Pictured above: Anne Garvey, TNT Management Development (seated front), flanked by Acua Business Coaches Ian Scholes and Remi Eves surrounded by the students on the TNT Business Solutions Foundation Degree Course

TNT is delivering a new breed of manager with the launch of a "learn-while-you-work" degree to nurture and develop the brightest business minds in the outsourcing industry.

The first crop of managers to have embarked on the TNT Business Solutions Foundation Degree in Leadership Capability have just completed their first module and the company is already reaping  the benefits.

The two-and-a-half-year programme, which is primarily being delivered in-house by Acua, the corporate training arm of Coventry University, aims to provide comprehensive leadership and management development to middle managers who are already forging their own career paths within TNT.

Tim Robb, Divisional Director of TNT Business Solutions, said: "What started as an NVQ level 2 course has evolved into a training pathway which now encompasses the Foundation Degree. This is designed to maximise the potential of our managers. They will even have the opportunity to go for Bachelor of Sciences Honours in the future.

"It not only greatly enhances their own personal career development but is also hugely beneficial to the business. We are training them to become significant leaders within the company."

During the course, the students will fulfil 12 modules covering all aspects of leadership, project management, organisational structure and many other facets of business all designed to teach them how to get the maximum out of their teams within TNT.

Ian Scholes, a business coach at Acua, said: "We have been working with TNT to develop leadership capability and understand what leadership means, addressing topics which focus on TNT's strategy for 2015.

"The first task the students worked on was presented to Tim Robb and his four senior managers and they took away an action suggested by the students to introduce to the business.

"The students suggested utilising TNT's website more. They introduced a project management structure associated with the key segments of the business, recommended enhancements to the business development process and using social networking sites to communicate further about staff and business achievements."

TNT benefits from the course assignments being delivered and carried out in the workplace.

Malcolm Pickup, Head of People Development for TNT, said: "We have learnt that by providing our managers with tailored learning solutions that are delivered in the right environment and fully supported by their manager and coach really make the difference. If the ideal solution is not available then develop one, and this programme has resulted in another first which has involved a ground-breaking collaboration between TNT, Coventry University and Northumbria University in developing two Records Management modules - an area that lies at the heart of our Business Solutions division."

"We don't ask them to tackle topics outside their existing remits," added Ian. "They work on things that they are doing on a day-to-day basis anyway so they are well-steeped in the process and are learning every minute of the day.

"TNT have been very proactive and the universities are learning a lot from the association with them."