Graduate business skills
As part of our 3-12 month graduate placements with a business or social enterprise across Scotland, all graduates attend business skills training. So far eight courses have taken place both in the central belt and in the north.
The training is very interactive and activities based, including a sales and pitching course to improve selling skills. Also included is a business modelling module to understand the building blocks of a business.
The graduates use the companies they work in as case studies to carry out a SWOT analysis. Then using TOWS analysis, a strategy for the company going forward is designed.
The graduates are encouraged to share the ideas from their strategic brainstorming with the company when they return to work.
Employer feedback
"I was very impressed by the standard of presentations from all of the graduates. The presentations were all excellent and clearly demonstrated that they had learned a great deal from the course. The learning they have achieved on the course will help enhance their performance much to the benefit of the organisations like ours who employ them."
Bill Stewart, Argyll and Bute Social Enterprise Network
“Judging by the feedback from our graduate, she found the training week to be really useful, in particular she has gained greater business acumen and has a much clearer knowledge of how our business and business in general operates. Overall a very valuable week for Jennifer’s progress, which shall stand her in very good stead for the future.”
Rab Lees, Community Energy Scotland
Graduate feedback
"The project planning tools are so useful to me and are perfect for putting time scales on tasks I have already identified in my placement. I also think the networking map we worked on will help me identify opportunities in the future."
Sarah Galbraith, Portavadie Marina
“The training provided by TalentScotland was great as it focused on different themes such as leadership and sales techniques which were both helpful in my placement and surely will be in the future as welll."
Jessica Fassler, Reactec Ltd