Employment and Learning Minister, Sir Reg Empey, today launched ‘Leading…to Success’, the new Management and Leadership Strategy for Northern Ireland.

The strategy was the result of a year long consultation with a wide variety of groups in the private, public and voluntary sectors.  A number of challenges were identified by the Management Leadership Network (MLN) including lack of engagement among local companies in management development activities, low skills expectations among employers and a lack of investment in training.  A range of initiatives have been put in place to address identified shortfalls. 

Speaking at the launch of the strategy Sir Reg said: “The importance of good management and leadership skills to the future development of our economy cannot be overstated.  As Northern Ireland strives to develop as an internationally competitive, knowledge-based economy we must develop the management skills necessary to support that growth. ”

The strategy highlights the need for increased innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship in Northern Ireland and outlines the size and complexity of the challenge facing the Northern Ireland management sector.

Welcoming the publication of the strategy, Mark Ennis, Chairman, MLN said: “We look forward to working with colleagues in the Department, the Sector Skills Councils and other representative bodies to deliver the longer term vision of this strategy. Northern Ireland provides opportunities for collaborative synergies and the transferability of management skills should allow the implementation of this strategy to cause a sea change in the performance of our management cadre.”

Click here to download a pdf version of 'Leading...to Success'. Alternatively  contact Laura McNally on 028 9080 4202 to request your own hard copy of the new strategy.