CMI welcomes ministerial calls for 'success through skills'

3 June 2010

CMI (Chartered Management Institute) has today welcomed the views expressed at the launch of a public consultation on Northern Ireland's skills strategy by the minister for Employment and Learning, Sir Reg Empey.

Speaking at the launch of 'Success through Skills 2', Sir Reg suggested that "the reality is that the jobs in our labour market are changing – they rely more and more on people's knowledge." His views echo a report published by CMI which revealed that job prospects in Northern Ireland are increasingly being influenced by an individual's commitment to their long-term professional development. The report, called 'Value of Management Qualifications' shows that

-81 per cent of individuals in Northern Ireland believe that management qualifications will grow in importance between now and 2012

-more than three-quarters (76 per cent) argue that their need for 'transferable skills' lies behind a desire to 'get qualified', and

-86 per cent suggest that having a management qualification 'improves promotion prospects'.

Narinder Uppal, head of CMI's Awarding Body, comments: "Who you know is no longer enough to get ahead at work. What increasingly matters to employers - and individuals - is currency of knowledge and proof of ability. Data shows that just 1 in 5 managers hold a professional qualification; it's a situation that is unhelpful at best and untenable, at worst. How can business recover if those at the helm of an organisation haven't the skills and qualifications to lead?

Along with professional bodies across a number of industries and functions, CMI delivers more than 50,000 qualifications each year. Yet, with the management population predicted to grow as the economy recovers, CMI is urging employers and individuals to commit to the development of effective managers and leaders as a national priority.

Uppal adds: "We have some great leaders and managers in Northern Ireland, but there are still issues of under-performance and skills gaps and we urgently need to address this problem. CMI is calling on employers and managers to take responsibility for their own development and that of their staff. Only by fostering a culture in which managers and leaders are accountable, organised and professionally qualified,will we be in a position to prosper as the economy turns the corner."

As part of its commitment to a better skilled workforce, CMI is calling on managers, leaders, employers, politicians and other policy makers to sign up to its Manifesto for a Better Managed Northern Ireland. The Manifesto demands that urgent action is taken to transform management and leadership performance and to inspire the next generation of managers to come through.