A DUDLEY recruitment firm has extended its management training scheme to help future leaders rise through the ranks.

Workforce Staffing, based in New Mill Street, has seen 15 aspiring managers become part of its management development programme in the past 12 months.

The success of the internal scheme - which is promoting effective leadership techniques to future senior managers - has convinced bosses at the firm to extend it to spring next year, with a new group starting the programme ahead of this summer.

Workforce Staffing director Jo McDonald said: “We have seen a tremendous response to our first management training programme with over a dozen of our future leaders really starting to develop their skills and commercial awareness.

“Not only have they completed a programme with an approved qualification from the Institute of Leadership Management, but they have seen at first-hand, the approach and decision making needed to run a successful business and how to be a great employer.

“The feedback we’ve had has been exceptional with some moving forward to gain a higher level management qualification.

“That’s brilliant for us as it shows that our young managers not only have high ambition, but also want to better themselves and be aware of the impact their decisions can have on the business as a whole.

“It was an easy decision to make to extend the programme by 12 months and take more people through it. The business will benefit greatly in the months and years ahead.”

Matthew Tonks, a senior manufacturing consultant who has recently completed the programme,added: “Personally, I’ve taken so much from the training programme and I’ve been able to implement the skills and approaches I’ve learnt with my team, also helping them to develop.

"I am looking forward to taking on the higher qualification later this year.”

Those taking part in the scheme include branch managers and account managers from across the company. The new cohort starts in the coming weeks.

Workforce Staffing employs more than 100 people between its branches in Dudley, Birmingham, Solihull, Redditch, Worcester, Kidderminster, Coventry and Rugby.