Whisky group in high spirits after completing management and leadership award

@BordersCollege Department of Enterprise and Business Innovation (DEBI) was delighted to have recently worked with Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) employees who undertook the SCQF Level 6 Professional Development Award in Introductory Leadership and Management.

Funded through the Flexible Workforce Development Fund (FWDF), the course was delivered through a mix of online learning and workplace assessment.

Kirsty Summers, the SWA’s Head of Workforce and Skills, said of the initiative:

“The Scotch Whisky Association was delighted to work with Borders College to use a Flexible Workforce Development Fund to support our employees’ development. We identified employees who would get benefit from the qualification and enjoy their experience and learning journey. I’m really happy to see how everyone is progressing with their qualification, and I was pleased to be able to work with Borders College.”

The SWA team, all of whom are at different stages in their careers and with very different specialisms, all had their own reasons for enrolling on the course.

Chris McDade, Head of International Trade at SWA, said:

“I was at a stage in my career where I was looking to take on more responsibilities and wanted to pass on some of my experience to younger colleagues joining the team. The Leadership & Motivation course at Borders College allowed me to take time to reflect on the types of management styles I have encountered throughout my career and how this impacted my own motivation and progression. The course combined theoretical learning about concepts such as intrinsic/extrinsic motivation with practical tools such as creating a personal development plan.”

Pam Peacocke, Head of Internal Communications and Membership at SWA, commented:

“I decided to enrol for the course to learn new skills to lead effectively, including ways to persuade and influence people and to widen my ability to think in innovative and creative ways. I wanted to develop my skills to improve my work performance and to demonstrate to my employer my willingness to grow and learn to progress in the organisation.”

SWA’s Emily Roads, Head of Trade – Asia Pacific, added:

“I enrolled on this course to improve my skills as a leader, helping me to prepare for the next stage in my career. By completing it, I have been able to reflect on my own preferred approaches, as well as those around me, and incorporate them into how I work now.”

Rosie Willmot, Communications Manager at SWA, said:

“For me, the course was about career development. I feel more confident in my role knowing that I have solid training to support me in the decisions I make and the thought process behind them. The course has really helped me to consider how I interact with my colleagues, what their priorities are and what motivates us as a team, which helps me to be a more empathetic and supportive colleague and manager.”

Alan Elder from Borders College, who was the tutor for the group, commented:

“It was a pleasure to support the team from SWA. Everyone put a great deal of effort across the award, producing a very high standard of work, and it’s heartening to see how much each has taken from the course.”