Sheffield Hallam University has welcomed the first cohort of business leaders from Barnsley and Rotherham to the government-funded Help to Grow: Management programme. The group of 22 senior leaders from 21 different small and medium-sized businesses started the 12-week course this week, with the first session held at Wortley Hall.

Help to Grow: Management is designed for local business owners and senior leaders who are keen to grow their organisation. It is accredited by the Small Business Charter and 90 per cent subsidised by the government.

The University’s Sheffield Business School has supported the delivery of the course to 180 participants since it launched in September 2021.

One of those taking part is Becky Senior is Client Experience Manager at Folio Albums in Barnsley. She said:

“I am on this course to gain new knowledge and experience in business and management that I can help to grow the company I work for. I’d like to gain more confidence in my position and I think working with people in similar situations from other businesses.”

Another member of the latest cohort, Amy Moore, Project Manager, Prima Industries Ltd. based in Rotherham added: “I signed up for Help to Grow as I have not previously had any formal management training, and I hope the programme will give me a well-rounded introduction to all the areas the course covers. As part of a growing ecommerce business, I am particularly interested in how we can use digital technology to simplify our processes and improve productivity.”

Professor Conor Moss, Dean of Sheffield Business School at Sheffield Hallam University, said: “We’re delighted to be supporting senior leaders from Barnsley and Rotherham SMEs to further develop their ideas, their people and their businesses. We have delivered this leadership programme to over 180 participants across Sheffield and Doncaster, so it is great to be able to extend this to reach all areas of South Yorkshire.

“We have seen the impact the Help to Grow: Management course has had on SMEs in building resilience within their businesses and in driving growth.”