A sustainability course delivered in partnership between BEC & Coventry College has gained national recognition as winners of the Sustainability in Enterprise Award at the National Enterprise Network Awards 2023.

The Sustainable Management Course is a course that has been developed by the two institutions to help tackle a growing crisis surrounding the skill shortage in the battle to net zero. Despite the growing awareness of the need to become more sustainable, businesses are left feeling helpless with most lacking individuals with the knowledge and skills to help them on their path to becoming more sustainable. To date the course has taken on over 50 participants with many going on to have received promotions, career progressions and even starting their own businesses.

The National Enterprise Network Awards highlights high achievers across the enterprise sector with the Sustainability in Enterprise Award going to an organisation that has demonstrated that it has taken strong action to support businesses towards going green – enhancing sustainability & resilience throughout the economy. Judges commended the collaboration between BEC & Coventry College and were impressed with the impact that they had been able to achieve through the creation and delivery of this course.

Led by course director Maddie Booth, the programme brings together experts from organisations such as Sustainability West Midlands & Sustainable Pathways who take participants on an 8-week intensive learning journey through group sessions and 1-to-1 work that not only equips them with vital skills but helps them to build a roadmap to embedding sustainable practices into their organisation.

“I’m immensely proud of what we’ve achieved together in just under 12 months. We are now starting to see some great case studies coming through of what participants have gone on to do upon completing the course” said BEC Chief Executive Daniel Evans. “These skills are integral for business going forward so anyone going through this course will come out the other side with highly valuable skills for any employer”.

“This is a powerful partnership with BEC which is leading to brilliant career opportunities including promotion for West Midlands residents in an area of growing skills needed. Coventry College is developing flagship green skills provision with the support of industry experts such as BEC”, said Andy Schneider, Director of Curriculum with oversight for this provision.

The course was funded by the West Midlands Combined Authority through their Adult Education Budget funding with sustainability and the green agenda being of high strategic importance across the region. The course also fulfils an urgent need highlighted in the West Midlands Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) for the availability of more Leadership & Management Training.

Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands and WMCA Chair, said:

“The West Midlands has ambitious targets to become a NetZero region by 2041 after declaring a climate emergency in 2019. But in order to achieve our #WM2041 plans, it is imperative that businesses and citizens across the West Midlands are able to access the skills training required. That’s why courses such as this one are so important, and I’m delighted to see BEC and Coventry College achieve national acclaim for their work.”

 

After the immediate success of this course, BEC & Coventry College have now launched a second course ‘Sustainable Digital Transformation’ which will help business leaders to gain skills related to the use of data within sustainability transformation.