Scottish Engineering First Line Management: FLM
We are delighted to announce our third cohort of First Line Management (FLM) training for 2024, taking place on September 3rd and 4th. We have had over 350 people complete our FLM training so far.
First-line management training is designed to equip new or aspiring first-line managers—often known as supervisors, team leaders, or front-line managers—with the skills, knowledge, and competencies they need to effectively lead and manage their teams. These managers are responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations and performance of a group of employees who are directly involved in producing products or delivering services.
Importance of First-Line Management Training:
- Employee Retention: Well-trained first-line managers are better equipped to support and develop their teams, leading to higher job satisfaction and lower turnover rates.
- Productivity: Effective management can improve team productivity by ensuring that tasks are completed efficiently, and team members are fully engaged.
- Consistency: Training helps ensure that first-line managers across the organization follow consistent practices, leading to more uniform results and a cohesive workplace culture.
Delivery Methods:
- Workshops and Seminars: Interactive sessions that provide hands-on learning experiences.
- Online Courses: Flexible training options that can be completed at the manager’s own pace.
- On-the-Job Training: Practical experience under the guidance of more experienced managers.
- Mentoring and Coaching: Personalized support from senior leaders or external coaches to help new managers develop specific skills.
First-line management training is crucial because these managers play a pivotal role in translating organizational strategies into operational success and directly influence the day-to-day experiences of the majority of the workforce.
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Session 1
Is a broad introduction to the role of the First Line Manager; there are subtle differences in roles depending on where you work, but we will focus on the broad context of management; the skills and qualities you will need, the relationship between your team and you and hopefully discover the pathway to success in your career. We will also cover the learning plan in this session, where we will review your own development needs and identify areas that you want to focus on improving.
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Session 2
Is Performance Management – in our view one of the biggest challenges that face any manager. We will focus on how to identify and deal with poor performance, how to develop potential, how to involve your team in improving performance, and how to deal with those who may not be capable of performing at the level you need.
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Session 3
Is focussed on Absence Management. Sickness absence and the consequences of it create huge operational challenges in all organisations and supporting and understanding the health of our workforce is key to both our team's wellbeing and our operational effectiveness. In this session, we will cover how and when to intervene, what the role of a manager in employee wellbeing is, how to support people with disabilities, and what management action we can and should take when absence becomes an issue.
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Session 4
Covers two broad topics – Discipline and Grievance. In these sessions we will cover both processes; dealing with both correctly is hugely important and when not done so, leave the company open to risk. We cover the principles of investigation, creating a report, disciplinary and grievance hearings as well as the legal context surrounding both.
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Session 5
Focusses on some of the softer management skills – Communication and Difficult conversations. Poor communication is always one of the biggest concerns of employees in surveys, and finding a communication style that works for you, and works for your team is

Lindsey Miller
Legal & HR Support Manager
Lindsey is responsible for the Legal and HR team at Scottish Engineering and has been with us since September 1992. She’s also a practicing solicitor and an Associate Member of CIPD. She provides advice and guidance to member companies on employment law, aimed at keeping them away from Employment Tribunals, but also prepares cases and acts as a representative at Employment Tribunal Hearings. As part of the Legal & HR Team, she designs and presents various types of in-person and online training from legal updates to more practical skills for managers. Lindsey enjoys attending yoga and circuits classes, occasionally runs a 10K, and often hosts family events.

Amie Trainor
Solicitor & Legal Adviser
Amie started as a trainee solicitor with Scottish Engineering in January 2022 and is now a fully qualified Solicitor & Legal Adviser within our Legal & HR team. She provides advice to members on a range of employment law matters and supports them by reviewing policies and employment contracts. Amie also delivers training for members, including vital employment processes; equality, diversity and inclusion training and the ‘Employment Law Essentials’ course. She enjoys visiting member sites to see their operations first-hand and learn more about the work they do. Outside of work, Amie can be found either cooking something delicious or reading her kindle.

Debbie Wilson
Employee Relations Adviser
Debbie works within our HR and Legal team, providing comprehensive Employment Law advice and support to member companies since June 2024. Her role covers a wide range of responsibilities, from handling straightforward inquiries to complex cases. Debbie also designs and delivers training programs, conducts liaison visits, attends networking events, and produces regular updates on Employment Law changes to keep our members informed. With 16 years of experience spanning roles in a Trade Union and a large HR company, Debbie offers a well-rounded perspective to help members address employee matters effectively. Debbie enjoys spending time with her family and volunteering with the scouts.
The course is delivered both online and offline – classroom based training gives a much more rounded experience for delegates, but online works for some people too. Our classroom based training is generally delivered in our office in Glasgow over two days and normally runs three or four times a year dependent on demand. Our offline course is modular, with a number of two hour sessions held over Teams and is generally demand led. We also run the courses in house for companies who have a large number of managers to put through the programme. All sessions have a range of exercises for delegates to map their learning into real like examples, are very interactive and all of the trainers have significant experience in the areas they cover.

Cost of Training
Members – £425 + VAT
Non-members – £495 + VAT
Sessions will run 0930-1630 and will include lunch.
To book your place on this course, please contact mariem@scottishengineering.org.uk
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