New training and mentoring programme from Fingal CEB to accelerate small business growth
Over 27,000 business owners and managers received enterprise training through County and City Enterprise Boards in 2011 (increase of 14% from 2010)
A new management development programme from the Fingal County Enterprise Board, aimed at helping local small businesses accelerate their growth prospects, has been launched by the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton T.D.
The new ‘Accelerate Management Development Programme’ is geared towards owners and managers of Irish micro-enterprises in Fingal, which have been up and running for at least eighteen months.
Through a series of specially-designed modules and one-to-one mentoring sessions, hundreds of small business owners all over Fingal are expected to learn new management, leadership and business skills to carry over to their own companies. ‘Accelerate’ is being rolled out across all the County and City Enterprise Board areas, following a successful pilot programme staged in 2011.
Minister Bruton also announced that last year the network of County and City Enterprise Boards, which includes the Fingal County Enterprise Board, jointly delivered enterprise training programmes to 27,103* owners and managers of small businesses, an increase of over 3,300 on the previous year (23,732 in 2010). It is hoped that the new training initiative, which is delivered over a six-to-nine month period, will help existing business owners develop their companies even further.
Improving the management and productivity of Irish businesses is a key part of Action Plan for Jobs 2012. Speaking at the launch of ‘Accelerate’, Minister Bruton said:
“Irish businesses are central to our plan for jobs and growth. If we are to create the jobs we need, we must create a powerful engine of indigenous business, and that is why the Action Plan for Jobs focuses on a range of improved supports for Irish businesses as a means of driving recovery.
“Key to this is improving productivity and management of Irish firms, and today I am delighted to launch this important new programme which will deliver practical supports to small business on how they can improve their performance. The County and City Enterprise Boards delivered training programmes to a very impressive 27,000 businesses last year, and I am convinced that with this new programme they can make a real difference to small businesses seeking to improve their performance and create the jobs we need”.
Oisín Geoghegan CEO, from the Fingal County Enterprise Board said:
“‘Accelerate’ has been designed to help local small business owners address the business challenges that might be hindering their growth prospects. After they’ve completed the initial start-up phase of setting up a new business, it’s vital for micro-enterprises to keep investing in continuous improvement, to help develop their business and to enable them to sustain and grow local jobs.”
“All around the country, we expect that the County and City Enterprise Boards will be providing enterprise training to around 27,000 owners and managers of small businesses again this year and the ‘Accelerate’ Programme is a strategically important addition to our range of programmes and initiatives for Ireland’s micro-enterprise sector.”
Minister Bruton was joined at the launch by Vincent Reynolds from the County and City Enterprise Boards and Gerry O’ Grady from the CEB Central Co-Ordination Unit of Enterprise Ireland. Two ‘Accelerate’ pilot programme participants, Andrew McElhinney from O’ Donnell’s Bakery, a client of the Donegal County Enterprise Board and Susannagh Grogan, a fashion scarf designer and client of the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Enterprise Board, were also present.
Click here for further information on the accelerate programme.
*Training Figures:
In 2011, the County and City Enterprise Boards jointly delivered training programmes to 27,103 small business owners and managers. In 2010, the Boards jointly delivered training programmes to 23,732 small business owners and managers.