Businesses are benefitting from access to fully funded expert skills, knowledge, resources and facilities thanks to a partnership between East Midlands Chamber and the region’s universities.
Support, being offered through Accelerator, a project funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), includes:
Carbon Management in Business training
Nottingham Trent University’s full-day Carbon Management in Business workshop shows businesses how to seize opportunities to reduce their carbon emissions, identify appropriate data from sources such as their gas and electricity bills and convert them to greenhouse gas stats, create a Decarbonisation Plan, and communicate on their carbon management performance and reporting. Sustainability experts from the NTU’s Business School are on hand with their practice-based expertise and knowledge.
The next workshops are being held on 24th July at East Midlands Chamber’s offices, Chesterfield, 7th August at Delta Hotels by Marriott in Nottingham and 11th September at Newark Showground.
Bookings can be made via the Carbon Management page of the D2N2 Growth Hub website.
Digital Skills Coach
Businesses can tap into free support for an agreed number of student Digital Skills Coach hours. The NTU initiative is designed to boost skills within businesses where there are gaps in digital knowledge such as data management and analysis through Excel, developing email marketing skills, SEO, AI and project management tools.
Businesses can find out more on the Digital Skills Coach page of the D2N2 Growth Hub website.
Help to Grow: Management Course (HtGM)
The 12-week HtGM executive development leadership and management course is intended to help businesses enhance the ability of their senior staff to lead growth, boost productivity, learn how to innovate, build resilience to future shocks, and produce a growth plan to allow them to fulfil their potential.
A total of 90% of the course cost is funded by Government, with the remaining 10% paid as a one-off, upfront fee by participating businesses. As part of the Accelerator project, the Chamber has been subsidising the £750 upfront cost for eligible businesses joining the course at participating universities and business schools in our region.
Laura O’Beirne, Operations Manager at Luke Evans Bakery in Alfreton said participation in the course was a valuable experience: “The course not only enhanced my planning abilities but also encouraged me to really look at what our value is to our customers, think creatively and look beyond our current limits. Just because we currently operate as a small business doesn’t mean we should limit our long-term vision or possibilities.”
East Midlands Chamber Deputy Chief Executive Diane Beresford said: “Small businesses are expected to wear so many hats, and there simply aren’t enough hours in the day to think about whether your management approach is working, that you’ve put in measures to reduce your energy bills and that you’re getting the most out of your software packages! By partnering with the universities on the Accelerator project, the Chamber aims to give small businesses that extra helping hand to implement very practical measures that help to take the pressure off.”
