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National Vocational Qualifications are currently being drawn up across all sectors of industry for both craft and operative workers and for managers and supervisors. At managerial and supervisory level a central concern for this initiative has been the recognition and identification of core transferable managerial skills that are common across industries. Responsibility for identifying these “generic competences” has lain with the Management Charter Initiative (MCI). In Industrial and Commercial Training Vol. 22 No. 5 Roy Canning criticised what he termed “the MCI approach”, and argued that the search for generic competences would not benefit industry. This article explains the rationale behind the competence approach and answers Canning′s criticisms, pointing out that what Canning has taken issue with bears no resemblance to the competence model currently being developed by the MCI and other lead bodies.

Research at Roffey Park has shown that few trainers have a coherent theory base to underpin their practice. Trainers spend most of their time “delivering” training products which are theoretically often superficial and learned in an ad hoc and “seat of the pants” way. Sets out how trainers can strengthen their theory base and integrate it with best practice. Explores the different levels of theory and gives guidelines on how to select “appropriate” theory and, finally, methods on how to build up theory knowledge.

The concept of “competence” and how it is used in management education and development is now at the forefront of debate in the UK. A review of the current literature in the field is given and the issue of whether you can usefully identify and use “generic competencies” is raised. The author argues for a more pragmatic and context‐specific approach to competence based on current good practice. In doing so he also raises questions about the assumptions underlying any management development strategy and makes linkages with other well established learning methods used within the UK.

Based on a pilot research study into customer‐supplier relationships in the training industry, involving a series of interviews and questionnaire sampling of training managers from both private and public sector organizations. The results indicate that suppliers of training services are in danger of becoming uncompetitive and are failing to pass on unit cost reductions to their customers during the recession. Training customers are in turn looking for more “added value” from their suppliers. Argues for a more sophisticated relationship in purchasing training services, which builds on the experience of other industries. Training managers are asked to take on a more collaborative long‐term relationship in dealing with suppliers, which emphasizes productivity, learning and innovation.

Some of the major shifts in interpersonal relationships training in the 1980s are outlined. Covering face‐to‐face communication skills, influencing and assertion, team building and personal awareness programmes, it is argued that a more holistic rather than a reductionist approach is desirable. Change, it is argued, usually involves awareness and small steps, not uprooting what is and replacing it with something different.

Describes a management development programme involving a major UK retail company in 1985. Reports on the aims of the development programme. Examines the main elements of the programme, which comprised six three day workshops, preparatory work, short external courses, individual tutorials and an extended group project. Presents a formal evaluation and validation of the programme which included the outcomes for the individuals attending and outcome for the organization. Concludes that management development is something which is part of the culture of the organization and should be seen as an integral part of how strategic decisions are taken to manage human resource development.

An allegorical reply is given to Linda Miller′s article, “Managerial Competences”. “The translating of easy languages argues neither wit nor elocution”. Yet, competence training remains a laudable exercise.

As a training concept self‐development remains for many a curious, yet insoluble, puzzle. On the one hand, it appears deceptively simple yet can be highly theoretical and general, while on the other, it claims to be specific yet covers everything from Guided Reading to Outward Bound and Action Learning.

The take‐up and completion rates for the level 4 N/SVQs in training and development over the period 1992‐1994 have been extremely disappointing. If these figures are representative of other higher level N/SVQs, then this gives major cause for concern over the proposed extension of the NVQ framework at higher levels. Argues that there is an urgent need for research into the take‐up and completion rates for other level 4 and 5 awards. Finally, a major obstacle to improving the quality of N/SVQ provision is the lack of data available at award level in England and Wales to determine the success or otherwise of particular NVQs . In Scotland the position is even more serious as no data are published on the performance of SVQs at framework or award level.

Examines how value is created through the use of human resource development intervention in organizations. Begins by looking at the concept of quality within a training context, identifying key principles that need to underpin any quality learning model. Then goes on to show that evaluation is only one of a number of dimensions to the concept of quality and argues the case for a radical rethink of training practice in this area. Finally, presents an alternative quality learning model and a research agenda outlined for the future.