insideKENT Magazine Issue 37 - April 2015 | Page 149

BUSINESS USING TRAINING SKILLS FOR COMMUNITY BENEFIT TRAINING IS, AND WILL ALWAYS BE, PIVOTAL TO THE FUTURE OF ANY BUSINESS. HOWEVER, SEEING IT PURELY AS A COST AND SOMETHING TO BUY DOES IT AN INJUSTICE. IT NEGATES WHAT AN IMPORTANT INVESTMENT IT CAN BE, NOT ONLY IN BUILDING HIGH PERFORMING TEAMS, BUT ALSO IN USING IT FOR COMMUNITY BENEFIT. A good training programme is not simply a function of budget; it is an investment of time and creativity to empower a team to support each other in its learning and development. As such, it can be sustained regardless of the economic environment. At Wilkins Kennedy, we hold training close to our heart and ensure that it remains a constant in the business (regardless of the economic weather outside of the door) by designing and delivering a major percentage ourselves. Beyond the ‘knowledge transfer’ necessary to qualify as accountancy professionals, we are forever keen in investing in our team members to ensure that they have the management and interpersonal skills to lead a professional services' practice. A good accountant's job is as much about helping people to develop their businesses, as it is about crunching numbers. Our Partners support their teams in gaining the skill sets of the business coach to this end. Understanding people’s interests, needs, values, and motivation can help people in an advisory capacity to engage in the best way with their clients or team members to help them, in turn, learn and develop. This approach has had some very exciting consequences for Wilkins Kennedy. At my office in Ashford, we have harnessed our passion for training and development and applied it to a community involvement programme. For the last four years, we have been aiding the Ashford District Scout Group by lending the use of our resources and facilities as a base for some of the more important training aspects of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award (DofE) scheme. This has meant that the participants have had a gr ater e degree of success than would have been the case. Application and inspiration are very much the bywords at Wilkins Kennedy when it comes to training and development. Time and passion create a value within the business and within the local community much more than it ever would do if we simply always looked outside for training solutions. Paul Nixon, Partner, Wilkins Kennedy The Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme offers young people aged 16 to 24 years the chance to develop skills for life and work, fulfill their potential, and have a brighter future. Starting with just six young people, it has blossomed to working with over forty today. My colleague, Paul Fisher, and I are both expedition assessors and trainers for the Bronze and Silver DofE awards, but we train to Gold standard. In March 2015, the Ashford DofE scheme will have six Gold DofE Awards to present, seven to eight Queen Scout Awards, 10+ Silver DofE, 10+ Bronze DofE and a number of Chief Scout Platinum and Diamond Awards as the latest success in aiding young people achieve over 50 awards since the group was established four years ago. 149 To find our more, email Paul Nixon, Partner , at [email protected] or call on 01233 629255. www.wilkinskennedy.com