The first, BPEX/ILM Staff Development (North) Programme begins in October 2010 and leads to a nationally recognised qualification in First Line Management from the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM).

BPEX Knowledge Transfer Manager Lis Ravn said: “Managing pigs is often the easy part of being a pig unit supervisor, but looking after the staff can be a different story. This course has been set up to help supervisors and managers get the full potential from themselves and their staff.

“The six interactive training days are fun, relevant and provide practical solutions to some of the common issues faced on farm. People who have been on similar courses are already seeing significant improvements to pig production and staff morale as a result.”

Run over a 10-month period, the ILM course is suitable for anyone responsible for leading people or who will take on the responsibility in the near future. It is filling up fast, so anyone interested should contact Lis Ravn to secure remaining places on: 07891 656784 or lisbeth.ravn@bpex.org.uk. The course has been subsidised with funding from LandSkills and will cost £400 per person, which includes all registration and course fees.

For those looking for a more ‘active’ way of developing their leadership skills, an alternative option is the JSR Leadership Development Group. This annual programme, now in its 18^th year, is designed to be practical, challenging and readily applicable to situations staff encounter at work.

The five-part course starts with four days based in Cumbria, with the remaining four parts (two days each) spread over the year, at Southburn in East Yorkshire. This course should also attract funding support from LandSkills. Contact Tim Rymer or Linda Woodhall on 01377 227755 for more details.

If there is anyone interested who is not based in the north, watch this space for more details of the BPEX/ILM staff development programme starting in other regions.