Coventry & Warwickshire in business
Chamber Talent
When our new Membership level, Chamber Talent, was launched before Christmas, we had identified that there was a real need for this kind of development programme for young professionals in the region. We have been blown away by the interest and response we’ve had from businesses of all sizes and sectors who have wanted to engage their ‘talent’ with the programme. In order to ensure that the programme is representative of the diverse mix of young professionals – and their business sectors -
our latest development was to pull together a Chamber Talent Board. The board, which is made up of ten Chamber Talent members from various sectors – ranging from construction to culture - had its first meeting at the start of the year and discussed everything from future social events through to work/life balance and the green agenda. Just as when the Chamber was first established in 1903, the content of Chamber Talent membership can be shaped to deliver against the needs of the members and is an opportunity for the board,
on behalf of members, to decide what pressing opportunities and challenges are most important to them and how to address them. More than 70 young professionals are already signed up and are reaping the benefits of our development workshops, delivered in partnership with Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber Training, and are building new networks and connections across the region. This is truly an opportunity to engage with the future generation, our future business leaders, across Coventry and Warwickshire and we are excited by the very positive impact Chamber Talent is already having.
Apprentice Strengthens Emerald Team with his Initiative & Talent
Within just a few months of starting his apprenticeship at The Emerald Group, 19-year-old George Saxton has supported the business to move to the next level of cyber security support for their customer base of small to medium sized companies.
www.cw-chamber.co.uk
Sales & Marketing Apprentice George successfully completed the new Sophos Managed Service Provider Sales Certification which enabled The Emerald Group to become fully qualified as a Gold Partner under the new MSP program. “We completed all the technical qualifications for the new Sophos program back in June, but we needed someone to take initiative and complete the sales training,” says Emerald CEO Sarah Windrum. “George started with us and immediately wanted to see where he could add value. I showed him the MSP training and explained what we needed completing so George took the initiative. He sat on the webinars, read through the online content and visuals, before he sat and passed the exam.
We’re proud of him and grateful for his support in taking us to the next level.” George joined the Emerald team in late July, offering his skills from three years at Warwickshire College. Since joining, he has been working hard to learn and adapt to a fast-paced professional work environment. With this attitude, he took ownership of the Sophos MSP training program and achieved 100% on his final exam. This has allowed The Emerald Group to offer a wider range of ordering and payment options for cyber security services to its customers. George has also enrolled on Chamber Talent with Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce. Emerald have seen this membership as a real opportunity for George
to learn new skills around sales presentation, Linked In, and peer to peer networking. “I am hoping to continue to learn many new skills as well as grow existing ones through Chamber Talent,” George explains. “Emerald investing in my membership has motivated me to reach new heights for myself so I can climb the ranks and prove I have what it takes.” “It’s great to see a young person show such initiative and entrepreneurial thinking,” says Sean Rose Chamber Talent lead, “that is what Chamber Talent is designed to support and nurture. I know George will have a bright future with Emerald as a company that value his positive attitude and are prepared to invest in his development.”
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