Aston Centre for Growth

Today (Friday 20th December) is our final day of work in 2024. After today, this account will not be monitored until 2 January 2025. Thank you for all your support this year - we wish you a wonderful winter break and we look forward to seeing you in 2025. Season's Greetings!

Last week, we celebrated the success of our 14th Help to Grow: Management Course cohort. After their final workshop with Melanie Bryan OBE DL, participants had the chance to join us for some food and drinks at a festively decorated John Cadbury House. We loved seeing you all develop your skills throughout the course, and we look forward to welcoming you back for alumni sessions and networking events in 2025. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of Aston's Help to Grow: Management this year. Season's Greetings!

Our team (missing a few!) had a lovely afternoon at the Aston Business School Festive Lunch and Quiz yesterday. This annual event is the perfect chance to come together as a team, enjoy some delicious food, and get competitive with a themed quiz. It was great to spend time catching up with colleagues from across the department. 

If there's one thing you check off your list before your winter break, make it your application to Green Advantage. Mackenzie learnt so much from the course speakers and her peers. The programme helped Love Joes to implement new policies, including becoming a Living Wage employer and developing a supplier code of conduct. Applications close on Monday 6th January - don't miss out! Start your journey to a more sustainable future: https://lnkd.in/etrGKBUf

The Shropshire Leadership Programme helped Warran and Liza to enhance their management skills and look to the future. Our next cohort starts on Wednesday 15th January. Learn more and sign up here: https://lnkd.in/eNH8WJ3B

📢 Three weeks left to apply for Minerva Birmingham Pitch Up! 🤝 Boost your investment skills and profile in the region's premier pitching competition, which will support you to develop and refine your pitch and network with and impress investor panels. 🏆 Finalists will have the opportunity to compete for the Best Pitch Award and a cash prize in front of a live audience at Venturefest WM on Wednesday 19th March 2025. Find out more and apply before Monday 6th January 2025: https://bit.ly/PitchUp2025

A busy day yesterday as another Help to Grow: Management Course cohort completed the programme. In their final workshop, the group discussed how they would implement their growth plans, facilitated by Melanie Bryan OBE DL. It's a joy to see how much each participant has progressed since starting the course in September. We followed up with a lovely celebration event, acknowledging another fantastic year for Help to Grow at Aston. Our team hope to see our alumni at a workshop in 2025!

That’s a wrap on the first chapter of what I hope will be a long journey ahead. This marks my first professional development since leaving College, and I’ve had the chance to dive into so many key business areas with this fantastic group. Just in time for a 2025 refresh, as Geometric Manufacturing Ltd begins working on a host of exciting new opportunities! Aston Centre for Growth | Aston University | Help to Grow: Management Course | Melanie Bryan OBE DL

Hannah Montgomery signed up for Green Advantage to ensure that her business was up to date with the latest thinking around sustainability. The course helped to consolidate her knowledge and share ideas with a like-minded, supportive group. Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/e9ekt8bj

Deadline extended! You now have more time to apply for Minerva Birmingham Pitch Up, as the deadline has been extended to Monday 6th January. This is the region's premier pitching competition - now in its 10th year, it has connected over 200 entrepreneurs with investors, helping to secure over £65,000,000 in investments for the region's small businesses. Eager to be involved? Register here: https://bit.ly/pitchup2025