Funded training and development

Welcome to the Enterprise Academy - Staffordshire University's one-stop hub for cutting-edge knowledge and skills to empower businesses and young professionals to thrive in a competitive world.

Through our Staffordshire Higher Skills and Engagement Pathways (SHSEP) and Staffordshire E-Skills & Entrepreneurship Gateway (SEGway) programmes, our diverse selection of professional training courses have been designed to elevate your skills in key areas such as sales and marketing, leadership & management, computing and AI, health, environment and sustainability, entrepreneurship and innovation.

Unlock your potential, stay ahead in your field, and make a real difference. The Enterprise Academy not only provides you with the latest knowledge but also connects you with a lively community of professionals who share your drive for growth and success.

What to expect

A wide variety of courses
Flexible delivery
Taught by our academic experts

What qualifications can be achieved?

We offer the following levels of professional development and training.

Pathways to Higher Education – Microcredentials

Microcredentials offer you the opportunity to gain specialist knowledge and skills to advance your career and gain recognition of credit for further under/postgraduate study.

CPD Certified Courses

Develop and enhance your skills and knowledge within your profession and receive a CPD certificate in recognition of your participation.

Short Courses

Build towards your business and career development needs by enrolling on one of our short courses delivered by our academic experts. You will receive a certificate of attendance for your participation.

Our courses are taught at a variety of different levels. We have a team of expert advisors with specialist knowledge in mapping individual career development needs to professional and academic qualifications.

Business, Marketing and Sustainability

Boosting Business Profits Through Client Acquisition

This short course will show you exactly what is happening during the sales process. You will also discover sales challenges, prospecting approaches and creating the perfect pitch, which will equip you with the tools and techniques to implement within your own business.

Customer Service in a Digital World Masterclass

Excellent customer service is the catalyst for a growing business. This masterclass will provide delegates with an overview of the elements of an effective digital customer service strategy and how to implement them for your own organisation.

Digital Marketing Masterclass

This masterclass introduces learners to digital marketing. Participants will gain a greater understanding of the digital marketing tools available to small to medium-sized businesses with up to 250 employees (SMEs).

HR Law and Legislation

Want to make better decisions in relation to legal situations you may encounter within your workplaces? Join our short 1.5-day course to gain a refreshed understanding of current Employment Legislation and best practice in onboarding techniques.

Introduction to Consulting Skills for Work Experience

Consulting skills are a valuable tool in students’ and graduates’ work experience portfolios. Whether you go on to be an employee of a business, freelancer, or CEO of a registered business, the ability to provide new insights, elicit and gather information, solve problems, and come up with ideas is all invaluable in today's job market.

Introduction to Project Management masterclass

This masterclass will provide learners with a comprehensive overview of project management. Relevant for any project in any area of business, the masterclass covers the pragmatic skills and techniques necessary for effective project delivery.

Managing, Leadership and Performance

This 3-week course introduces learners to the responsibilities of managing and leading people. It is also designed to cover various sections of the Apprenticeship Standard for Operational/Departmental Managers.

Social Media Marketing Strategy Masterclass

The Social Media Marketing Strategy Masterclass supports you in developing a social media strategy, including the audit of your current performance, setting objectives and KPIs, identifying target audiences, creating and optimising content, and tracking your social media performance.

The New Psychology of Leadership and Team Dynamics

Gain deep insights into the intricate psychology behind effective leadership and team dynamics in our workshop, The New Psychology of Leadership and Team Dynamics. Led by renowned experts, Professor Matt Slater and Paul Mansell, acquire invaluable skills to build thriving teams in today's dynamic business landscape. Enrol now!

Computer Science, AI and Robotics

Artificial Intelligence Overview

In this 10-week course, learners will learn how to define and differentiate between Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML), the philosophies underpinning AI, and how to identify and use tools to build AI/ML modelling for real-world problem-solving.

Business Cyber Security

This course is designed to develop the fundamental knowledge and practical skills for learners to undertake a simple security risk assessment for an IT based system.

Cloud Computing

Cloud Computing is an area of increasing importance within the enterprise environment. This course will look at the usage of Cloud Computing and the factors that impact its adoption in businesses, such as network consideration, security, scalability, distribution, and more.

Data Analytics

This course is designed to develop the fundamental knowledge of data analysis and how to use data to respond to changes and take advantage of new opportunities.

Digital Transformation

This course is designed to develop the fundamental knowledge of Cloud, Infrastructure and App Development in Cloud Environments, Agile Practices and Continuous Delivery & the Internet of Things.

Introduction to Ethical Hacking

Ethical hacking is highly valuable for a business looking to secure and prevent security breaches. This course highlights the need for penetration testing and how it can help enterprises to identify the flaws within their own IT infrastructure.

Introduction to Python Programming

This course provides the fundamental knowledge and practical skills of the world's third most popular programming language: Python. A versatile and easy-to-use language, Python is in high demand and offers a future-proof skill for life.

