621 Courses

Target Audience Mid-level managers, team leaders with several years of experience, and leaders looking to refine their skills and approach. Duration 2 Days Course Overview The Leadership Mastery course is a 2-day intensive program designed to equip participants with cutting-edge, evidence-based leadership skills tailored to the complexities of contemporary organisational environments. Drawing from interdisciplinary research in psychology, organizational behavior, neuroscience, and management science, the course integrates seminal and emerging leadership theories, models, and practical tools. Participants will enhance their strategic thinking, develop their ability to manage complex team dynamics, and foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement. Participants will engage in interactive workshops, case studies, simulations, and reflective exercises to bridge theory and practice, fostering adaptive and strategic leadership capabilities. The course emphasizes real-world application, addressing challenges such as hybrid work, people and talent management, digital transformation, and ethical decision-making. The Leadership Tension Lens will be revisited to help leaders more critically analyse competing priorities and lead with greater confidence. This course is designed by highly qualified learning design experts, assisted and guided by a Doctoral & Masters level leadership team. Working closely with subject matter leaders with extensive domain experience, this course is built on sound academic rigour and applied real world experience. Run in a cohort-based, activity-led format, it goes beyond theory to provide practical methods and frameworks that you can immediately apply in your workplace. Key Outcomes Revisit the Leadership Tension Lens: Managing Complexity in Leadership Developing Vision and Strategy - Leading as part of a leadership team agenda Drive High Performance and exploring tools (OKR's, Scorecards) Apply Advanced People Management approaches: Motivating and Retaining Talent Demonstrate social and emotional intelligence in high stakes contexts Apply models and approaches to Leading Change: Managing Cultural Transformation Practice Learning from Success and Failure: Case Studies and Best Practices

General English is the most popular course at Castleforbes College. Structured to provide the knowledge to deal with everyday situations. It is based around fun and dynamic lessons that will help you become fluent. Our methodology is founded on practice, conversation and entertainment. Our General English course will also teach you the idioms and colloquial terms used in everyday Irish culture, improving your communication skills in Ireland. This process will be done using a variety of textbooks, audio and video recordings, and group activities amongst students. Every student’s programme is overseen by our Director of Studies and teaching staff, from the first day to the last, supporting, answering questions and evaluating their progress as they follow their learning path. The school receives students from all over the world, as General English courses also allow students from outside the EU to learn English in Ireland with a Work-Study Visa.

Date: Monday 16th October Time: 4pm Location: Studio A Join us again for CFS Film Club, as this week we visit one of the essential independent films of the last decade, 2016's Best Picture Winner Moonlight. Barry Jenkins' tender masterpiece explores the LGBT identity within wider African-American culture, with stunning imagery, sensational performances and a wondrous score. Follow the story of Chiron, a teenager growing up in the Miami ghetto, dealing with his sexuality and drug-addict mother. Tickets are free to this event, and be sure to join us in The Landor pub afterwards to discuss the film together.

R&D work is often carried out in entrepreneurial companies with the aim of developing solutions to scientific or technological problems for a wide range of customers. Projects can include longer term 'frontiers of science' research, medium term product development/manufacturing or more immediate troubleshooting or contract research assignments. In all these contexts, the ability to create innovative solutions in a timely and cost-effective manner is the essence of successful R&D. Whilst R&D groups typically excel in technical expertise, those involved often recognise that there is scope for improving the way that projects are managed. The aim of this training programme is to address this need whilst ensuring that the creative, entrepreneurial spirit that is fundamental to good R&D continues to flourish. MODULE 1: Creating the foundations for success Off-line video tutorials and exercises Total time ~ 1 - 1.5 hours Video 1: Making the most of project management in R&D Characterising R&D projects Applying project management to R&D work Exploiting the potential of project management in R&D Video 2: Promoting success in R&D project management Modelling successful project management Evaluating performance and promoting success The role and skills of the project manager/leader MODULE 2: Initiating and defining R&D projects Live interactive sessions (via Zoom): Session 1: 10:00 - 12:00 Session 2: 14:00 - 15:30 Session 1: Selecting and initiating projects Recognising worthwhile opportunities; initiating projects Identifying stakeholders and their goals Characterising and engaging stakeholders Session 2: Defining goals and agreeing deliverables Establishing the full scope of the project Clarifying and prioritising project deliverables Defining and agreeing deliverable specifications MODULE 3: Planning R&D projects Live interactive sessions (via Zoom): Session 1: 10:00 - 12:00 Session 2: 14:00 - 15:30 Session 1: Identifying and organising activities Creating effective plans; avoiding planning pitfalls Identifying tasks and assigning responsibilities Sequencing tasks and estimating durations Session 2: Developing the timeline and resource plan Identifying the 'critical path'; creating a resource plan Dealing with estimating uncertainty Accelerating the programme MODULE 4: Leadership and teamwork in R&D projects Off-line video tutorials and exercises Total time ~ 1 - 1.5 hours Video 1: Working effectively in project teams Building teamwork in contemporary organisations Recognising each other's skills; building synergy Building good working relationships; handling conflict Video 2: The role of the R&D project team leader Building teamwork: the role of leadership Creating an effective team culture Delegating work and motivating team members MODULE 5: Managing uncertainty in R&D projects Live interactive sessions (via Zoom): Session 1: 10:00 - 12:00 Session 2: 14:00 - 15:30 Session 1: Characterising uncertainty; identifying risks Exploring uncertainty; applying risk management Focusing the risk management process Identifying and defining risk events Session 2: Managing and controlling risks to the project Evaluating risk events Selecting between risk strategies; setting contingencies Updating and controlling exposure to risk MODULE 6: Implementing and controlling R&D projects Live interactive sessions (via Zoom): Session 1: 10:00 - 12:00 Session 2: 14:00 - 15:30 Session 1: Initiating assignments and managing changes Creating a pro-active implementation and control culture Establishing effective implementation and control procedures Assigning work and managing changes Session 2: Monitoring, managing and developing performance Adopting meaningful monitoring techniques Responding to problems; building performance Managing and controlling multiple project assignments

