Testimonials

 OSRL/EARL Clean Up with Management Qualifications

The recent television coverage of the beaching of the container ship MSC Napoli off the Devon Coast is a reminder of potential risks to the environment which can be caused by even a modest spillage of oil whether on land or at sea.  Averting disaster in such situations hinges on a fast, organised, response and expertise gained through years of practical experience.  Southampton based Oil Spill Response and East Asia Response Limited (OSRL/EARL) the leading organisation dedicated to dealing with incidents of this kind.  Their teams of frontline Response Specialists are on call 24 hours a day 365 days per year to provide emergency  wherever in the world it is needed. Response Specialists work at the sharp end, organising and supervising clean up operations in often challenging conditions.

In 2006, faced with requests from clients for staff to take on a broader range of responsibilities previously undertaken by in-house staff, OSRL/EARL in partnership with Executive Futures, embarked on a programme of management training to help Response Specialists adjust to a more prominent, leadership role in dealing with clean up operations and preparedness activities.

Working from a re-designed competency framework, a tailored management training programme was developed with the help of Training and Development Consultant Caroline Ward, to cover key skill areas such as Leadership, Motivation, Problem Solving, Delegation and Understanding Customer Needs.  The programme also included a work based assignment and was structured so that on completion delegates were awarded an externally recognised qualification – The Institute of Leadership and Management Introductory Certificate in First Line Management.  For maximum convenience the programme was delivered on-site in seven two-day blocks and it culminated in an externally assessed project.

To gain the certificate, learners needed to complete 34 guided learning hours.   This included a 2-hour induction to the programme, 2 hours of tutorial support to complete the work-based assignment and 30 hours of direct training.  The programme was modular with each module designed to be delivered in three hours.

It was confirmed that all participants had successfully completed the programme in March 2007.  Although this represents an achievement for all concerned, the programme of learning was always about improving capability rather than  getting another certificate for the wall.  OSRL/EARL’s Regional Director commented:  “The feedback from the candidates on the course has been overwhelmingly positive, but, more importantly, we have seen our people actively putting the learning they have received into practice.  We are now embarking on a second programme and a number of people who successfully completed the pilot course  will be completing a new advanced level programme.”