify the investment.''

Fee does not believe that

organisations are particularly concerned with qualifications but see them as a means rather of providing motivation for individuals that result in training needs being met. From the individual perspective, however, qualifications are important and employers are recognising that.

''People are trying to manage careers, not knowing for certain they're still going to be with that same employer in a few years so a qualification is an excellent way of measuring what they've done with that company, in a way that's measurable to a new employer,'' he said.

According to Kenneth Fee, external training provision should be seen as an additional benefit to a company rather than a replacement of what is already being offered.

''Our clients are the personnel HR training professionals within companies, so our role is to enhance the service they provide to their customers if you like, the staff within those organisations,'' he explained.

''We're not in the business

of going into a company, providing a quick fix and running

away again. We like to maintain

a relationship and therefore provide service over the long term, so we stay in touch with the organisations.

''The bulk of our work tends to be in positive vain where people are being developed to perform their job better, to improve the performance of the business or to progress within the company.''

Not all training materials are generic and there have been several instances where it has not been possible to adapt existing material, where the commissioning of new material would

be essential.

There are also situations that demand a change of medium, from text to CD- Rom, for example, or a change of language or design, where material produced for someone at supervisory level may not be suitable for a graduate who has not yet developed business skills and who is more used to concentrated study using more sophisticated materials.

''We would usually combine those two things, planning a programme with the HR manager which would include study of

a range of materials, workbooks predominantly, but inputting video or CD-Rom and periodically organising workshop events or individual face to face tutorials to drive the process,'' explained Fee.

''That would be backed up

with telephone tuition, tuition by e-mail, and postal or e-mail again, marking off written

work-based assignments or case study work.''