Following the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Ryde Town Council and the University of Portsmouth, it has been announced that a round of business support programmes are being launched that will benefit businesses and communities across the Island.
The University of Portsmouth will be delivering the Government-backed ‘Help to Grow: Management Course’ to Isle of Wight businesses in the New Year, with a blended-learning approach that combines online webinars and face-to-face sessions, held on the Island.
Delivered in collaboration with industry experts and experienced entrepreneurs, the ‘Help To Grow: Management Course’ includes 12 weeks of in-depth training, 1:1 business mentoring to help apply learnings, and the opportunity to grow business fast.
The 12-week course costs just £750 and is 90% funded by the government. Participants can take part in existing work commitments and access learning through a mix of online and in-person workshops.
Mayor of Ryde Michael Lilley says:
“The MoU between ourselves and the University of Portsmouth solidifies the relationship between us and creates a platform to benefit businesses across the entire community. I urge anyone interested to make contact as soon as possible as the cohorts will fill up fast.”
Since 2021, the University of Portsmouth has delivered the course to over 100 businesses across the south but this will be the first time that they will be delivering the course on the Isle of Wight.
Dan Lodge, the university’s Business Support Programmes Office manager says:
“This new approach will make the ‘Help to Grow: Management Course’ much more accessible to SMEs on the island and at a time when it is really needed”.
Aimed at senior leaders in small and medium businesses, the course covers strategies for growth and innovation, leading high-performance teams and digital adoption, as well as financial management and responsible business practices. Participants will hear from inspirational business leaders, learn alongside local peers and learn from like-minded leaders with bespoke peer-to-peer networking sessions.
By the end of the course, a participating business will be able to take away a tailor-made growth action plan and have the confidence in how to grow their business.
