Over 14,000 Business Leaders Enrol on Help to Grow: Management

The Department of Business and Trade has now released the latest statistics behind the Help to Grow: Management Course. The results show that the course is being well attended by a diverse group of leaders across the UK, thanks to Small Business Charter-accredited business schools.

The report found that 14,420 business leaders have enrolled on the 12-week course designed to improve business leadership and productivity, while the number of alumni has reached 11,915. This means that close to 12,000 alumni now have access to a programme of events, webinars and content that continue their professional development.

The alumni of the course are widespread, with 70.8% based outside of London and the South East. This distribution of alumni is greater than current business population trends; in the latest estimates by the government, it was found that London and the South East make up 34% of the private business population.

The demographics of the course attendees also have a higher level of diversity than might be expected. Four-in-ten (40%) participants are female leaders, which is more than double the 14% of UK SMEs that are female-led. 13% of participants come from ethnic minority backgrounds, which is over double the proportion of overall UK SME leaders.

In this report, the number of Help to Grow: Management Essentials registrants and starters was released for the first time. The introductory course, which is designed for businesses with fewer than five employees, has had 1,675 small business leaders start the modules. The free course has led to 235 leaders registering for the full Help to Grow: Management Course.

More than 14,000 business leaders now have access to advice from business experts, support from a business mentor, and room to grow with a peer network. If you’d like to access this support, registrations are still open, and you can find a course near you here.