Case Studies
Improving English Skills at Business Management Institute
In 2019, an esteemed management university of Gujarat chose to partner with Sharanam Transformative Learning (PL) to assess and improve the English language skills of 350 odd management students appearing for the Cambridge Business English Certificate Exam (BEC Vantage). The university placement session was around the corner and there were high expectations from the students to secure the certificate that will enhance their chances of getting recruited by reputed companies in the upcoming placement drive. Proficiency in English skills was of vital importance to appear for the Cambridge Business English Certificate Exam, and the university was keen to improve students’ English skills in the quickest way possible without hampering their ongoing academic activities. To ensure students developed adequate Business English skills the university wanted them to be trained with the finest English language trainers strictly within 1 month and 20 days in batches of not more than 35 students. Flexibility was key as the students also had to cater to their final year projects and exams. Sharanam’s Education Training Solutions proved to be the ideal solution. In a short time, we assessed student's current abilities, identified trained faculties, developed session plans, coordinated with the university administration and put a test preparation programme into action. Although the students possessed a fair knowledge of the English language they lacked the English skills essential to succeed in the Cambridge Business English Certificate Exam. With a focus on making students exam-ready a competency-based English language training programme was introduced. Developing competency was of vital importance as the certification exam required students not only to possess conceptual knowledge of the Business English language but also demonstrate proficiency with the language in a business environment. With expert trainers at their disposal and meticulously prepared training modules, the students quickly picked up the concepts and developed necessary language competencies through activities of writing, reading, listening speaking, group discussions etc. Towards the end of the training, the transformation we saw in the student’s English skills was a telling experience. With a 4/5 rating, the feedback was extremely positive and encouraging with all the 350 management students completing our test-prep programme and subsequently qualifying for the Cambridge Business English Certificate Exam (BEC Vantage).
Developing Leadership Skills in New Managers
A group of young and enthusiastic entrepreneurs who were previously employed as executives in an IT industry decided to come together to set up their enterprise with a unique business idea. They focussed on pulling up tenders from different sources, publishing them on a website and selling it online on a subscription basis. Slowly and gradually, they hired employees with relevant work experience in the field of online subscription selling and built a team of about 150 employees. Their business grew and so did the challenges. The young entrepreneurs who found themselves in a new role as the new managers of a new company realised they were inept at managing a growing team. Troubles mounted when employee productivity started fading and retaining them became an uphill task that significantly affected the reputation of the company. In response, the company decided to turn to Sharanam Transformative Learning (PL) to seek solutions to strengthen and sustain its position and lead high performing teams. The challenge was to instil leadership skills in these new managers who found themselves excelling at their work but failing to train, retain and inspire their team. Our Leadership Training for the new managers enabled them to Develop Emotionally Intelligent Leadership Enhance Communication Skills Build High Performing Teams Train and Retain Top Talent Prepare for Effective Delegation Foster a Collaborative Culture Despite having gone for numerous internal training sessions the company did not witness any significant improvement in employee engagement. The root of the problems lay in the new managers still visualising themselves in the old shoes of an employee and not acquiring the competency and creative mindset of a manager. The Leadership Training not only helped them change their behaviour and attitude towards their employees but also transform themselves into better leaders for a better future.
Leading Growth of an Overseas Education Consultancy Group
An overseas education consultancy group in Gujarat specializing in IELTS, TOEFL, PTE coaching, and catering to students hailing from the vernacular background was on a pursuit to expand their business. As a part of their business growth plan, they got into an agreement with an internationally reputed English language testing agency and publisher. The purpose of the partnership was to enhance the quality of their academic activities, leading to the said growth. The partnership ensured that they would receive access to the best study material and their teachers would be trained by master trainers thereby paving the way for the establishment of an exceptional pedagogy that would deliver excellent results. During the course of the partnership, they realized there existed a significant gap between their regional aspirations of learners and trainers and the international standards. Having invested enormously in the partnership they decided to seek the help of a specialist who could bridge this gap and help them grow. They chose the support of Sharanam Transformative Learning (PL). Our intervention focussed on streamlining their entire training process and implementing the change they wished to see in their organization. We set up well-defined processes in place: ⬛Took care of their day-to-day operations. ⬛Recruited expert trainers to train their tutors. ⬛Developed training methodologies and assessment procedures. ⬛Designed their courses using our unique coaching model. ⬛Packaged their services and promoted their brand value in the market. Our support helped them capitalize on their partnership with the testing agency and publisher in the best way possible and carve a niche for themselves in a competitive environment and emerge as market leaders. The effective training and enhanced recognition aided their growth with student enrolment growing by leaps and bounds – their annual enrolment grew by three times in the third year of our operation and they came to a step closer to their vision.