In October 2013 and March 2014 I was delighted to be able to attend Levels 1 & 2 of the CMAE Management Development Programme (MDP), in Stirling.
In October 2013 and March 2014 I was delighted to be able to attend Levels 1 & 2 of the CMAE Management Development Programme (MDP), in Stirling. Having come to the club industry from a background of university education and previous employment in a large, forward thinking retailer, I have always looked at education as a means to improve one’s personal and professional performance, and accelerate the gaining of experience through structured tuition.
Despite participating in various industry courses and seminars in my 11 plus years in clubs, nothing has come close to having the impact that the MDP courses have had on me. I had strong hopes going into the courses, having benefitted already from participation in CMAE seminars and networking opportunities, but the reality far outstripped my expectations. The MDP pathway focuses on the ten “Core Competencies” that the modern club manager must master in an increasingly competitive marketplace, and while the Level 1 & 2 courses are building blocks towards the Certified Club Manager (CCM) qualification that has become essential for our North American counterparts, they also stand alone as invaluable and convenient injections of carefully prepared educational content combined with great networking opportunities.
Studying alongside colleagues from very different working environments and with varied job roles and levels of experience, I found that the interaction between delegates enhanced the subject matter hugely and we have all benefitted from each other’s combined decades of experience. Each course is a week long and includes accommodation and breakfast and lunch, and I believe I can speak for all my fellow delegates when I say it will not take very long for the course to pay for itself in terms of the changes and improvements one can make to both their own working patterns and behaviours and their club’s business performance as a direct result of the materials learnt on MDP. I have no doubt that the pathway to CCM will soon be the required norm in Europe as it already is in North America, and I would strongly urge any current or aspiring club managers to start their journey towards a more complete understanding of our industry as soon as they possibly can, and take advantage of the benefits of CMAE membership at the same time. This pathway is the future for club managers and their key staff and those who embrace it are safeguarding their own employment prospects.
Full details of MDP courses are available on the CMAE website (link below), and for any readers who have already completed MDP Level 1 I am delighted to say that the cost for the Level 2 course in Bournemouth in November 2014 has been significantly reduced, thanks to generous sponsorship from Circle Club Insurance.
