Home > News > April 2004 > 06-Apr-2004

Edexcel prepares to Face The Music

Edexcel, one of the UK’s largest awarding bodies, has given its Marketing and Communications division a team building boost through the use of an innovative learning event run by John Matchett Limited (JML).

Marketing Director Gail Cohen was keen to run an event for the 40 strong team that encouraged people to become more creative and challenge established ways of doing things. Edexcel’s training manager, Manos Kapterian, approached JML for help. “I knew that JML offered a range of soft skills programmes as well as unusual team events, but I wasn’t quite ready for their response,” explained Mr Kapterian.

JML suggested Face the Music – a one day event which required the team to write, rehearse and record a 5 track music CD. A fully researched marketing plan was also to be produced for raising £1,000 for a charity of the team’s choice.

Face the Music is designed to engage the learners in a powerful collective experience, which will produce high volumes of behavioural information about a team and the individuals in it in a short space of time. It also provides long term learning because of the emotions involved: groups find that they are connecting with what they learnt months or years after the event.

Michael Brown, JML’s Innovative Learning Principal Consultant, was amazed at the results: “After a very slow start the team came through and succeeded well beyond our expectations. Not only did they create a highly varied, bold and energetic CD they also created a plan to raise £1,000 for the ‘Over the Wall Gang Camp’ charity.”

The UK charity was set up in association with the Hole in the Wall Gang Camps, which was founded by the actor Paul Newman. It provides youngsters who are affected by cancer and other serious illnesses a fun and positive experience by going away on camps and participating in activities such as kayaking, drama, climbing and fishing.

Ms Cohen believes the objectives were achieved: “The division is working much more as a team and their commitment to each other has greatly improved. I have already seen signs of better collaboration, creativity and challenging the status quo, which is exactly what I hoped for.”

The CD is being professionally produced, and will go on general release to friends, family and anyone else who wants to donate towards a worthy charity and listen to some original music.

Training and development books

Discover books on a variety of training and development topics at the Training Reference Bookshop

Source suppliers

Visit the Training Reference Directory to view supplier details for a wide range of courses, products and services.

Sponsored links

Back to top