Training and education should not stop after school or university. In an ever-changing world full of new technologies, there is one which is important: the challenge of communicating effectively. More and more firms are aware of this and are trying to cater for it. This is where Toastmasters come in. Started in 1924 in the US as a club to improve the art of public speaking, it has evolved over the years to become a worldwide leader in providing training in communication and leadership skills.

The major companies all over the world like Intel Corp, American Express or Dell have already joined the Toastmasters family. In Mauritius, the British American Investment group is the first to launch the club for its employees. Seen as a cost-effective tool for training, the concept should not take too much time before expanding to other businesses.

Toastmasters International is ?devoted to making effective oral communication a worldwide reality?. In fact, the mission of the club is to ?provide a mutually supportive and positive learning environment in which every member has the opportunity to develop and practise communication and leadership skills, which in turn foster self-confidence and personal growth?.

There are two such community clubs in Mauritius ? Toastmasters Club of Port-Louis and Toastmasters Club of Curepipe. Both of them attract quite a high number of professionals and people from different sectors that see in the club an opportunity of improving their communication, leadership and language skills.

For the BAI, Toastmasters represented a proven way of developing and improving the communication and leadership skills of its employees. An additional advantage is the cost effectiveness of this programme. The membership fees are indeed not very high and compete easily with any seminar that would cost a company thousands of rupees.

The education kit provided by Toastmasters International gives a series of tips to those who will lead the public speaking sessions. Not only Toasmasters prepare its members to deliver effective presentations and prepared speeches within definite time frames but the members also learn to speak on their feet. Impromptu speeches are also part of the training and a great way to overcome the fear of public speaking.

In fact, this comprehensive programme is an informal and friendly way of getting employees to improve their communication skills? 200,000 members benefit from these educational programmes all over the world. Who?s next?