

The Funded And Free Initiative To Elevate Your Enterprise
About

Business Elevator is a £5m project that is co-funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) until March 2023.
The project has been launched to further boost the development of micro, small, or medium enterprises, across Birmingham, Solihull, Redditch, Bromsgrove and the Wyre Forest.
Solihull College & University Centre, Birmingham Metropolitan College (BMet) and South & City College Birmingham have joined together to take your organisation to the next level, by providing advice, guidance, and practical business support.
Each institution will undertake a comprehensive organisational needs analysis with you, without obligation(s), to fully understand your business’ requirements and overcome your skills demand. By working in partnership, referrals will be made to ensure that your enterprise is able to access the most appropriate training and recruitment services.
All consultations will be fully funded and free of charge for businesses, charities, and Community Interest Companies (CICs) with less than 250 staff, a balance sheet of less than £36m, and a turnover off less than £42m; however, if you are a larger employer then we would still like to hear from you.
Over 600 organisations have now registered with the project since its establishment in 2017!
Testimonials
There is a difficulty in our industry to source skilled, motivated staff with the right attitude for work. With the students coming directly from the College, and having the support of their tutors and mentors, as well as our trainers and managers in house, the recent scheme has been hugely successful. Employers should take apprentices on as it helps provide an ongoing pipeline for progression and legacy for the future.

Kamran Saleem
Managing Director, MotorServ UK
South Doc Services and the Birmingham & Solihull NHS Training Hub are working jointly with Solihull College & University Centre to provide a level 5 Operational Manager’s apprenticeship programme for both our Assistant and Practice Managers. We are keen to continue to build on our positive experience with the College, with the first cohort of 10 Practice Managers completing the qualification within in the next few months. We have now started the second cohort with candidates from practices across Birmingham and Solihull taking part.
SME Account Manager, Mani Dhillon, has continued to meet our expectations and maintains a high standard with the coordinated provision of leadership and management training that fits the needs of our primary care staff.

Sylviann Thorpe
Governance & Training Officer, South Doc Service Ltd
On our journey towards NetZero, the CIPP have had the fortune of being supported by the wealth of knowledge and experience of Maddie Booth at Solihull College & University Centre. Despite the wormhole sustainability can often prove to be, working alongside Maddie has proven to be invaluable, allowing us to streamline our ideas and put plans in place to really make a difference. Whether helping us with volunteering opportunities, general advice, calculating our emissions and creating our NetZero roadmap, we at the CIPP would like to thank Maddie and the Employer Serivces Team for all their help and for making the process enjoyable to be a part of.

Amir Aziz
Business Support Coordinator, The Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals (CIPP)
We are very grateful to be registered with the Business Elevator project. It has provided exceptional support and guidance to help us successfully employ our first apprentice.
We are a small company and had very little knowledge of the process for employing an apprentice. From the very beginning until employment, SME Account Manager, Mani Dhillon, has been on hand to guide us through the process, offering reassurance and exceptional knowledge along the way. She always makes herself available to answer any queries we may have, in a very prompt, professional manner.
Thank you for making the whole process very smooth and manageable, we couldn’t recommend you highly enough!

Jennifer Tattersall
Executive Assistant, Everley Studios
Browns Pharmacy has worked with Solihull College & University Centre over the past years for the recruitment of apprentices. The process has been smooth from advertising the role to candidate selection and ongoing placement support (especially during the pandemic). We are now working with Mani Dhillon and the Employer Services Team at the College, to take on additional apprentices and we recommend them as our delivery partner.

Mike O’Donnell
Managing Director, Browns Pharmacy
Resources

Business Fraud
Businesses of all sizes are at risk of fraud, and many SMEs are particularly vulnerable as time and resources are often scarce. Consequences of fraud can be catastrophic for a business so being on guard is essential.

Culture of Respect
Employees who feel valued, respected and integral to your business are likely to be more productive, better team workers and less likely to leave!

Sustainable Business
The climate crisis is raging. Technologies are evolving. The future of work is upon us and new paradigms of growth are emerging. Now is the time to reinvent business models, shift corporate cultures, and reposition business as a force for positive change.

Action for Happiness
Action for Happiness is a movement of people committed to building a happier and more caring society. Find out how this can help your organisation.
Contact Us
For further information and to take advantage of this offer, please contact our Business Elevator Team.