Member Article

RTC North launches programme to tackle North East leadership barrier

Sunderland-based business support company RTC North is on the hunt for 15 of the region’s ambitious small business leaders to get involved in a new, fully-funded programme to boost productivity.

The programme, Growth Hub: High Performance, is funded by a newly formed movement, Be the Business, which was created by the UK’s most successful businesses to provide practical tools and products, case studies and a community to inspire improved business performance across Britain.

Delivered by RTC on behalf of the North East Growth Hub, the leaders of businesses employing between 10 to 50 people can take part in a results-focussed programme that includes day long workshops at exemplar companies including VirginMoney, Ryder Architecture and Tharsus.

The initiative looks at motivating and managing business leaders to achieve growth through taking part in best practice visits, peer to peer coaching and workshops. It focuses on four topics – strategy and future planning; leadership; teams and talent management; and operations and digital transformation.

RTC North delivers a range of services designed to help businesses innovate, compete and grow, including ‘Enterprise Europe Network’, ‘Innovate 2 Succeed’ and ‘Designing Better Business’.

Jamie Ollivere, director of RTC said: “We’re delighted to be delivering a programme that can make a real difference to local companies’ future success, and have an impact on the region’s productivity.

“Leaders who can effectively drive their businesses forward and thrive are at the heart of the region’s economic success, and this influential, highly focussed programme can help them develop strategies for future growth.”

The four day-long workshops, beginning next month, will be held at four high performing local companies: Tharsus, to focus on High Performance Strategy, on 7 December 2017: Virgin Money for High Performance Leadership on 18 January 2018: Ryder Architecture for High Performance Teams 22 February 2018 and Orange Bus for High Performance ’Operations and Digital Transformation on 22 March 2018.

Brian Palmer of Tharsus, named as one of the North East’s top five scale-ups by the influential UK-wide Scaleup Institute this month, said: “This is exactly what’s needed to boost the numbers of businesses focussed on growing strongly across the region. It’s a short programme with the ability to create long-lasting results. I hope it’s the first of many.”

Colin Bell, business growth director at the North East LEP, added: “This programme directly addresses the region’s need for effective business leaders of companies that are likely to grow significantly in the future.

“Through the best practice visits, workshops and tuition, it will have a real impact on confidence, plans and productivity.”