Making The Most of Your Data

Discover how to make the most of your data using Microsoft Excel. Learn how to create easy-to-understand visual displays such as Pivot Tables and charts. Learn how to validate, link, sort and filter your data and protect it to ensure its integrity.

Web Based Computing

This course looks at how current trends are used in the development of websites. It looks at both scripting and mark-up languages. Learners will develop the knowledge of how to design, implement and test aspects of a webpage.

Healthcare

CPR & Defibrillator Awareness

Did you know that if someone suffers a cardiac arrest outside a hospital and receives CPR from someone at the scene they are two to three times more likely to survive? If someone collapsed in front of you, would you know what to do? This course will provide you with skills that could potentially aid you to save a life.

Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Business Building through Digital Simulations

You don't need to have a background in simulations or a strategy to succeed in this module. Join our 9-week course to equip yourself with all the knowledge and skills required to plan all basic activities and allocate relevant resources within an organisation.

Design Thinking for Digital Innovation

This CPD certified Design Thinking for Digital Innovation full-day course is designed to introduce learners to the 5-stage process, which aims to define problems and create and test new ideas in a customer-centric approach.

Digital and Technology Ventures

This 9-week course is designed for SME employees, students and graduates who are interested in starting a high-impact scalable start-up using digital or other technologies. This module is also relevant for people interested in launching new digital or technology innovations in their current organisations.

Digital Entrepreneurship Masterclass

Lockdowns and other recent social changes across the young populations demand a heavy shift toward the digital world. This exciting masterclass will expose you to the ever-changing business world and how you can participate in a significant way as an entrepreneur or an innovator utilising the latest digital technologies.

Driving an Innovative Culture Through Intrapreneurship

Attendees will understand the true meaning of intrapreneurship. The session will demonstrate through interaction how to leverage existing resources and networks within a company to launch transformative innovations and initiatives.

Entrepreneurial Marketing Masterclass

This CPD-certified masterclass will equip you with the marketing tools and skills needed to survive in this current fast-changing world. Whether you are a beginner, business owner or marketing professional looking to boost your skills, this entrepreneurial marketing masterclass is for you.

Funding for Entrepreneurs Masterclass

Although it is possible to build a successful business with no external funding, it is not the case for most scalable businesses. So, whether you are a beginner, a recent founder or an experienced business owner, this masterclass can help you to either gain new knowledge or upgrade your existing experience in this area.

How to Start Up Your Own Business Masterclass

Would you like to discover first-hand how to build a business from scratch? This masterclass introduces learners to the essential tools and mindset required to succeed as an entrepreneur.

Innovation, Marketing and You

Participants of this short course will experience the life of an innovator. They will work within the secure environment of a university but will be encouraged to critically analyse the current markets to find new opportunities.

How To Pitch a Business Idea Masterclass

A lot of founders understand that they need funding for the survival of their business but they don’t have experience of the idea pitch process. This session will equip the founders of an investable idea with the appropriate skills and knowledge required to deliver a successful pitch.

The Staffordshire Higher Skills and Engagement Pathways programme, and the Staffordshire E-Skills & Entrepreneurship Gateway (SEGway) are part funded by the European Social Fund.

Benefits of professional training and development

Whether you’re a business owner, employee, entrepreneur, student or a postgraduate, continuous professional development is an essential tool to maintain and enhance knowledge and skills, aid career progression, promote greater workforce engagement and build on learner confidence.

We also offer local SMEs access to a pool of talent to support innovation, growth and success for your business through a 12-month student placement.

Find out more about placements

Our team

Laura Knight

Employer Partnership Development Manager

I am a Business Development Manager in Knowledge Exchange and Enterprise. I support businesses, identifying training needs and academic pathways as part of our CPD offer.

Laura's profile

Jon Horton

Employer Partnership Development Officer

I am a Development Officer in the Employer Partnerships team with a specialisation in training and development (CPD).

Jon's profile

Philip O'Neill

Employer Partnerships Development Mgr

I work with businesses regionally and nationally, to understand their needs, and ensure they are suitably supported by Staffordshire University.

Philip's profile

Archana Sandy

Employer Partnerships Dev Officer

I currently work as a Business Engagement Development Officer, supporting students, graduates and local businesses with continuous professional development (CPD) training.

Archana's profile

Mark Bailey

Employer Partnership Development Officer

I am the Business Engagement Development Officer in the team, specialising in training and development (CPD). I work closely with a variety of Staffordshire-based businesses and support them to grow.

Mark's profile

Kelvin Sanders

Employer Partnership Development Officer

I am a Business Engagement Development Officer, specialising in CPD opportunities. I'm passionate about developing individuals and businesses to reach their true potential, with 30+ years of experience in a manufacturing and corporate background.

Kelvin's profile