News | 07 October

The Victorian Government is continuing to champion small businesses to lead the state’s recovery from coronavirus (COVID-19) by providing learning opportunities with Victoria’s top universities and industry associations.

Upskill My Business is an online platform that connects small businesses to free training – from building resilience through the coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions to managing cash flow to managing worker and employer mental health and wellbeing.

Pim Muter, a long-time hospitality industry professional, recently opened a brewery in Brunswick – Alchemy Brewing – before having to close because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

“Coronavirus had a phenomenal impact on our business. We’d only been open for two months before we were shut down, so just after starting a new business we were already in a pretty difficult financial position.” said Muter.

For Muter, the courses available through Upskill My Business are an opportunity to make the most of the time where he’s unable to work as usual, and for his business to re-emerge stronger after coronavirus (COVID-19).

“I’m always interested in learning more, and I have the time on my hands at the moment to get into it. There are definitely courses that are beneficial to me – particularly as a new business owner.” said Muter.

The courses cover a range of topics relevant to small businesses in all industries and are designed to be completed at each person’s own pace.

“I’m really interested in the courses on the accounting side of running a business, as well as leadership, managing a team and marketing. None of them are particularly long either, which means I can smash them out when it suits me.” said Muter.

Upskill My Business connects small business owners to short courses, online events and resources from some of Victoria’s top education providers and industry experts – including the University of Melbourne, La Trobe University, the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Restaurant and Catering Association, Google and Microsoft.

With more than 600,000 small businesses across Victoria, business owners are being encouraged to take advantage of the free service and opportunity to upskill during the pandemic.

“It’s always valuable for people to learn more. No matter how long you’ve been in business, there’s always something new you can learn,” said Muter.

“A lot of business owners jump in without much training on how to actually run a business, or without having done any courses on management or things like that – so this is a great opportunity for anyone.” he said.

Since May 2020, Upskill My Business has connected 30,000+ small businesses to over 130 free courses, webinars and resources.

Upskill My Business is a partnership between the Victorian Government and key industry groups and education providers, and is one of many initiatives introduced to support Victorian businesses and workers through the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

To access professional development courses on offer through the Upskill My Business platform, please visit upskill.business.vic.gov.au.

Additional information you might find of interest
  • Coronavirus (COVID-19) business information: Information on restrictions and support to help your workplace plan and respond to coronavirus (COVID-19), visit business.vic.gov.au/coronavirus
  • Business Support Package: Support to help businesses and workers through to the other side of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, visit business.vic.gov.au/supportpackage
  • Wellbeing and Mental Health Support for Victorian Small Businesses: Victorians dealing with the challenges of running a small business can get the mental health support they need to navigate through the impacts of coronavirus (COVID-19). For more info, visit business.vic.gov.au/wellbeingsupport
  • Coronavirus (COVID-19): For the latest advice, information and resources, see the DHHS coronavirus (COVID-19) page
  • Business Resilience Package: Helping businesses impacted by ongoing restrictions and prepare for COVID Normal business. Visit business.vic.gov.au/resiliencepackage
  • COVIDSafe Worksite Resources: Leadership organisations in Victoria’s building, development and construction industry have collaborated on COVIDSafe communication materials tailored to reach the industry’s culturally and linguistically diverse people. Visit culturalpulse.com.au/covidsafe-worksite-resources

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