(CNN) -- Just as companies employ legal firms, technology consultants and accountants, an increasing number of them are adding education providers to their list of specialist suppliers.
Keen to ensure their competitive edge remains as sharp as possible, many firms are forging long-term relationships with business schools. The benefits, they say, are worth the not inconsiderable expense involved.
The move has been spurred by growing recognition that one-off executive education courses may not be sufficient to arm senior managers with the skills they require to perform their jobs. With business conditions and techniques in a constant state of evolution, an approach that uses career-long learning is becoming more appealing.
Traditionally, many large organizations have had structures in place that determine when and where senior managers will undertake company-sponsored education. This might occur when a manager is promoted to a new position or moved into a new department. At that time, a suitable course -- say, personnel management techniques -- would be offered. When completed, that manager would be considered ready to undertake the new role.
But now leading firms are factoring multiple courses into the career development plans for senior staff. As well as ensuring their skills match their growing and changing responsibilities, proponents believe the approach promotes a higher sense of personal and professional satisfaction.
Director of executive programs at the Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM), John Urbano, says large firms are keen to ensure they have sufficient senior executives in their ranks to ensure their future growth can be maintained.
He says executives typically go through six or seven significant turning points during their career, each of which will require training and education. Making sure that training closely matches the real requirements of the executive is where working with a business school can pay big dividends.
'Truly transforming'
"People learn differently and providing a truly transforming experience can only be done by delivering the learning in the right way and in a passionate manner," says Urbano.
"If an executive is moving into a vice-president's role then he or she will need material which outlines the issues that keep vice-presidents up at night so they can see how to make that shift in mindset."
Like other business schools around the world, AGSM works with large organizations to put in place long-term educational strategies for their staff. Options include standard short courses or the creation of customised courses to address particular issues or skill areas. AGSM short courses cover areas including management and leadership, information systems, marketing and corporate governance.
At the Canada-based Richard Ivey School of Business, executive director of executive development, Erich Almasy, reports continuing strong demand for courses. He says the school is happy to work with large companies to develop long-term educational programs for staff.
"For example, we had an organization where we started out by developing a custom program for them," he says. "Within a short period, they added some more programs and essentially it became a leadership program. This then led to the company sending 30 staff to do an EMBA program -- I think this is a very intelligent approach."
By stitching together a combination of open courses and customised content, companies can be sure they get education programs that match their requirements exactly. Generic learning in areas such as management skills can be supplemented with company or industry specific skills.
Around the world most big business schools are busy forging links with big business, positioning themselves as expert education consultants. For example, the U.S.-based Kellogg School of Management boasts a client list for its custom courses that includes companies such as BP, Microsoft, Merck and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Keen to ensure their competitive edge remains as sharp as possible, many firms are forging long-term relationships with business schools. The benefits, they say, are worth the not inconsiderable expense involved.
The move has been spurred by growing recognition that one-off executive education courses may not be sufficient to arm senior managers with the skills they require to perform their jobs. With business conditions and techniques in a constant state of evolution, an approach that uses career-long learning is becoming more appealing.
Traditionally, many large organizations have had structures in place that determine when and where senior managers will undertake company-sponsored education. This might occur when a manager is promoted to a new position or moved into a new department. At that time, a suitable course -- say, personnel management techniques -- would be offered. When completed, that manager would be considered ready to undertake the new role.
But now leading firms are factoring multiple courses into the career development plans for senior staff. As well as ensuring their skills match their growing and changing responsibilities, proponents believe the approach promotes a higher sense of personal and professional satisfaction.
Director of executive programs at the Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM), John Urbano, says large firms are keen to ensure they have sufficient senior executives in their ranks to ensure their future growth can be maintained.
He says executives typically go through six or seven significant turning points during their career, each of which will require training and education. Making sure that training closely matches the real requirements of the executive is where working with a business school can pay big dividends.
'Truly transforming'
"People learn differently and providing a truly transforming experience can only be done by delivering the learning in the right way and in a passionate manner," says Urbano.
"If an executive is moving into a vice-president's role then he or she will need material which outlines the issues that keep vice-presidents up at night so they can see how to make that shift in mindset."
Like other business schools around the world, AGSM works with large organizations to put in place long-term educational strategies for their staff. Options include standard short courses or the creation of customised courses to address particular issues or skill areas. AGSM short courses cover areas including management and leadership, information systems, marketing and corporate governance.
At the Canada-based Richard Ivey School of Business, executive director of executive development, Erich Almasy, reports continuing strong demand for courses. He says the school is happy to work with large companies to develop long-term educational programs for staff.
"For example, we had an organization where we started out by developing a custom program for them," he says. "Within a short period, they added some more programs and essentially it became a leadership program. This then led to the company sending 30 staff to do an EMBA program -- I think this is a very intelligent approach."
By stitching together a combination of open courses and customised content, companies can be sure they get education programs that match their requirements exactly. Generic learning in areas such as management skills can be supplemented with company or industry specific skills.
Around the world most big business schools are busy forging links with big business, positioning themselves as expert education consultants. For example, the U.S.-based Kellogg School of Management boasts a client list for its custom courses that includes companies such as BP, Microsoft, Merck and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation.
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