Construction bosses told how to beat credit crunch

Construction managers are being offered advice on how to beat the credit crunch through 30 new training courses for building bosses.

The National Construction College has launched the new suite of courses to help managers deal with the economic downturn.

The courses are aimed at supervisors, managers, owners and directors and include advice on managing costs, cash and risk.

The college has also launched an online service, which rates the effectiveness of management teams.

College director Andy Walder said: "For many years, it has been felt that directors and managers did not need specific training or qualifications for their role. It was assumed that business experience and being good at any one particular job was enough. Currently only one in five managers have received training relating to their job. However, this is changing as more businesses realise the importance of training for managers and directors.

"A lack of strong leadership and management can be a primary factor in the failure of a business, so it is essential that they act fast to ensure their management teams are fully qualified and skilled to lead the business on to success."