Sage sings the praises of free training as it looks to the future

Employees at one of the region’s top music venues are set to hit all the right notes thanks to free training intended to hone their leadership and management skills.

Twenty managers at Sage Gateshead are participating in training designed to fine tune their skills as they look to play a leading role in the venue’s future.

Training is being rolled out to equip managers and heads of departments with a leadership qualification, while other line managers will benefit from improved management training to boost their marketing and sales skills.

A series of tailor-made workshops are also planned for the customer service and catering teams over the spring, as part of a wider move to deliver the highest standards of customer service to the thousands of people who visit Sage Gateshead annually.

The bespoke training programmes have been designed and delivered by Amacus, a subsidiary of Gateshead College, as part of the regional skills and enterprise programme, Go>Grow.

This was launched after the college secured £15m of funding from the European Social Fund through the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).

Employing more than 500 full and part-time staff, Sage Gateshead has earned an international reputation as an innovator of music which combines performance, education and participation across a wide range of musical genres.

Head of human resources, Ian Burke, said: “We are committed to investing in people to ensure they feel part of the organisation and gain the skills they need.

“The Go Grow training’s been specifically designed to meet our future needs and strengthen the skills of our highly capable senior management team to lead the organisation over the coming years.”

Sarah Ainslie, business development manager at Amacus, said: “We are thrilled to be working with Sage Gateshead to deliver a training solution that will benefit the organisation.

“By implementing such a comprehensive training programme, Sage Gateshead are demonstrating how much value they place on people development, building on their existing skill base to support the venue’s future.”

Go>Grow, which has the backing of the North East Local Enterprise Partnership and the North East of England Chamber of Commerce, sees experts develop training that meets individual needs of businesses.

It also offers those who wouldn’t ordinarily undertake training programmes, the opportunity to access bespoke training.

A tailor-made programme is then developed and delivered at any of the Go>Grow training provider sites, or within the premises of the individual businesses.

Ivan Jepson, director of business development at Gateshead College, said: “Sage Gateshead is a fantastic venue. It’s terrific to see its latest commitment to improving the skills of people right across the board as it looks to the future and even more success.”