Manx Candidates Celebrate Success
Sheltering from the Spring gales churning up the Irish Sea, the Sefton Hotel in Douglas, hosted the latest Cullen Scholefield candidates’ award ceremony on 14th March. Restored Victorian elegance and an airy glass atrium extension festooned with palms, made an atmospheric setting to mark success after taxing assignments and course modules.
‘Cullen Scholefield have been supporting the development of HR professionals and managers on the Isle of Man for six years,’ said Carol Bates. "The presentation was for all our successful CIPD candidates on the Island, including people who had completed the Certificate in Personnel Practice, the Certificate in Training Practice and Personnel NVQs. It was lovely to see everyone and to catch up on their news! I think a great time was had by all."
We circulated and caught up with candidates for their impressions – a sort of fish bowl appraisal to share with Newsletter readers!
Scott Bradley, Certificate of Personnel Practice
Winner
of the Student of the Year Award 2006
‘My job title is Service Delivery Manager, which probably begs the question...."why an HR qualification?" Well, I previously worked in the Recruitment Industry where training opportunities and natural progression meant that the CIPD CPP course was ideal. After enrolling on the course I was approached by the Managing Director of 2e2 (Isle of Man) Ltd with an opportunity which he felt I had the right skills and personality for. The rest as they say is history! It was quite a year for me. I moved house and my wife had a baby into the bargain, so we have been busy!
‘2e2 provide the skilled resources that organisations need in order to manage and maintain large and complex IT infrastructures. We also deliver innovative solutions, including identifiable business benefits in a flexible and cost-competitive manner. I manage this for 2e2 on an operational basis, scheduling in excess of 20 resources and often negotiating in the employment/contract market both in the UK and the IOM.
‘The CPP course took a lot of commitment both professionally and personally. Having a young baby doesn’t necessarily fit with late nights in the office and periods of lengthy study, though my wife has been wonderfully supportive. I guess there are advantages in burning the midnight oil however – you don’t always have to get out of bed in the small hours to administer that feed to the little white bundle, and there’s something rather soothing about that quiet sucking of a bottle which makes for more thoughtful contributions to course modules!
‘The course has given me a great insight to the world of Human Resources and helped me identify improvements in both my management style and the current work practices of my organisation. In my opinion it is essential for a manager to understand the role of Human Resources and to be positive about the impact that this function can bring to any business. I certainly hope that my learning and experiences of HR will stand me in good stead throughout my career.’
Emma Gleave, Certificate in Personnel Practice
‘My
current position is Office Manager in the Personnel Office for the Isle
of Man Civil Service. When I started studying for my CPP I was a Recruitment
Administrator in the same Office. I oversee recruitment for the IOM
Civil Service working directly with 15 different Government Departments,
Boards and offices. We are the largest employer on the Island. The workload
and our policy priorities change often so we have to be on our toes
and be prepared to think quickly.
I take part in amateur dramatics and professional productions on the Island and I'm always rehearsing for something! I had a break while I was studying but in the last 2 years I have been involved in 6 musicals! I am also currently taking part in something called the Manx Executive Challenge. In teams we have been given projects to complete (Ours is on town centre image and the effect it has on our economy). The inals for this are being held in May.
I enjoyed studying for my CPP as it was all very relevant to my job, I felt the benefits immediately as it helped me understand 'the bigger picture'. The qualification undoubtedly helped with my promotion and has helped in my job since. I often refer back to the workbooks for information!
I have just been offered a new post within the Department of Health and Social Security, a step away from Personnel/HR, but I know that the things I learnt during CPP will help me there too.
Karen Watson, Certificate in Personnel Practice
Karen
works in the banking sector too, as an HR Consultant for Bank of Scotland
International. ‘My role covers a wide range of HR activities -
from payroll and recruitment through to Talent Management,’ she
explains. ‘Although based on the Isle of Man, I work closely with
all areas of our business – covering the Isle of Man, Jersey and
Hong Kong. As you can imagine - keeping up to date with changes across
the 3 jurisdictions is not always easy!
’Studying for the CPP has provided me with some great tools for doing my role effectively, and has developed my understanding of the vital function HR plays in the business. Although obtaining CPP will not alter my career prospects at the moment, I feel that having the knowledge under my belt gives me invaluable credibility with my business.’
