BRITISH COLUMBIA – Developed in partnership with UVIC’s Gustavson School of Business, the 6-week program will help SME’s stay viable and adapt to compete in the future
Today, the Building Resilience to Thrive program, powered by the BC Chamber of Commerce network and UVIC’s Gustavson School of Business, launched to businesses across the province. Offered as a COVID-19 recovery certificate, the 6-week program, delivered by award-winning professors Dr. Mark Colgate and Prof. Brian Leacock, will be presented in three cohorts between November and March 2021. The program will offer relief to businesses, helping to mitigate the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic by teaching them how to adapt their business models, re-engage customers, and adjust workplace cultures.
Dan Baxter
“We’re eager and excited to get this program off the ground at a pivotal stage in this pandemic,” says Dan Baxter, BC Chamber Director of Policy Development, Government & Stakeholder Relations. “Building Resilience to Thrive will equip SMEs with the tools needed to strive, build, and create in their COVID-19 recovery effort, and support them as they remodel now for a competitive future.”
The Building Resilience to Thrive program, supported by Western Economic Diversification Canada, will focus on the three key themes of Strive, Build, and Create. The curriculum will help SMEs be the best they can be, build a strong team, and create value with their customers. Weekly seminars will be supplemented by facilitated Resiliency Roundtables to bring local SMEs together in smaller groups online and offline to anchor and support the curriculum.
Dr. Mark Colgate
“We are excited to share the leadership knowledge and tools as well as build the emotional resilience to overcome the current unprecedented economic and socio-demographic challenges,” says Dr. Mark Colgate, Professor of Service Excellence at UVic’s Gustavson School of Business
The 6-week program will be offered to individuals at a minimal registration fee of $35.00 per participant for Chamber members and $70.00 per participant for non-members, to ensure cost isn’t a barrier during the pandemic. To continue to support the advancement and growth of SMEs in the province, registration revenue specific to each region will be attributed back to the regional Chamber for serving SMEs in BC.
The program was born out of a recent survey conducted by the BC Chamber of Commerce and its C19 Task Force of local Chambers. The Chamber Check-in Survey identified that 59 percent of Chambers in the network ranked a grant related function or service focused on COVID-19 recovery as the best help their organization could receive to stay viable through 2020. Pulling from this insight, the BC Chamber of Commerce, in consultation with the C19 Task Force, submitted a $500,000 proposal to Western Economic Diversification Canada. After a successful submission, the Building Resilience to Thrive program was established.
The program will be offered on the following dates:
ROUND ONE: November 3rd to December 8th
ROUND TWO: January 12th to February 16th
ROUND THREE: February 24th to March 31st
To learn more about the Building Resilience to Thrive program visit bcchamber.org/events/building-resilience-to-thrive.
