Thought Leadership
What should employers look for when sponsoring company secretary training?
What should employers look for when sponsoring company secretary training? There are a few things you should consider.
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The central benefit to financing employee training is that it’s a win-win—the company benefits, as does the trainee. The difficulty is that there are many different routes to company secretary training, so you need to make sure your choice is right for you.
The best starting point: Define the organisational need
When the business finances employee training, it makes sense to factor in what the business needs out of it. Here are some common questions that will help you decide:
- Does the employee need to manage statutory compliance and entity records?
- Will the employee conduct tasks like supporting boards, committees, agendas, papers and minutes?
- Is the company secretary role in a listed, high-profile, regulated or complex international organisation?
- If working in the UK or another Commonwealth country, does your organisation require a company secretary with (or working towards) chartered governance professional status?
- How quickly does the employee need to complete the training?
Two example routes
Two contrasting routes for company secretary training are the Qualifying Programme offered by the Chartered Governance Institute UK and Ireland (CGIUKI) and the Diploma in Company Secretary from the Corporate Governance Institute (TCGI).
When does the CGIUKI route make sense?
CGIUKI’s seven-subject Qualifying Programme reaches Level 7-equivalent on the European Qualifications Framework and is its principal route towards chartered membership in a company secretary context. It may well be the stronger choice for employee sponsorship if chartered status is a mutual goal. The distinction carries a lot of recognition in the UK and former Commonwealth countries, which could benefit both the candidate’s career and the employer’s credentials.
If choosing to go down this route, employers should budget for more than module fees. Published costs can include registration, annual student membership, study texts and tuition. The programme typically takes two to four years, although exemptions and fast-track routes can substantially change the commitment – it depends on the candidate and their circumstances.
When does TCGI DipCoSec make sense?
TCGI’s Diploma in Company Secretary may be more proportionate if both the business and the candidate are looking for concise, practical company secretary training and governance basics. The course is a lot shorter than the CGIUKI qualification. Its ten modules are delivered online and self-paced, with 30+ contact hours, six months of access and two graded assessments. The €3,995 price includes VAT, learning materials, assessments and certification. However, membership, as well as any resits that might be required, is charged separately.
This pathway can suit newly appointed company secretaries who need quick yet thorough training. It can also suit board-support staff, legal and compliance professionals, finance professionals, senior administrators, directors and employees taking on entity-governance responsibilities.
Measure return on learning investment
In my work with organisations investing in governance education, I’ve come to realise one basic truth when it comes to employers sponsoring employee training: the best decisions are made when the employers link their financial backing with work outcomes.
For company secretaries, this translates to following practical goals:
- Better-quality board papers, agendas and minutes
- More reliable compliance calendars and statutory records
- Clearer escalation of governance, risk and legal issues
- Greater confidence supporting directors and committees
- A credible development pathway and improved retention
Ask one final question
Once you’ve crunched the numbers, agreed on the outputs, and are ready to lock in, there’s one final question that you’ll benefit from asking: What is going to make this sponsorship successful twelve months from now?
In other words, what does success look like, in as few words as possible, so everyone involved can make easy sense of the decision even after a year has passed.
Does your company secretary need to have chartered status in twelve months? Do they need to have “hit the ground running” by then, playing an active role in boardroom processes?
Your answer to this question should complement and verify the deep thinking you’ve already done. If it doesn’t, and ends up producing the opposite answer, perhaps it should be back to the drawing board until you’ve found the option that makes sense from all viewpoints.
Explore the Diploma in Company Secretary
View the DipCoSec/CCSP course, download the brochure, book a consultation or enrol online.
Employer note: Confirm the employee’s role, jurisdiction and any statutory or regulatory requirements before selecting a programme.
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