Katherine Smith, Certificate in Personnel Practice
Katherine
is another representative of the burgeoning financial services sector
in the Isle of Man. ‘I am the HR Administrator for Mees Pierson
Intertrust in the Isle of Man,’ she explains. The company is the
world's leading provider of Trust and Corporate services for private
and corporate clients and their advisors. ‘With our international
network of experts in tax, corporate law and accounting, we have 1100
employees worldwide operating from 23 offices.
Currently, I co-ordinate recruitment and training alongside my manager in the Isle of Man Office. It is a very varied role. I also administer the flexible benefits. Both roles keep me busy.
‘Regarding the course, I feel it benefited me very much as this is my first role within HR. It has helped me progress within the department and taught me lots!’
Bev Reynolds, Certificate in Personnel Practice
Bev
works for the Isle of Man Post as Human Resources Officer, working 28
hours per week. ‘My job is very varied, from absence reporting
and accident at work reporting to payroll and recruitment,’ she
says. ‘The most beneficial part of the CPP course was recruitment.
I learnt a lot about interviewing and gained useful information on how
to conduct and use appraisals.
‘I am not sure if passing the Certificate will get me a better job, as I am due to retire in 4 years and am slowly reducing my hours to suit business needs. However, I think it was good to do the course and I am pleased my employer encouraged me.
‘After all, if older employees miss out on training opportunities they can become marginalised and it is certainly true that you never need to stop learning. On the other hand, I would suggest any new employees who are interested in working in Personnel would definitely benefit from completing this course.’
Matthew Bruce, Certificate in Personnel Practice
Matthew
Bruce works for the Isle of Man Government Department of Tourism &
Leisure as a generalist HR Administrator. The Department covers a wide
range of activities including Manx Sport and Recreation, a wildlife
park, a theatre and marina complex and various other things including
the Manx steam and electric railways. ’I am currently working
on creating a paperless system for booking and evaluating all learning
and development within the department,’ says Matthew.’ Matthew
feels he benefited from the course. ‘It was very useful as it
allowed me to formalise my existing skills & experiences, working
in a HR environment into a recognised qualification,’ he comments.
‘It allowed me to study at my own pace, to network with other
like-minded HR professionals and share experiences and best practice.
Isobel Wilkinson of Cullen Scholefield was very helpful and supportive
throughout the course, and was always at the other end of the phone
if advice was needed.’
Donna Dale, Certificate in Training Practice
‘At the moment I am working with the skills and development team in Zurich International and I do a lot of one to one coaching skills,’ explains Donna. ‘I am helping run a programme on service excellence so we are doing a lot of team building exercises, and that kind of thing, working on our service ethos.’
‘I was previously 16 years in Finance and did a bit of training there,’ she says. ‘More recently I came back to training and decided to become a properly qualified trainer. Doing the CTP gave me grounding if you like. I decided that I really wanted to become a properly qualified trainer. I wanted a proper qualification,’ says Donna.
‘Studying for the Certificate was great! We had a study group that met once a month or every six weeks, held in a central place. The group would get together and run through a lot of theory, what it meant and so on. And then we would have a practical exercise. We would each prepare something for our next group meeting.’
‘I found the group worked particularly well because we were all from different financial institutions. So we were all able to do some networking with one another. It was interesting to meet other people in the same industry.’
How did Donna cope with the work? ‘There were a lot of modules and a lot of work to do in your own time. My employer suggested that I follow the course and was very supportive,’ says Donna. ‘They helped me financially and allowed me to have the time away from the office. It will definitely make a difference to my career because it gave me the grounding and the theory behind what we do as trainers. In a sense it covered the basics before I could start the job. It was my foundation in it and I can build from there.’
Lorna Quaye, Certificate in Training Practice
‘I am a Resource Development Coach for the Royal Bank of Scotland International. I have the responsibility to train approx 150 staff within the Retail Division on the Isle of Man in soft skills and system training. My role spans across the whole of the Retail Division covering Branches, Business, Premium and the Independent Financial Advisors. So my role is fairly varied. I get a lot of enjoyment and job satisfaction being able to help and support the staff in their roles.
