When it comes to developing leadership skills, the Help to Grow: Management Course is looking for managers to support, and experienced leaders to mentor them.

Help to Grow: Management is a programme that provides SMEs with leadership support. It’s designed to give business leaders time away from their day-to-day work to develop their skills and learn how to boost the performance and resilience of their companies.

Over twelve weeks, the course delivers one-to-one mentoring, peer networking and modules on topics such as vision, mission and values, employee engagement, strategy and innovation. Each participant will work with an experienced small business mentor to develop a tailored growth action plan.

The programme is available from over 50 locations in the UK, so participants can choose the one that is nearest to them, and is 90 per cent funded by the government, so costs just £750 per person. It is suitable for anyone who is a member of the senior leadership team at a UK-based SME which has between five and 249 employees.

If you think this could be the programme for you, you can find more information and register at the Help to Grow: Management website. 

However, if you would like to offer your skills and expertise as a mentor, business advice company Enterprise Nation is working to recruit a national network of volunteers who will guide Help to Grow: Management participants through their growth action plans.

As a mentor, you would get free training from the Association of Business Mentors, and then be matched with a participant on the course. Supporting them to implement their action plan requires a minimum commitment of ten hours over the twelve weeks of the programme.

For more information, and to sign up, visit the Enterprise Nation website.

Don’t forget, there are also resources relating to other skills development schemes on our Training and recruitment page.