7 minute read
Training
Moving online works for business course › Joanna shows off her fi tting room An inspirational business course forced to people were making great progress and some were weeks ahead.” reinvent itself as a virtual event in response to the already making sales within the group and learning the In 2019, PopUp helped 967 new businesses start up Covid-19 pandemic has attracted its biggest ever skills they need to start out on their own.” as a result of organising 37 courses across the country audience. One PopUp success story is Faversham’s Joanna Van – all free, thanks to sponsorship by local support
PopUp Business School, which has helped scores of Blommestein, who now trades as The Bra Boss of Kent programmes. Successes range from swimming people across Kent start up on their own, set up a free, and set up in business after a “life changing” week on a coaching to cake making and from bookkeeping to week-long online event that saw 100-plus would-be course at Westwood Cross in Thanet. fi tness training. entrepreneurs each day log in from home to learn how Joanna, who kept costs down by setting up in a Research shows that in 2019, PopUp’s 37 UK events to set up in business. summer house in her garden, said the advice to “start contributed £19.2m to the local economy, including
The fi ve day course, which encourages people to small, get help from friends and contacts and don’t run benefi ts savings of nearly £8m as people turned their make money by doing something they love, takes up big debts” was spot on. hobbies and interests into business ventures. a unique ‘no red tape’ approach to the challenge of PopUp’s philosophy is fi rmly against people The online PopUp off ered sessions on all aspects setting up a new business – with considerable success. borrowing large amounts of money or worrying too of business, from sales, social media and networking The unique approach helped nearly 3,000 people much about business plans, advice which proved through to setting up a free website and marketing, as develop new business skills in 2019. invaluable during the Covid-19 pandemic. “If I had well as taxation and business structure.
“We were delighted with the response to our fi rst borrowed lots of money, I would have been struggling It was part of an £8.6m, cross-channel project called online event,” said PopUp Business School Chief to pay my debts by now,” Joanna explained. “Because Increase Valorisation Sociale (Increase VS), which is Operations Offi cer Henry Nicholson. “We have run a I set things up simply, I coped with the crisis and now using European cash to deliver free workshops aimed number of successful events in various towns across the lockdown is easing I am fully booked for several at kick-starting small businesses and creating jobs. Kent over the years, but this was the biggest ever. “It worked really well, too. Within the fi rst two days More online courses are planned – see https://events.popupbusinessschool.co.uk/events
Time for change
The high-profi le launch of the Centre for Corporate Governance represents an important milestone, providing an opportunity to bring together a range of stakeholders with a common interest in governance, stewardship and environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues.
At the launch, chair of the Institute of Directors (IoD), Charlotte Valeur, said: “By acting as a multistakeholder and inclusive hub for discussion of corporate governance issues, we aim to enhance not only the expertise and professionalism of IoD members, but also the wider business community, policy-makers and the general public.”
The launch highlighted the key issue of the moment: Does the global pandemic signal an enduring shift in corporate governance? It has created unprecedented challenges for boards of directors, but despite this, the IoD believes circumstances may provide board members with an opportunity to build trust, professionalism and legitimacy in respect of their role in society.
In surveys, we found that 74% of our members believed that good governance lay at the heart of a high-performance career as a director. In addition, 77% believed the chances of a business’s longterm survival were improved by adopting good governance practices.
Equally 77% of IoD members favoured the introduction of an industry led code of conduct for directors, similar to those in other professions such as accountancy, medicine and law. This would sit alongside existing legal and regulatory duties and serve to improve a strong ethos within business for responsible behaviour and ethical decision-making.
A majority of IoD members also felt the time was right to introduce minimum requirements for directors, in terms of knowledge and professional training. These measures could represent a positive, governance-enhancing response from policy makers to the demands of the current crisis.
Despite the challenges of the current environment, the centre has already begun working in groups focusing on sustainable capitalism, stakeholder governance and the impact of emerging technologies on corporate governance. They have been meeting via video conferencing for weeks and although the context of their analysis has been fundamentally
E X P E R T C O M M E N T
impacted by the pandemic, these topics remain key issues for the future of corporate governance. We shall also be launching new working groups on other key governance and ESG issues.
Over the coming months, we will off er opportunities to both IoD members and the wider community of leaders and business executives across Kent, Surrey and Sussex, to engage with the working groups through webinars, expert witness sessions and surveys. webinars, expert witness sessions and surveys.
For further information, For further information, email Carum Basra, corporate governance policy adviser at the centre (carum.basra@iod.com).
CONTACT Faisal Khan, chair of the IoD South
Virtual graduation
Apprentices and their bosses are being urged to reserve their place at this year’s virtual Apprenticeship Graduation ceremony, which will be live-streamed on Friday, 2 October 2020.
Despite many fi rms temporarily closing during the Covid-19 lockdown, many apprentices have managed to continue their work and study thanks to the support and commitment of their employers, training providers and FE colleges. Now, the organising team behind last year’s highly regarded inaugural Kent and Medway Apprenticeship Graduation Ceremony, is pleased to invite nominations from those who will successfully complete their apprenticeship this year.
Plans were in place for a second Cathedralbased event until Covid-19 scuppered large social gatherings. Instead, the organising team are planning an online live-streamed ceremony.
To nominate a graduate, visit kandmappgrad.org/become-a-graduate
Ground-breaking firefighter training goes global
An education pack created by the University of Brighton and the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has taken off around the world.
Initially developed for FBU’s UK members with multimedia company Beach Design and fi nanced by the Union Learning Fund, the Heat Illness Prevention Awareness (HIPA) programme aims to reduce the risk of fi refi ghter fatalities through a series of learning packs, short videos, quizzes and interactive games.
The educational tool came to fruition following research into the eff ect of heat on fi refi ghters by the university’s Dr Alan Richardson and a former PhD student, Dr Emily Watkins, who is now at the University of Roehampton. They were supported by Dr Mark Hayes, Dr Ash Willmott and Rebecca Relf in the university’s Environmental Extremes Lab. This is one of a number of projects being undertaken by this group on contamination, female fi refi ghter welfare and the physiological consequences of working practices.
In the past few months, interest in the package has soared and is now being used in the USA, Canada, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia and South Africa, with more nations showing an interest.
The tool advises on how to deal with heat stress, heat injuries, how to better control diffi cult environments and what fi refi ghters and instructors can do to increase their welfare.
Dr Richardson said: “Particularly in the summer months, fi refi ghting whether in training or live fi res, can cause a huge amount of stress on the body. Sadly, many fi refi ghters suff er with heat illnesses causing hospitalisation and worse. It is really rewarding to see the research turned into something fi refi ghters all over the world will use to help reduce the chance of suff ering these events.”
Dr Richardson, a physiologist, has been working with the fi re service for around eight years and through his research has been helping to advise on how to make training environments safer for fi refi ghters, instructors and new recruits.
CENTRE FOR HIGHER & DEGREE APPRENTICESHIPS
University of Kent offer Higher and Degree Apprenticeships
• Taking on apprentices is a cost-effective way to upskill your existing workforce, or attract talented people, with up to 100% of training costs fully covered by levy payments or government co-investment. • Our management apprenticeships are underpinned by a certifi cate, a foundation degree or a bachelor’s degree in management.
• With fl exible start dates (September, January & May), the degree programmes are delivered nationwide via blended learning – a mixture of on-line and face-to-face teaching.
For more information, including details on a fully managed service and other higher & degree apprenticeships contact
