On Wednesday 2nd September 2015, 14 entrepreneurs from Local County Carlow based businesses received their certificates having completed the Local Enterprise Office Carlow’s ‘Management Development Programme (MDP)’.
The six month programme, delivered between March 2015 and August 2015, taught each participant how to remove themselves from the daily chores of running their business, and how to take that all important step back to start managing and growing their businesses towards their next milestone.
The Certificate in Management Development is accredited by the Institute of Technology, Carlow at Level 7. Head of Lifelong Learning at IT Carlow Mr. Joseph Collins was on hand to present the certificates to the entrepreneurs, along with Dan Mc Inerney – Chief Executive of Carlow County Council & Deputy Pat Deering TD. Speaking about the programme Mc Inerney said “The Local Enterprise Office have been offering this programme to owner managers in County Carlow for a number of years , during which time more than 500 companies have participated. The businesses range widely in size, industry sector, turnover and maturity, but all have one thing in common, the determination and commitment of the owner manager to take whatever steps are necessary to become more effective and to run better businesses.”
Kieran Comerford , Head of Local Enterprise at the Local Enterprise Office (Carlow), was also present at the event, and he thanked the Institute of Technology Carlow for their support for the programme and indeed for their support for both business and education initiatives in County Carlow.
Presenting the certificates Deputy Deering said “that after completing the initial start-up phase of setting up a new business, it’s vital for enterprises to keep investing in continuous improvement, to help develop their business and to enable them to sustain and grow local jobs” , Deering continued to say “All around the country, we expect that the Local Enterprise Offices will be providing enterprise training to around 27,000 owners and managers of small businesses and that Management Development programmes like this are a strategically important element to the range of programmes and initiatives for Ireland’s enterprise sector.”
Blaise Brosnan of the Management Resource Institute trained and mentored the participants throughout the six-month programme, and also said a few words at the presentation, reminding the participants of their key learning points from the programme and offering words of encouragement to continue on the road that they had started with the MDP. The Management Development Programme is provided by LEO Carlow in order to strengthen the capabilities of owner-managers of small businesses and to support them to sustain, and in time grow, their businesses.
