This week, we have the second in our blog series introducing some of the brilliant, super-experienced and talented people we have working with us.
Say hello to Khalil Ahmed, our Skills Coach.
Q. Hi Khalil you’re the Skills Coach at Develerate, what made you decide to take this role?
A: Develerate isn’t just a place of work, but a family for me. Families encourage each other to be the best they can whilst always being there to support each other when things are tough. It’s this environment that attracted me to Develerate and makes me feel thankful for being with the company.
Q: What does your job involve?
A: My job involves planning high quality learning linked to the curriculum and delivering it in a student-centred way that challenges and engages students. I do this by discussing different theories and relating them to case studies and getting students to reflect on their own workplaces to link the learning. I also assess learners’ assignments and give constructive feedback on the fabulous example’s learners use to show their understanding and get this back to them within a couple of days. Then there’s all the ‘behind the scenes’ work such carrying out quality checks and attending meetings all of which help to ensure what we are doing benefits the students in the best possible way.
Q: What experience and skills do you bring to your role?
A: I was employed as a retail store manager for over 10 years where I managed a multi-million-pound business employing over 490 staff. I have also been a CEO of my own recruitment business for HGV drivers, where I managed a team recruiting the drivers, managing client relationships, supplying drivers to industry and ensuring driver compliance. In addition, I have been a trainer for over 20 years teaching business management.
In terms of skills, I have a lot of experience of managing business functions such as budgeting, finance, operations management, human resource management and sales. I am also experienced as an examiner and moderator for a well-known exam board and so I have experience in guiding learners to producing assignments that are exemplar. When I work with learners, I always consider their needs and support them in a student-centred way to ensure that they are able to meet the challenges of the course effectively.
Q: You started out working in retail store management at a young age, what made you decide to become a leadership trainer?
A: I worked my up from a part time role washing dishes to a store manager and it wasn’t easy because I had to prove myself, but when I became a store manager I loved the job because I was a very ‘hands on’ manager who would roll up his sleeves and help people out on the shop floor. However, competition became fierce in the local area and I found myself having to let people go from their jobs and I hated that more than anything. I believe that people can accomplish anything once they set their minds to it and so I decided to follow my real passion and train people to be the best that they can be, as that’s where my real happiness lies.
Q: What’s your favourite thing about training people?
A: My favourite thing about training people is sharing opinions during discussions on different business topics when they are related to current affairs. Everyone has their own unique feelings about different topics and so it’s great to hear what people from diverse backgrounds can bring to discussions when you open a forum to discussion where everyone has equal rights to view their opinions.
Q: What has surprised you most about this kind of work?
A: I guess, the fact that people of different ages, backgrounds and genders are applying to do the courses because it is not the case that middle-aged men apply anymore. I think that is encouraging as it shows that anyone can be a manager, all you need is a spark of determination and we all know that a spark can become an inferno!
Q: Are there any challenging aspects to your role? How did you overcome them?
A: The most challenging aspect of the role is trying to be there for everyone because I feel committed towards helping as many people as I can. That means welcoming people contacting you at all times of the day and evening as well as checking emails during the weekends to answer learners’ queries. Once I make a commitment towards supporting people, I never step back.
Q: What motivates you?
A: My motivation is primarily that I love training others. It’s a very rewarding career as you can see people develop from very shy people who don’t like to talk out loud to confident managers who can lead meetings and handle conflict, for example. It takes a very special person to be able to grow in this way, the key is to believe you can do anything you set your mind on and embed it in your subconscious, then watch the magic unfold.
Q: What would you say to anyone thinking of signing up for our courses, coaching or training?
A: I would say, go for it. You only have one life, so live it with passion. The world is changing and it needs managers like you, who can think differently, who are emotionally intelligent and can inspire others. Businesses are quickly realising that they need to be ‘learning organisations’ which can rapidly adapt to changing environments just like the recent pandemic and so managers who can show businesses the way will be high in demand.
Q: What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working?
A: I like to spend lots of time with my family and friends as they are central to my happiness plus I like to go for walks in nature and I like to read business articles so that my knowledge is the best it can be.
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