One year on, managers in the UK are rising to the challenges set out in the Skills Strategy White Paper, the Government will has said.

Minister for Skills and Vocational Educational, Ivan Lewis MP, acknowledged the impact of the new professional status for managers by celebrating the achievement of the 100th Chartered Manager.

Mr Lewis recognised the success of the 100th Chartered Manager, Nigel Capper, an IT professional working at IBM UK Ltd.

Mr Lewis said that the Chartered Manager programme recognised "the vital contribution of professional managers nationally to business, the public and voluntary services".

"Professional managers and leaders are key partners in delivering the Skills Strategy through developing the skills of their workforce as a fundamental building block of high performance," he added.

The Chartered Management Institute has also unveiled new occupational standards hoped to form the basis of management training reform, and a pilot programme offering £1,000 to support the management skills of managing directors of small and medium-sized enterprises.

This is already being rolled out in two regions and through seven Business Link areas and includes informal learning such as coaching and mentoring.