Diversity Awareness and Mutual Sharing of the Sector’s Best Practices
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With a focus on creating diversity awareness, Lynne Sedgmore, Chief Executive of the Centre for Excellence in Leadership (CEL), recently visited South Africa with Robin Landman of the Network for Black Managers (NBM) and Black Leadership Initiative (BLI), to meet further education representatives.
The delegation from South Africa was led by Professor John Makhene, retired professor and former vice chancellor of the University of Bophuthaswana, and included Motsumi Makgale Makhene, Principal of Central Johannesburg College, Mokaba Thuntsha L Mokgatle, Director of further education and training, Gauteng Department of Education, and his colleague Godfrey Lebepe, chief executive officer.
Last week, Lynne hosted a return visit at Ashridge as well. Before taking a tour of Ashridge and its Virtual Learning Resource Centre, the visitors had the opportunity to hear about CEL’s bespoke consultancy services, its work to promote succession planning and talent management, and its contribution to the National Employer Training Programme (NETP).
Return Visit
Mrs Sedgmore said: “We were very pleased to welcome Professor Makhene and his colleagues, to share ideas, explore the management and leadership challenges faced by colleges in our respective countries and continue our discussions about the potential for working together. I understand that they are keen to set up their own leadership initiative in South Africa, and want us to advise them, as part of a long-term relationship. I am delighted that they were able to visit us.”
In this increasingly globalised world, learning and adapting ourselves to the best practices of the other sectors is one of the surest ways to survive. Moreover, there is a lot to learn from the experiences of others in other countries who already face issues of social exclusion.
Julia Smith, senior adviser for Vocational Partnerships at British Council, who arranged the visit and organised the delegation’s itinerary, said: “We work with British Council offices around the world to develop high quality education and training services. Over the last five years, British Council has brokered relationships to forge sustainable links for a number of key UK organisations, advisers and consultants and is pleased to be involved with CEL, BLI and NBM in showcasing centres of excellence.”
Aakriti Kaushik, International Education Correspondent
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