Calls to create a “better managed” Britain haver been welcomed by a Huddersfield businessman.

David Broadhead, of Partners in Management, based at the Media Centre, joined Huddersfield MP Barry Sheerman and 200 guests at the Houses of Parliament to mark the launch of the full report and findings of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Management’s Commission on the Future of Management and Leadership.

The all-party group, which is chaired by Mr Sheerman, compiled the report with the Chartered Management Institute (CMI).

Led by Mr Sheerman and CMI president Peter Ayliffe, the commission was made up of leading figures from business and parliament.

It took evidence and written submissions in order to answer three key questions: How good are management and leadership in the UK today? What are the skills that managers need in the future? How can UK management be improved to deliver success by the year 2020?

Mr Broadhead, a CMI ambassador, said: “The results are startling, but hardly surprising. Our UK output per hour is 21% lower than the G7 average, it’s estimated that poor management costs UK businesses nearly £20bn in lost working hours and UK managers are under qualified and under trained.

“A recent UK Commission for Employment and Skills survey found a staggeringly low 34% of all employers provide management training and that management was the occupation in which skills gaps were the most likely to be attributed to low levels of training.”

The commission recommends that organisations of all sizes and in all sectors focus on three critical areas: how they define their purpose, how they lead and develop their people and how they invest in their potential.

Said Mr Broadhead: “For several years now we’ve been warning that traditional management, leadership and entrepreneurial behaviours will hold back organisations as the economy enters a new post-depression phase.

“As such it is wonderful to see our 21st programme about to be nationally acknowledged for it’s innovative, pioneering approach to developing the attitudes, knowledge and skills we believe – and the commission’s report confirms – will be required in this decade.’

Local SMEs and micro-businesses from all private and third sectors are now also leading the way and taking advantage of the 90% funding currently available as financial support towards undertaking this innovative programme.

Said Mr Broadhead: “We started our latest 21st century management programme this month over what is traditionally a very quiet holiday period, only to find it fully subscribed.

“Our next seven-day programme delivered in one-day workshops spread over several months, is scheduled to start in early September and already over 25% of the places are taken.

“The success of the Grand Depart in Yorkshire has raised the standard expected for all future similar events. We aim to do likewise in inspiring Yorkshire organisations to develop their management capability, from which we can generate jobs and prosperity outside of the South East.

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