The theme of the event was "Developing Leaders, Nurturing Talent, and Succession Planning", providing an opportunity for our learners to network, connect, learn, and celebrate their achievements.
Over the past year, we've seen an impressive cohort of over 80 individuals successfully complete their ILM qualifications.
Our guest speaker was Marie Ferris from Thrive Coaching Development who emphasised the importance of developing leaders and outlining a framework for developing talent and succession planning.
Drawing insights from The State of the Global Workforce report, which revealed that a staggering 90% of UK employees feel disengaged and are either loud or quiet quitting, Marie underscored the urgent need for enhanced workplace culture and engagement. Marie outlined the talent management framework and how we recruit, develop, retain/engage and transition our staff. She went on to highlight some questions that we need to ask and develop an action plan around. For example:
- What are our strategic people needs?
- When did we last review our onboarding and induction process?
- How do we foster a culture of continuous development and learning in our teams?
- What are the key roles within our teams that require succession planning?
Following Marie's presentation we had a discussion with a panel of sector leaders; Treasa Rice (CEO, GLOW), Dean Nutt (CEO, Larne YMCA), Celine McStravick (CEO, NICVA), and Marie Ferris (Thrive Coaching Development). Panelists shared their organizational experiences of identifying and developing talent in their organisations and highlighted key success factors, including clear communication, staff trust, board involvement, structured performance management, cultivating a learning culture, and providing opportunities for innovation.
The event also featured a panel of graduates who shared their personal journeys and the transformative impact of their learning experiences to them and their organisations. Louise Mitchell (Action Mental Health), Susan Glass (NICVA), Conor Hamilton (Springboard), Peter Allen (NW Cultural Partnership), and Emma-Jane Logue (TQUK) reflected on newfound confidence and leadership effectiveness gained through their respective ILM certifications.
We finished the event by celebrating the achievements of all our graduates from the past year. Their dedication to professional development, amidst their work and volunteering commitments, is truly commendable.
It is vital that our sector continues to invest in staff development and that our people take the time to reflect, learn and develop.
Congratulations to all of our learners, we are very proud of you.
