§ Brian CotterTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made on plans to create a business university for business support. [69679]
§ Ms HewittThe Business Link '11' has been established for the Small Business Service (SBS), Business Link Operators (BLO) and partners, fulfilling the 2001 Small Business Manifesto commitment to "Create a Business University for Business Support". The 'U' is the world's first virtual corporate university for business development professionals.
Progress so far includes:
management structures are in place, including the appointment of a 'U' Governing Board, Principal and Director;five initial faculties have been set up (core, customer facing, leadership, marketing and business development);learning needs analyses have been conducted for business advisers;'Subject Area Expert' teams have been identified from within the SBS/BLO network and training will commence in September.