First Line Managers recognised at ceremony at NICVA

Fourteen students from NICVA’s First Line Management Programme received their level three Open College Network certificates on Friday 28 September. This was the fourth Annual Presentation of Certificates Ceremony held to celebrate the successful achievements of all participants. Most of their Line Managers were also in attendance.

The NICVA First Line Management Programme

The NICVA First line management programme has been running for over 25 years and for the last four years it was a very successful part of the wider NICVA Management Development Programme. The aim of the course is to provide the knowledge and skills required to manage effectively in a voluntary or community sector organisation and to enhance personal effectiveness.

Between September 2006 and March 2007 twenty-four managers from the voluntary and community sector completed this programme.

Today's ceremony

Úna McKernan, Director of Corporate Services in NICVA, started the proceedings by congratulating everyone who had achieved the qualification and commending their hard work and commitment. She also gave an overview of the management development programme and its evaluation, highlighting the value of networking as well as the reported increase in managers’ confidence and management skills.

Ann Osborne from EGSA then spoke about her learning on the MSc Voluntary Sector Management. She gave a summary of her findings from her research report entitled: "Voluntary Sector Values and Business Practices in the Social Economy: Sleeping with the Enemy?"

In what was an interesting and very informative talk she identified the skills required for a social economy business and the impact on culture. Her final comment was "…with strong leadership and an eye to the ‘double bottom line’ voluntary organisations can make a profit without sacrificing their mission or value base."

She also remarked on all she had learnt on the masters and the importance of sharing information and knowledge with each other, stressing that networking was a very important aspect of the course.

Importance of lifelong learning

Roisin Kelly a previous trainer on the programme gave a motivational talk on the importance of lifelong learning and learning from your everyday experience. She shared how she embraced learning throughout her life and how it kept her motivated and challenged her to do new things.

She encouraged all in the audience to apply all they had learnt and never be put off by failure as it was always part of the road to success.