Guernsey’s Institute of Directors (IoD) will resume its annual Leadership Shadowing Scheme in April 2021. The scheme was due to relaunch this year, with a renewed focus on leadership. However, due to the disruption of Covid-19, the initiative was postponed.
The IoD Leadership Shadowing team is currently visiting schools on the island to encourage them to register for next year’s placements. The scheme is open to all lower-sixth form students and applications will open in January 2021, via the IoD website.
The scheme, sponsored by KPMG, provides a unique opportunity for students to learn about leadership through an onsite placement, observing first hand how leaders motivate, advise and support the people they work with.
Those who have been selected to take part will shadow a leader over two or three days to establish a one-to one relationship. As well as observing the leader in a variety of situations, students are encouraged to ask questions about the approach to, and style of, leadership.
Leadership shadowing is different to work experience; this programme is focused on observation. Students present their learnings and insights in a four-minute presentation to a panel of judges, with the top 10 students re-performing their presentations at a high-profile finals evening at the offices of KPMG, with the overall winner being awarded the ‘Martyn Mann trophy’.
Through the scheme, students will learn from a variety of Guernsey’s top leaders, build their network, enrich their CV, enhance their presentation and interview skills and gain confidence in a workplace environment. The scheme is supported by Source Recruitment who are managing the application process and will carefully match students to leaders.
Rob Jones, who leads the programme, said: “We are so glad to be able to resume the Leadership Scheme in 2021 after such a disruptive year. We are currently visiting schools on the island to present to them the benefits of shadowing and so far the reception has been really positive. Shifting the focus to leadership feels even more relevant after a year of both good and poor leadership, at a time when we are depending on our leaders more than ever”.
KPMG Partner Linda Johnson added: “The IoD Leadership scheme has been running in Guernsey for over 20 years and continues to receive huge recognition and support from the business community. We are extremely proud of KPMG’s long-standing partnership with the IoD, and the commitment that the students, teachers and employers give to the scheme”.
To find out more about the Leadership Shadowing Scheme, click here. Applications open in January 2021.
The main picture shows 2019s winner and runners up.
