University of Derby’s first cohort ‘graduates’ from government’s Help to Grow scheme

The University’s (@DerbyUni) first cohort of students has graduated from the Help to Grow: Management programme after it was selected as one of the first Business Schools in the UK to deliver the government’s scheme.

The scheme, which is 90% funded by the UK government, was introduced to help businesses to scale up as the country recovers from the pandemic.

It was designed in partnership with the Chartered Association of Business Schools (CABS) to support senior managers of small and medium sized businesses to boost their business’s performance, resilience, and long-term growth.

The programme is delivered through both online learning and face-to-face teaching, supported and guided by professional mentors and tutors who have industry knowledge, as well as experience managing and leading their own businesses.

Since launching the programme, the University has taken on responsibility for delivering the scheme across the East Midlands, West Midlands and Yorkshire & Humber.

Angela Tooley, Enterprise Development Manager at the University of Derby, said:

“We are proud to be a partner in delivering the Help to Grow: Management programme.

“This programme has been designed in partnership with CABS, Small Business Charter accredited business schools from across the UK, and business leaders. Our hand-picked delivery team all have real-life relatable experiences to share from their own business careers and understand the pressures of working in a small business.

“Many small business leaders are time-poor and often struggle to find time to plan the future and engage with likeminded ambitious leaders. Our current participants are seeing the results both personally and professionally. Seeing the impact straight away from their actions they quickly start to reap the benefits of taking time to work on the business, rather than in it.”

Paula Twine, Operations Manager at Pinnacle Surveyors and one of the first cohort’s graduates, added:

“I’ve really enjoyed being part of the programme and meeting everyone and getting some great ideas. I would definitely recommend people look at joining the programme. A huge thank you to all the facilitators for all the advice and information you have given over the last 12 weeks.”