Following a competitive tender process, the IoD and its partner TrueCue have been selected to deliver the leadership and digital innovation programmes for the In-Career Education and Training (ICET) project. ICET is financed by the European Social Fund and the University of Suffolk and has been designed to support small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) to access high quality, immersive training.
SMEs can access a 50% grant and a wealth of additional support including IoD membership, accredited qualifications, mentoring and much more. A key element of the ICET project is to support women in business and develop the skills needed as organisations recover from the impact of the pandemic. The University of Suffolk is partnering with the IoD and TrueCue to deliver three programmes:
- Leadership for Directors
- Progressive Leadership for Women
- Data Analytics
Debra Gingell, ICET Project Manager is “delighted to be partnering with IoD. Passing on generous discounts from IoD for their high-quality immersive courses, along with 50% ESF funding to small and medium businesses, at this time, feels like a solid step in the right direction towards business recovery and growth! Debra is particularly excited to promote the Leadership course for emerging women leaders in the region and believes that it will support women to progress in their careers”
Pro-Vice Chancellor for Business and Entrepreneurship at the University of Suffolk, Professor Gurpreet Jagpal, said:
“Universities play an important role in supporting innovation and business growth, the ICET project is just one way in which we can support the growth of our business community. The project provides a great opportunity for the University of Suffolk to support local SMEs to access high quality CPD training and I’m really pleased that the IoD is partnering with the University to bring their offer to our regional businesses.
Jonathan Geldart, Director General of the Institute of Directors said:
“We are excited to be working in partnership with the University of Suffolk to support SMEs by providing access to our world class professional development programmes and welcoming them as members of the IoD. Our East of England Region has branches across the region, including in Suffolk, providing a local focus for directors and senior leaders. Our programmes are designed and delivered by directors for directors and provide an enriching peer learning experience, helping us to develop better directors for a better world.”
James Don-Carolis, Managing Director of TrueCue:
“We are delighted to be working with the University of Suffolk to provide digital innovation training for SMEs and micro-businesses across Suffolk and Norfolk. As our society becomes increasingly digitised the ability to work with data is becoming an integral part of modern business. We are excited at the prospect of working with local organisations to build the skills and capabilities to leverage data as a strategic asset and, in so doing, to drive sustainable growth and prosperity in this critical segment of the economy.”
The ICET project has recently sponsored a 20 minute pre-recorded webinar for SMEs across Suffolk and Norfolk. The webinar sets out five key local projects that are currently providing funding for training, upskilling, apprentice, technology, expertise and talent. To access the webinar visit here.