Small can be effective

In a changing world, business leaders are looking for more training options that provide greater flexibility and variety. They are looking for a mix of formats and delivery options, with a preference for short courses.  

industrial certifications, and vocational qualifications. dip-in, dip-out and online learning is seen as being most beneficial by time-poor, resource-constrained small businesses.

If the further education ecosystem can build learning and development propositions that meet these needs, there is a massive opportunity to be realised. 

And helping the country’s small businesses to become more digital has never been more important. 

With small businesses making up such a significant part of the economy (they account for 99.3% of all businesses and £1.6 trillion of annual turnover) their failure to adopt technology will hold back the pace of post-pandemic recovery.

We must make training more accessible to business leaders and their employees, giving them the skills and confidence to successfully adopt digital tools. The task is a mammoth one, but the opportunity is greater. 

By supporting small businesses to successfully use more technology, we will do more than just recover from the pandemic; we will emerge from it even stronger.