‘The qualification is an excellent one in itself and I enjoyed meeting staff from other companies and learning about what they do and how they undertake their training. It was good that it was broken into modules as it gave opportunities to practice what had been taught. It provides an excellent grounding for anyone that wants to pursue training as a career. It provides a structured approach that a dedicated trainer should be following to get the most out of their training for themselves and their company. I use it as my 'bible' and refer to it continually.’
What did Lorna think of the way the course was delivered? ‘The tutor had a large part to play in the huge amount of information we learnt. We were able to take all this away and put into practical use. She instilled confidence into all of us and had a relaxed, although firm, approach which was excellent.’
Gail Hampson and Karen Powell, Certificates in Training Practice
Gail is a civil servant working for the Isle of Man Government. Her current post is 'Training Advisor' within the Staff Development Group of the Income Tax Division. Her colleague Karen Powell also works in the Income Tax Division of the Manx Treasury. Until recently Alice Martin was their Head of Staff Development. She has encouraged numerous staff through similar routes. ‘Having completed the forerunner to the certificate myself, I would always encourage anyone new to training to undertake this or a similar course,’ said Alice. ‘I witnessed a real change in the way my colleagues approached their work after training. They are now much more confident and apply a very structured and professional approach to their work.’
What did Gail and Karen feel about their course experiences? ‘Completing the CTP was a valuable achievement and my skills and knowledge as a trainer were increased significantly,’ said Gail. ‘I find myself referring back to the workbooks provided through the course regularly. The training and practical experience are put into practice each time I deliver a course. They help my confidence and make me look professional. I would recommend anyone starting out training to consider following the same route. It was a solid foundation to build on.’
Karen
Powell is a Policy Officer, working in the same department. She agreed
with Gail’s assessment. ‘The CTP course was very useful
for me, especially the evaluation section,’ she said. ‘It
provided a framework for me to use when evaluating training instead
of just hoping I was doing it right! I am about to deliver my first
post-CTP training event, and I feel better prepared than I did before
the course,’ she says.
Nice one, both of you! Are there any more coming along? Alice starts to list them… but, no - they can wait until next time!
Shirley Coop, NVQ Personnel Strategy Level 5
Shirley’s life has changed considerably since she was studying last year. She told us how it happened…
’In July I took voluntary redundancy from my role as HR Director at Singer and Friedlander, a bank based in the Isle of Man. Prior to last year we had quite a lot of autonomy within the group, but this all changed and I had to think about my future. Skills which I enjoyed using were no longer being used and after twenty five years with the company I took the plunge and opted to leave.’
’Such turning points can make or break us. In my case it was a change to something quite different. I took 6 months out before my career switch into - teaching swimming! The part-time, term-time hours are ideal for spending more time with my family, and I really love what I do. The only drawback is that I feel a bit like a prune from spending so long in the water!’
But what of all that work Shirley did for the NVQ in Personnel Strategy? Was it a waste? ‘I certainly don't think so,’ she says. ‘The discipline of home studying was very enlightening, if not a little tough at times. It has opened all sorts of avenues that I previously would not have considered, and who knows which ones I might wander down in the future!’
Keith Green, Personnel Management NVQ Level 4
Like
Bev, Keith works for Isle of Man Post. He too is a Human Resources Officer.
He is based at Postal Headquarters just outside Douglas. ‘I deal
mainly with staff pensions for both current and past employees, recruitment
and retirements as well as the normal day to day routines,’ he
told us. ’As I am sure is the case with everyone in HR, you never
know what you will be coming up against each day and this adds spice
to a job that is certainly not routine.
‘Away from work I enjoy walking and some running. Last year I completed the London Marathon in a personal best time, of 4 hours 55 minutes well, it had to be I've only taken part in it once! I ran for Childline, the charity. The Cheeky Girls pop group was also running for Childline, so I met them without realising who they were. My youngest daughter still nags me for not getting their autographs and photos!
’Studying for the NVQ was interesting and helps identify areas that need improving and where knowledge is lacking. Occasionally it is reassuring to discover that you are doing some things right! The support from Carol Bates is excellent; she is always willing to help no matter how many times you may have asked her the same question.
‘When I took the CPP course I was fortunate to be involved with a very friendly group and we were all more than happy to help each other and still keep in touch, Again Isobel was very supportive. The course was definitely useful and whilst I am not looking for other employment I am sure that the qualification would help me if I was.’
