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24 September 2007
University nurtures region's entrepreneurial talent
The University of Sheffield’s Management School will be helping more local entrepreneurs to develop and improve their skills, after being selected to be a centre for entrepreneurial learning by the Northern Leadership Academy (NLA).
Since September 2006 the University has been running a learning programme called six-squared for six local small business owners, entrepreneurs and managers. With support from the NLA, which is a collaboration between various universities and three northern regional development agencies, this programme can now be expanded to help another 30 local business owners.
Six-squared offers a learning programme where entrepreneurs work on their own business problems with the support of like minded individuals. The programme is structured around regular meetings of the group, peer-to-peer mentoring, and an exchange element where mentors work with each other on specific business issues relevant to their ventures.
Mark Pearce, Managing Director of the company Workshop, based in Sheffield, and who participated in the 2006 six-squared programme, said: “The attraction of the Management School for us is the combination of practical entrepreneurial activities with the academic rigour of a leading institution which continues to inform the strategic direction of our organisation.”
Professor Keith Glaister, Dean of the Management School at the University of Sheffield, said:”The Management School has been expanding its effort to work with local businesses and entrepreneurs through the six-squared programme where entrepreneurs learn from each other and in doing so improve their businesses. The support of the Northern Leadership Academy is particularly welcome and important for highlighting the value of this type of informal learning for entrepreneurs.”
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