Cardiff University has developed two new marketing programmes specifically tailored to the needs of Heads of the Valleys businesses.
The University’s Open for Business team has worked with the Heads of the Valley Innovation Programme (HOVIP) to find out what skills and training were most relevant to them The overwhelming response was that marketing, and in particular marketing on a tight budget, was a key requirement.
Two pilot courses have been developed to meet this training need; Marketing: Getting Your Message Across and Marketing: Utilising Online Tools. Each course was split over two half day workshops, two weeks apart, and was delivered in venues in the Heads of Valleys region to reduce time out of the office, travelling time and costs. The courses were subsidised to ensure they were accessible to as many organisations as possible.
The courses have received a very positive response from businesses in the Heads of the Valleys region. Kay Griffin from Cynon Valley Crime Prevention Association Ltd, said: “The courses have enabled us to use web marketing more effectively to raise the profile of our organisation. The funding has been invaluable in providing us with the opportunity to undertake relevant, interesting courses to help improve our market placement.”
The courses have been developed using the expertise, networks and experience of both Cardiff University and HOVIP, and in close collaboration with the Turning Heads Club, HOVIP’s regional business club exclusively for HoV Innovation Awards entrants and winners.
The pilot courses have also helped to strengthen the relationship between Cardiff University and HOVIP. Phil Burkhard, HOVIP Manager, commented: “I am delighted that HOVIP and Cardiff University have evolved a strategic partnership, facilitated by the Cardiff University Innovation Network, to help businesses in the Valleys especially during the current economic climate. The combination of us jointly taking time to understand the specific training needs of the Turning Heads Club, and delivering tailored provision has resulted in little need to market these courses and excellent customer feedback.”
Following success of the programme, the Open for Business team will continue to develop tailored courses designed to meet the needs of local businesses. Clare Sinclair, Business Development Manager at Cardiff University, added: “Investing in training is critical to any business but it is more essential in the current economic climate. We know that those businesses who invest in the skills of their staff do better than those who don’t. Through this scheme we have actively listened to the business community and made training accessible and affordable to many businesses, which is something we hope to progress in future”