12 Month complete preparatory programme for the US College experience; includes an Academic, Athletic, and Footballing syllabus.

Target Audience Senior managers with several years of experience and leaders looking to transition to the highest levels of leadership where the remit is characteristically more strategic, more authority, fewer direct reports and greater influence internally and externally. Duration 2 Days Course Overview The Executive Leadership course is an intensive program is for seasoned leaders who are responsible for large teams, departments, or entire organizations. It is designed to elevate senior leaders’ capabilities to excel in volatile, global, and digitally-driven contexts. Building on established leadership theories, this course dives deeper into advanced, research-backed models such as Complexity Leadership, Strategic Agility, and Ethical Governance, integrating insights from organizational psychology, behavioral economics, and neuroscience. Through high-level case studies, strategic simulations, and peer-to-peer dialogue, participants will refine their ability to lead transformative change, foster organisational resilience, and align purpose-driven strategies with stakeholder expectations. The course emphasizes practical application for navigating ambiguity, driving innovation, and ensuring sustainable impact. The Leadership Tension Lens will be revisited to help leaders more critically analyse competing strategic priorities and the most challenging leadership dynamics. This course is designed by highly qualified learning design experts, assisted and guided by a Doctoral & Masters level leadership team. Working closely with subject matter leaders with extensive domain experience, this course is built on sound academic rigour and applied real world experience. Run in a cohort-based, activity-led format, it goes beyond theory to provide practical methods and frameworks that you can immediately apply in your workplace. Key Outcomes Revisit the Leadership Tension Lens: Departmental Trade-offs and Tensions & Short Term v Long Term Define Organisation-wide Vision and Strategy - Strategic foresight Drive Organizational Performance: Metrics that Matter Apply Leadership at Scale: Building and Managing Executive Teams Explore Executive Coaching, Stakeholder Management Techniques Drive Cultural Transformation: Aligning Culture with Strategic Goals Apply Executive Reflection: Learning from Experience and Driving Change

If you want your employees to improve their customer service skills and deliver an amazing experience to your customers, feel free to check out my Training course focusing on generating long-standing customer loyalty.

Businesses that don't control their costs don't stay in business. How well are you doing? Is everyone in your organisation sufficiently aware of costs, managing them effectively and maximising opportunities to reduce them? If there is scope for improvement, this course will help get you back on track. It will demonstrate that cost reduction is so much more than cost control and cost cutting. True cost management is about being aware of costs, seeking to reduce them through good design and efficient operating practices whilst taking continuing action on overspending. This course will develop the participants' skills in: Being aware of costs at all times Seeking cost reduction from the start (including life-cycle costing) Appraising projects / production to identify and take out risk Understanding real budgeting Using techniques such as ZBB and ABC where appropriate Ensuring cost reports lead to action Managing a cost reduction process that delivers Benefits to the organisation will include: Identification of cost reduction and business improvement opportunities Better reporting and ownership of costs Greater awareness and control of everyday costs 1 Introduction - the cost management process The risks of poor cost control Capital and revenue costs The importance of cost awareness The importance of cost reduction Cost management - the key aspects How to build a cost management and control process checklist for your areas of responsibility 2 Cost removal - taking out costs Cost awareness Costs of poor design / poor processes Value engineering Removing redundant costs 3 The need for commercial, technical and financial appraisals Understand the problems before cash is committed and costs incurred Making the effort to identify commercial and technical risk The time value of money - DCF techniques for long term projects Cost models for production processes and projects Costing models - project appraisals The use of spreadsheets to identify sensitivity and risk How to focus on risk management 4 Budgeting - proper budgeting challenges costs The philosophy of the business - are costs an issue? The importance of having the right culture The need for detailed business objectives Budgetary control measures Designing budget reports - for action 5 Zero-based budgeting (ZBB) - the principles Much more than starting with a clean sheet of paper What ZBB can achieve The concept of decision packages - to challenge business methods and costs Only necessary costs should be incurred A review of an operating budget - demonstrating what ZBB challenges and the costs it may lead to being taken out 6 Awareness of overheads and other costs Definitions of cost - direct and indirect Dealing with overheads - what is meant by allocation, absorption or apportionment? The apparent and real problems with overheads Different ways of dealing with overheads Review of overhead allocation methods and accounting and reporting issues 7 Overheads and product costing Activity-based costing (ABC) - the principles Where and how the ABC approach may be helpful Know the 'true' cost of a product or a project Should you be in business? Will you stay in business? Identifying weaknesses in a traditional overhead allocation How ABC will help improve product or service costing Identifying which products and activities should be developed and which abandoned 8 Cost reduction culture The need for cost reports What measures can be used to identify over-spends as early as possible Cost control performance measures and ratios 9 Design of cost control reports Reports should lead to action and deliver Selecting cost control measures which can be acted upon Practice in designing action reports 10 Course summary - developing your own cost action plan Group and individual action plans will be prepared with a view to participants identifying their cost risks areas and the techniques which can be immediately applied to improve costing and reduce costs

