Is this programme for you?
The North West Employers Aspiring Senior Leader programme is designed for those who work in or aspire to a senior leadership role. It is built around the Level 7 Strategic Leader apprenticeship and CMI Level 7 Extended Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership.
How is the programme paid for?
The total cost of the programme is covered by the apprenticeship levy.
If your levy is overspent, you can still claim the cost through this route but you will need to find 5% of the cost, which is £700.
Programme Content
Monthly Structure
The programme is built around the following learning activities:
Group/Individual Workshop – Full Day
These sessions will deliver course content, provide opportunity for interactive learning and expert
tuition as well as guest speakers where appropriate. Where the programme is delivered to a group
and include opportunities for debate, discussion and peer learning. Your course tutor will also
provide guidance and advice on how to approach assessed elements of your qualification including
written assignments and the development of your skills / behaviours portfolio.
Independent study
During these allocated weeks you will be required to work on your ILM workbooks and formal written
assignments as well as compiling evidence for your skills / behaviours portfolio. There will be no
direct contact from your tutor during these weeks, though they will be accessible via email for
enquiries.
Individual executive coaching
Individual sessions with your executive coach. At the start of the programme, you will set a
coaching contract with your coach and then, as you progress, you will work on your own agenda. This
might include, but not be limited to, the programme, your growth as a senior leader, challenges
within your workload and any other areas you wish to address. This will be a safe, confidential
space for you to ask questions about your formal assignments and raise any concerns you may have
regarding any aspects of the programme.
Online group tutorial
During these weeks, take part in group tutorial sessions. Your tutor will support you and your
colleagues in process and accreditation aspects of the programme, including guidance on
assessments, your projects and the end point assessment.
Line manager support
As part of your programme, you will meet with your coach and line manager once a quarter, to review
your progress and discuss opportunities for development.
Action learning
You will work in action learning groups as you progress. Although not timetabled, these sessions
will support you in applying your learning and building your network and personal brand.
Peer Extended Learning Events
During each Module, your group will be working with your group to undertake and Extended Learning
Event. This will be a one-day event, organised by your group. The subject matter should relate in
some way to strategic leadership in the public service and perhaps related to the Module subject,
(although this is not mandatory). The detailed agenda is very much up to you and your colleagues to
agree, plan, organise and deliver. There is no budget from the programme for this, but you are
welcome to leverage funds from elsewhere.
You can discuss this with the programme team and we encourage you to be creative.
It could be, but is not limited to
o Workshops
o Conferences
o Shadowing
o Events
Research project
You will work on three research projects, one for each of modules 2, 3 and 4, that will be
sponsored by a more senior manager. This will be looking at developing strategic level results for
your authority. You will be asked to write up your findings and results and present them to the
senior manager and others once you have delivered it and evaluated the results.
Assessments
The programme assessment will be linked to reflective journals, submitted monthly, which are linked
to the relevant CMI units associated with each module. The journal content is relatively light, on
a weekly basis, with some more detailed requirements on occasion.
