Investors in People Celebration Event
Now is the time to invest in your people’s skills - Empey
|
Employment Minister, Sir Reg Empey, at the recent Investors in People Celebration Event urged businesses that now is the time to invest in the skills of their employees. The Minister was speaking to 41 businesses, schools and voluntary organisations with the prestigious Investors in People (IiP) accreditation. IiP has long been acknowledged as the most successful framework for business improvement through people. It helps organisations of every size, sector and location to compete and succeed through improved people performance. At the Hillsborough Castle celebration event, Sir Reg said:"Now is the time to invest in people. Experience has shown that companies that invest in the development of their people during times of economic downturn are in the strongest position to gain competitive advantage in recovery. It is those companies that have that all important edge. In fact, research shows that companies that invest in the skills of their staff are two and half times more likely to survive." |
Sir Reg congratulated those receiving awards and added: "In a rapidly changing economy it is often easy to forget that businesses realise their ambitions through their people. The importance of local businesses investing in their people is now more relevant than ever, given the downturn we now find ourselves in. The uptake of IiP by businesses in Northern Ireland is extremely encouraging for the local economy, and should serve as an example of the bottom-line business benefits of IiP to all other employers."
He also assured organisations that as the business environment changes the delivery of IiP has also changed in response to current challenges: "The IiP assessment process is now even more closely aligned with organisations’ individual business issues and priorities. As part of recent developments, organisations are also now encouraged to stretch themselves even further by looking at the themes and issues contained in the full Investors in People framework and achieve recognition at Bronze, Silver and Gold levels."
Receiving the Investors in People Award from Sir Reg Empey are Barry Phillips, Managing Director, Legal-Island and Jayne Finlay, Events Director, Legal-Island.
