LUMS launches new programme as part of government scheme to help firms grow

Lancaster University Management School launches new programme as part of government scheme to help firms grow

Lancaster University Management School (LUMS) has kickstarted a new management programme as part of a nationwide scheme to boost business

The Help to Grow: Management programme is designed to provide the management tools needed to help talented business leaders innovate and grow their business, driving our economic recovery from coronavirus (COVID-19).

Designed to be manageable alongside full-time work, modules cover financial management, strategies for growth and innovation, leading a high-performance workplace and digital adoption. By the end of the programme, business leaders will develop a tailored business growth plan to help lead your business to its full potential with access to mentoring and an alumni network.

The 12-week programme is 90% subsidised by the government as part of its Plan for Jobs to help businesses to drive growth and protect jobs, and is aimed at senior leaders of small and medium businesses.

Courses at Lancaster University Management School began this month for the first group of local and national businesses. Applications are open to SMEs for the next cohorts which are due to start on 22nd November 2021, 8th February and 22nd March 2022. Interested businesses can visit gov.uk/helptogrow for more information and to register.

LUMS’ Dr Radka Newton, programme director of Help to Grow, said: “We are delighted to welcome such a great mix of local and national businesses onto our first cohort, which promises to provide SMEs with a much needed boost in their post-Covid recovery. The 12 week programme offers business leaders a chance to refresh their strategies to look beyond day-to-day operations, to build a detailed and personal growth plan for the months and years ahead.

“Our programme has been developed in partnership with leading LUMS academics and our Knowledge Exchange team which has twenty years of expertise in supporting our SME community. The course will be delivered in a blended format, so SMEs will get access to their own virtual platform, while also visiting our beautiful campus on numerous occasions for in-person teaching and valuable peer-networking.

“Help to Grow provides businesses with the chance to learn from world-leading academics who dedicate themselves to researching the very latest in the SME landscape, which will be complemented by input from mentors from other areas of business. This collaborative approach of academics and practitioners is a staple of best practice that we have fostered in Lancaster, and that has successfully placed us in the heart of the entrepreneurial ecosystem.”

Small business minister Paul Scully said: “Seizing opportunity is what being a business leader is all about, and our Help to Grow Management Scheme gives entrepreneurs the chance to access the very best advice on how to innovate, reach new customers and boost profits.

“The practical training scheme is 90% funded by the government and designed around busy business owners’ schedules, so I would encourage entrepreneurs across the UK to get involved and maximise the potential of their business.”

LUMS’ Help to Grow programme encourages all participants to focus on employee wellbeing when preparing business growth plans, and the 12-week course content will include other cross-cutting themes such as diversity and inclusion, productivity, resilience and responsibility.

To find out more about the programme, an online information session will be held on 5th October at 12pm . Alternatively, you can contact the programme team on: helptogrow@lancaster.ac.uk