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| Volume 3, Issue 2 |
Chamber Academy: A Free Resource for Members
Are you looking to improve your management technique, effectively market your business, or learn a new skill? Look no further than Chamber Academy, a free, members-only benefit that provides business professionals with the training they need to gain a competitive edge against the rest.
Dedicated to educating and cultivating the entrepreneurial spirit of small business owners and operators throughout the region, Chamber Academy is an excellent way to stay on track when the economy is slow. The Academy provides informational and motivational seminars, technology and policy forums, and professional training programs free of charge for members.
Chamber Academy was launched in 2002 to help educate members on how to do business with governmental agencies and government contractors. With the support of a grant from the Bank of America Foundation, the Academy expanded in 2003 to provide business related skills development training for small and emerging businesses. “Bank of America is proud to support such a great resource for businesses in San Diego," said Rick Bregman, Market President for Bank of America San Diego. “Professional training and development is invaluable in today’s business world and the ever changing economic environment that we live in.” The Academy is designed to deliver information quickly, with practical examples and discussion. Training programs provide a unique opportunity for members from any size business to gain valuable information from experts that will help their business grow and succeed for the long term. The success of recent programs such as the Entrepreneurship Training Program for small businesses has proved the Chamber Academy to be an excellent free resource. With the help of funding from the State of California Employment Training Panel, the Academy was able to offer complimentary 10 week, high-end training courses to small business owners in the areas of strategic planning and sales. “The Entrepreneurship Training Program was a great way for small company operators to get the training they needed. Supporting smaller businesses is one of the things the Chamber is doing to help out during the current economic downturn,” said Bill Holman, Chamber Vice President of External Affairs. “Thanks to Bank of America and our new partnership with ExecuTrain, we can offer similar programs for businesses of any size. ” The Chamber partnered with ExecuTrain in January to develop a program of monthly seminars and webinars that will help members develop personal and business skills, with topics ranging from sales and marketing to online networking and business planning. ExecuTrain is a worldwide corporate training provider and leader in business education training, providing assessment, design, development and implementation of professional development solutions for small, medium, large, Fortune 500 and Fortune 1000 clients.ExecuTrain has trained over 12 million business people since being founded in 1984. ExecuTrain hosted its first Chamber Academy seminar, “Networking for Success,” on January 28. Visit the Chamber Datebook to sign up for upcoming forums and events. In addition to ongoing professional development training for business people, Chamber Academy offers free, specialized policy forums to help members stay on top of issues that may impact the business community. Participants have the opportunity to hear from experts and express ideas and concerns about how policy decisions affect their business. Chamber Academy also offers Tech Seminars, with the help of the Chamber’s Technology committee. These seminars are targeted to the needs of members in the technology sector, and provide a forum to discuss regional issues like biotech, telecommunications, technology uses for business and more. Visit the Chamber Academy web site for more information or to sign up for upcoming seminars.
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