Graduate Business Advisors Grow with Enterprise Graduate Programme

Date: 22 September 2004

As a graduate, how do you know that the post you accept on leaving university will give you a development opportunity? It’s something which many new graduates ponder – but there are ways to guarantee that a graduate position will offer suitable on the job training, fast track experience and the chance to undertake more professional qualifications. The Enterprise North East Trust (Enterprise) Graduate Programme, which was established in 2002, was introduced to offer new graduates a structured career path leading to a professional qualification as a business adviser. Through the programme, Enterprise recruits graduates from varying disciplines and professionally trains them as business advisors over a three year period to serve the needs of the north east business community. 

Joyce Duncan, Director of Operations at Enterprise North East Trust (Enterprise) says, “The Enterprise Graduate Programme has many benefits. For the graduate, it offers a clear and timetabled career path ensuring that they develop their professional skills rather than just accepting a post which may have no development potential for them. For Enterprise, the programme gives us an annual intake of the crème de la crème of graduates from a variety of disciplines. This ‘new blood’ helps us to continue to deliver high standards of service and business advice to our clients and businesses throughout north-east Scotland. Through the programme, Enterprise develops well qualified and professional business advisors.”

“Graduates bring many qualities to any organisation – such as innovation, enthusiasm, raw ability and proven intelligence.  The Enterprise Graduate Programme seeks to embrace these qualities and provides a structured environment where they can be nurtured and developed.  Through planning and regular reviews the programme involves many elements, such as mentoring, shadowing and formal training. The programme gives graduates first hand experience of the many issues surrounding business development from a wide variety of sectors and industries.”

Andrew Burnett, one of the first graduates to advance through the programme, and who is now a qualified Business Adviser for Enterprise says, “Providing business advice and helping businesses grow is a subject that has always interested me and following my MSc in Business Management I was keen to develop a career in this field.  The Enterprise Graduate Programme has provided me with a highly supportive environment where I have mixed ‘hands-on’ practical experience with formal training and mentoring.  I am in no doubt that the programme has provided me with the correct experience, knowledge and skills to be able to contribute to the success of businesses through north-east Scotland.”

Joyce continues, “The programme is delivered over 3 years with the first year involving developing a personal investment plan and a sponsor – a senior member of staff.  This plan helps shape the graduates path into becoming a business advisor, identifying key projects, milestones and targets to work to. Similarly during the induction period a competency framework and training plan is developed to ascertain the key competencies for a business advisor and what types of formal training and coaching is required to attain these skills.”

“Over the course of the entire programme, monthly reviews with the sponsor evaluate the progress of the graduate.  These reviews look at current projects and completed work, discuss any ambitions and limitations in career development and agree an action plan for the next review.  Both the personal investment plan and competency framework and training plan is updated accordingly.” 

Jilly Cole, who recently joined the programme after graduating from Aberdeen University says, “My MSc in Management Innovation and Change highlighted many of the complex issues businesses face, especially in the start up phase.  The Enterprise Graduate Programme gives me a great opportunity to shadow other business advisors and learn first-hand how to tackle these subjects in a practical environment.  The programme has given me an opportunity to attend a number of training courses to develop my skills set further.”  

Joyce says, “The second year of the programme involves graduates taking on internal and external projects from business advisors, varying from helping clients write marketing and business plans to event organisation and product launches.  During this year graduates continue to undertake formal training courses in line with the competency framework and training plan.  Graduates will be given an opportunity to attend a series of short courses covering subjects such as Business Counselling, Presentation Skills and Finance.  These courses are specific to an individual’s needs and abilities and progress is recorded in a log called a ‘Travel Passport’.”

“Integral to the success of the programme is the opportunity for graduates to be placed on secondment.  Through regular reviews knowledge and skill gaps are identified and secondments are arranged to address this. Typically this can take the format of working with an accountancy firm, a client SME or a business in the manufacturing industry.”

Andrew Burnett says, “Identified through regular reviews with my sponsor it was clear that my financial skills were not quite at the stage they should be.  During my second year I was seconded to a local accountancy firm that not only increased my financial understanding but highlighted many of the issues faced by SMEs when it comes to finance and accountancy.”

Joyce adds, “Throughout the programme graduates will work towards achieving a professional qualification in business.  For many this may mean undertaking study to obtain a Masters and all graduates must work towards achieving a Scottish Enterprise ‘Premier Advisor’ qualification. Finally in year three, graduates will complete their studies and formal training and take on a portfolio of clients.”

”We are pleased with the results of the programme.  We are fortunate that we have been able to recruit such a high standard of graduate who exhibit all the qualities, skill and intelligence to become highly effective business advisors.  The quality of our service relies heavily on the value of our business advice, so investing in a graduate programme was a logical approach for Enterprise in order to meet and exceed our client’s expectations.”

For further information on the Enterprise North East Trust Graduate Programme and the business services offered by Enterprise North East Trust contact 01467 672500 or visit www.enetrust.com.

Ends
For more information contact
Ian Chapman
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