Committed to training and development

The success of our enterprises lies in the proper management of our people. This is entrusted in the hands of HR managers but it is also the duty of all those within an organisation responsible for employee management and development.

This is a skill that one acquires through experience and formal education. We can no longer rely only on our experiences in order to act. We need to be thoroughly informed to be able to compete with an ever increasing globalised world.

The Foundation for Human Resources Development (FHRD) has endeavoured to provide the best possible solution to meet these needs.

We are promoting a professional and internationally recognised provider of academic courses whose programmes provide a sound theoretical basis in the subject area, are regularly updated with the latest conceptual developments and provide an interdisciplinary approach.

Furthermore, the programmes are offered through distance learning, providing flexibility in terms of where and when to study.

The Centre for Labour Market Studies (CLMS) has been providing academic programmes for over 11 years and has a sound tradition of research which feeds directly into the course materials. It is a department within the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Leicester, which is ranked among the top 20 universities in the UK.

CLMS has over 1,000 students in 12 countries following professional courses in training, human resource management and performance management. They are offered through innovative, student centred distance learning paths leading to certificates, diplomas, Master's and, recently, doctoral awards.

As from October there will be new developments on the CLMS front and FHRD is honoured to be part of this progress. Two new courses will be launched in October: the Certificate in Training Practice and Human Resource Management and the Taught Doctorate in Social Sciences (HRD).

The Certificate in Training Practice and Human Resource Manage-ment could be the first step of your career in the training and HRM field. It is a preparatory course, aimed at providing course members with knowledge of the fundamentals of training and human resource management. The course will provide an introduction to those who wish to pursue a career in HR.

This course is designed specifically for those who wish to gain a university qualification which recognises the skills they use daily, thus getting accreditation and a qualification for the professional experience they already have. The course is structured with a focus on the work environment.

The course is ideal for small business owners wanting to know more about the subject and in doing so achieve a university qualification, it is ideal for shop stewards who need to appreciate the fundamentals of good human resource management practice, and for all those who wish to get a basic awareness on the human resource management.

The Taught Doctorate in Social Sciences (HRD) was first launched in March. Currently, 11 students from various countries are following this course. The overall objective is to produce a group of leading-edge practitioners who have mastered the full range of the theoretical and practical knowledge necessary for the conduct of their professional activities at the highest levels.

The course aims to:

¤ provide the latest and most sophisticated theoretical knowledge for practitioners
¤ ensure this knowledge can be used to inform practice and that practitioners can critically engage with development in their field
¤ equip members of the profession to work with the tools and techniques necessary to conduct and evaluate research pertinent to their professional interests
¤ enhance the growing discipline areas of HRD and labour market studies.

The FHRD is also accepting applications for the following courses starting in October:

¤ Certificate in Training Practice
¤ Diploma in Human Resource Management
¤ Diploma in Training & Development
¤ M.Sc. in Training
¤ M.Sc. in Training and Human Resource Management
¤ M.Sc. in Training and Performance Management

The October students will join the 13 students who enrolled in one of the CLMS courses last April. Students who choose a CLMS course will have various benefits. All programmes are internationally recognised. They are directly fed by pioneering top-class research in labour market and training, making them always up to date and of the highest quality.

CLMS courses follow the interdisciplinary approach by drawing from a number of related academic subjects. Moreover, all programmes are interlinked, giving the possibility of starting with a certificate course and following through to a doctorate.

Courses are by distance learning, providing the advantage of flexibility. Training is offered by a team dedicated to the highest level of support. FHRD, the CLMS local agent, provides a wide range of support services. CLMS provides the best possible IT support and students are supplied with course material which is flexible, continuously updated, comprehensive and self-contained.

For more information contact Daniela Gouder on tel. 2569-3303 or e-mail: fhrd.d.gouder@ipse.org.mt.

Daniela Gouder is the FHRD's training and development executive.