Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines Invests in Staff Through Training Partnership with The Institute of Leadership and Management

Ipswich, United Kingdom, December 05, 2014 --(PR.com)-- Award-winning Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is pleased to announce that it is working in partnership with The Institute of Leadership and Management (‘ILM’) to deliver an accredited training initiative, the ‘Supervisor and Management Development Programme’, which has been added to its Training and Development curriculum for ship-based Officers and crew.

The aim of the Programme is to provide Fred. Olsen’s Supervisors and Managers with the knowledge and skills to strengthen and build upon their success as leaders, allowing them to prepare for subsequent promotions and challenges, through ILM-accredited qualifications, within a solid framework.

David O’ Connor, Corporate Training and Development Manager for Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines – an officially-recognised ILM Verified Course Facilitator – said:

“Currently, we have over 200 crew signed up to our in-house ‘Supervisor and Management Development Programme’ – accredited by The Institute of Leadership and Management – at various stages.

“For Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, one of the most important factors in offering ILM-accredited training is the opportunity to motivate and ‘give back’ to our staff, who play such an integral role in the smooth-running of our fleet, providing them with an internationally-recognised certification and a real sense of pride and achievement. And of course, we are all committed to delivering world-class service to our guests at all times, and the better trained that we are for every eventuality, then the better the cruise experience will be.”

ILM CEO Charles Elvin said:
“I’m delighted that Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has joined the ranks of market leading companies who are now training their staff in-house using ILM accreditation. The investment they’re making in their managers and supervisors will ensure that both individuals and the business are able to reach their full potential and that Fred. Olsen customers receive the highest quality service.”

Under Fred. Olsen’s ‘Supervisor and Management Development Programme’ – which is also open to the cruise line’s future Supervisors, Managers and leaders – all those who sign up will receive temporary membership to the ILM, with the option to apply for permanent membership upon completion of the course.

The course module consists of 18 units, covering both theoretical and practical subjects, and has been designed in-house, tailored to Fred. Olsen’s company objectives. All the training is ship-based and ‘cross-departmental’ – so that people from across the ship can gain the experience of seeing how other departments approach specific situations and deal with issues, and are able to learn from the different management styles that come from a wide range of backgrounds, cultures and functions.

The crew can be on a contract of between four and nine months at a time, with two or three months back on shore, so there are logistical challenges for Fred. Olsen to undertaking a management development course on this scale and ensuring that all staff involved are able to undertake the training on a regular, consistent basis; however, the cruise line has been extremely encouraged by the commitment of its staff and the feedback has been very positive.

You can find out more about Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ ILM-accredited ‘Supervisor and Management Development Programme’ with a short video at https://www.i-l-m.com/About-ILM/Why-choose-ILM/ilm-experiences/fred-olsen