Chris Bailey, CNCP Human Resource Specialist

In January 2004, the Steering Group approved CNCP's Training Strategy. Training is viewed as an integral support component for projects undertaken in CNCP's three other focus areas. The programme's training initiatives have the following purposes:
- to equip nuclear specialists with the necessary business skills to enable them to perform effectively in commercialising technologies;
- to transfer experience and expertise in commercialising technologies;
- to encourage the growth of alternative employment opportunities for former nuclear weapons engineers and scientists.

The Training Strategy recognizes the importance of fostering activities which enhance entrepreneurial activity in the Closed Cities and provide scientists and technicians access to a range of high quality educational opportunities.
The instruments for training include:

• Providing quality business education
• Developing consulting skills
• Encouraging networking between Cities
• Developing commercial skills
• Market analysis and forecasting
• Strategic and market planning
• Financing innovation
• Project management

The programme carries out constant regular training, studying and consulting activity:

• The Business English and Contract Negotiations annual courses in the De Monfort University (Leicester, Great Britain) for representatives from nuclear centres and enterprises of Russia and countries of former Soviet Union;
• Tne distance learning under the programme of International Management Institute LINK. Specialists of organizations and enterprises in closed cities and nuclear centres have the opportunity to learn the programmes designed for complex vocational training of managers in all main activity areas needed for a competent manager: marketing, financial management, information etc.;
• Annual study tours to Great Britain. The main aim of the Study Tour was to give the management of enterprises and heads of city administrations an opportunity to study the UK experience of economy restructuring to help solve the problem of the creation of sustainable jobs for nuclear weapons scientists and engineers facing redundancy;
• Organization of international seminars. The main goal of the workshop was to discuss opportunities for the commercial application of scientifi c R&D, as an effective route to economic stability and new job creation;
• English Courses at the University of Birmingham.

The programme works with many partners including international, British and Russian organisations such as ISTC, USNCI, British Council, the LINK organisation, and other training and education providers in the UK and Russia.

For more information about CNCP training initiatives, please contact Chris Bailey, cncp@cncp.ru.