What do engineers and project managers need to know of finance? 'Nothing - leave it to the accountants!' No, no, no! Engineers must be conversant with the terminology and statements that accountants use. Technical expertise in projects, service delivery, production or other areas can only really be harnessed if the managers understand the accounting and reporting that drives businesses. This course gives the necessary understanding to project, production and technical managers. It develops their skills in understanding financial and management accounting. Accountants may not always like it but a major part of their work is to be the 'servants of business' and to gather, compile and present your figures. So you must understand the figures - they belong to you, your processes or projects. There are many reasons for maintaining accurate accounts. This course focuses on the strategic issues (those over-used words) - what figures reveal about the drivers of business and what they reveal about the day-to-day issues that accountants bother you with. The course will enhance your understanding of finance and of the accounting issues which affect your projects, production and technical areas of business. This course will help you: Understand the business world in figures - make sense of what the accountants are telling you Appreciate what drives business - and how this affects your role in your part of the business Relate your activities to the success of the business - through figures Gain the skills to advance in management - financial awareness is a 'must have' if you are to progress in your career 1 What do accountants do? The finance function, types of accountant, financial v management accounting and the treasury function Understanding the role of the finance function and how the information you provide may be used 2 The basic financial statements Balance sheets and income statements (P&L accounts) What they are, what they contain and above all what they can reveal - how to read them The accounting process - from transactions to financial statements What underpins the statements - accounting systems and internal controls 3 Why be in business - from a financial perspective The driving forces behind financial information Performance measures - profitability, asset utilisation, sales and throughput, managing capital expenditure 4 Accounting rules - accounting standards Accounting concepts and the accounting rules: accruals, 'going concern' - substance over form and other 'desirable qualities' Accruals - why the timing of a transaction is so important to the finance function Depreciation and amortisation - the concepts and practice Accounting standards - the role of International Financial Reporting Standards 5 Cash The importance of cash flow - working capital management Cash flow statements - monitoring overall cash flows Raising cash - levels of borrowing, gearing Spending cash - an outline of capital expenditure appraisal 6 Budgeting Why budget? - good and bad practice Determining why budgets play a key role and should not be simply an annual ritual Justifying your budgets - the link between the strategic plan and day-to-day budgeting - alignment of company culture Budgets as motivators - the importance of the right culture Techniques to improve budgeting - whether day-to-day or capital budgeting 7 Costing The type and detail of costing very much depends on your business - eg, manufacturing piston rings is quite different from the construction of a power plant Issues with overhead allocation Accounting for R&D 8 Reading financial statements Annual financial statements - why they are produced, what's in them and what you should look for Learning what a set of accounts reveals about a company's current situation, profitability and future prospects 9 Performance measurement - analytical reviews and ratio analysis ROI/ROCE Profitability, margins and cost control Sales - asset turnover Efficiency (asset / stock turnover, debtor / creditor days) 'City' measures Investment (interest / dividend cover, earnings per share, dividend yield)

When our churches are welcoming and hospitable places for people of all backgrounds, we become more truly the Body of Christ. When we draw on everyone’s gifts, we become more effective in shared mission and ministry. However, we all have biases which come from our experiences, culture and the media. These influence how we make judgements and assessments of people. This course seeks to encourage everyone who has a leadership role in our churches — whether lay or ordained — to think about how we might become more diverse and inclusive, and how we might release everyone's gifts. Registration and refreshments from 9.30am, for a prompt 10am start.