College First for Police and Fire and Rescue Services Personnel

Managers from Fife Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services based in Fife, Central Scotland and Lothian and Borders, were the first in their areas to successfully complete the Diploma in Public Service Leadership qualifications offered by Carnegie College. The managers began their course in February 2008 when Carnegie first offered the qualification. They studied through a mixture of evening classes, local workshops and distance learning, and have become the first group in East Central Scotland to have recorded this success. The Diploma is accredited by the cmi (Chartered Management Institute) and is aimed at developing professional managers within the public sector and encouraging them to work more collaboratively whilst broadening individual leadership capabilities. One of the successful achievers who received his certificate was Dave Sharp, Group Manager at Dunfermline Fire Station, who had this to say about the course. “I recognised this course would enhance and consolidate my current skills and abilities. This in turn would benefit the Service by having formally qualified personnel with the knowledge and understanding required to operate at middle management level and above. The modules studied have increased my knowledge and raised my awareness of project management and budgeting/financing. I have been able to utilise these skills practically when working on Service and Department objectives. I would recommend this course to colleagues who wish to, or are, currently operating at middle management level as it will give them a solid foundation from which to build their management theory and practice.” Curriculum Leader Ron Broatch from School of Business and Society, who was involved in delivering this programme, said “We are delighted to recognise success and achievement in all our learners. Those receiving their certificates this evening have completed their Higher Education Professional Development Diploma whilst managing the operations of their employees and maintaining the safety of the communities they serve. “They are all to be commended for their commitment to this course, and many may progress on to the Executive Diploma in Management, completion of which would give them articulation into the third and final year of a Masters in Business Administration delivered here at Carnegie College.” They were presented with certificates to mark their success at a ceremony in front of invited guests including the regional manager of cmi, Ian Andrews. In addition around 20 learners from other cmi programmes run by the college will also be celebrating their success, with around 80 delegates in total attending the ceremony. NOTES: The Diploma in Public Service Leadership programme consists of eight modules including ‘Managing People, Performance and Organisation Operations’, ‘Market your Products/Services More Effectively’ and ‘Meet the Challenges of a Competitive Business World’ as well as completing a collaborative work-based report, and takes about 12-18 months to complete. The course meets the requirement for most professional institutions’ continuous professional development and continuous personal development. Anyone interested or looking for further information should contact Carnegie College on 0844 248 0115.