23 ICT business professionals with the potential and determination to grow their business from one million dollars to one billion graduated at the Macquarie Graduate School of Management on Saturday 20 May 2006 after successfully completing AIIA’s year long ‘Developing Business Skills for ICT Entrepreneurs’ program. The program is an Australian Government funded service under the Small Business Enterprise Culture Program.

The aim of the ‘Developing Business Skills for ICT Entrepreneurs’ program is to enable emerging ICT companies to acquire the business skills that are needed to establish their businesses as long-term, thriving and profitable organisations.

As Rob Durie, Chief Executive Officer of AIIA noted, “The Australian ICT industry plays a significant role in Australia’s economy, contributing 4.6 per cent of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product, which is larger than agriculture, fisheries, defence and education and almost as large as mining.

“As a result, it is important that programs such as this exist in order to encourage the innovation, professionalism and business skills needed to ensure the Australian ICT industry continues to grow in size and economic contribution on both a local and international scale.”

(MP name), representing the Minister for Small Business and Tourism, Fran Bailey, presented the 23 program participants with certificates of graduation at the Macquarie Graduate School of Management.

This innovative course has been designed specifically for business owners and managers of established ICT companies with less than 20 employees and who see great potential in expanding their operations from less than 20 people to more than 200 in the next five years.

The program involves three key elements – training, mentoring and business relationship development and requires participants to attend four residential workshops over a year, each one 3 days long. The workshops comprise coursework, class room discussion and case study sessions.

Participants also undertook monthly sessions with an assigned mentor and a small group of fellow local program participants. These sessions provide the opportunity to review their businesses and discuss the application of their learning through the development and implementation of business action plans.

Rob Durie commented, “We feel sure that this year’s program graduates will have gained all the key skills necessary to compete effectively in the international market, not to mention being able to further build their business in the Australian market.”

To find out more about AIIA’s ‘Developing Business Skills for ICT Entrepreneurs’ program visit www.aiia.com.au.

Jim Ellis
Sharon Brown Read more

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