£50k to help Dorset business women go digital
Dorset business women are getting another chance to improve their digital skills when a £50k programme gets underway in the autumn. The second Dorset Business Women go Digital programme will help women start and grow their businesses by developing their skills, knowledge and confidence of using digital technology.
The first Dorset Business Women go Digital programme which finished in March helped 120 women-led businesses. Following its success, Government Equalities Office has offered Superfast Dorset further grant funding to help those women continue their digital journey as well as helping women just starting to develop their digital know-how.
Colin Jamieson holds the Economy portfolio for Dorset County Council, one of the Superfast Dorset partners. He said:
“Women face particular challenges in the workplace, often having to juggle caring responsibilities which mean they need to work flexibly and having a gap in their careers which mean they can fall behind as technology advances.
“There could be an extra one million female entrepreneurs if women started businesses at the same rate as men. We want to help Dorset business women go digital which will help them start and build businesses here.”
Nicci Campbell, who runs the Angel Cake Company in Dorchester, benefited from the first programme and is hoping the new programme will help build her business even more. She said:
“I was a complete Luddite; I had no idea how to use digital technology until I went to the project launch conference in the autumn. Over the next few months I went to sessions on using Facebook, blogging and understanding Google Analytics.
“It has made a tremendous difference to our business, helping it grow by 60%. We are now looking to expand and hope the new programme can help us reach the next level.”
The new programme will help women to support each other through networking while ‘digital heroines’ like Nicci will inspire others with their stories of how smarter use of digital technology is helping them. It will be available to all women-led businesses across Dorset, with emphasis on rural areas.
Further information about the programme will be announced in the autumn through business networks. Follow @superfastdorset or visit www.dorsetforyou.com/superfast for details.
For more information about the Superfast Dorset rollout of faster, more reliable broadband across Dorset, visit www.dorsetforyou.com/superfast
ENDS
Enquiries about this news release should be made to:
• Penny Syddall on 01305 225065
Superfast Dorset is a partnership between BT, the Department of Media, Culture and Sport, Dorset County Council, Bournemouth Borough Council, the Borough of Poole, Christchurch Borough Council, East Dorset District Council, North Dorset District Council, Purbeck District Council, West Dorset District Council and Weymouth and Portland Borough Council.
Issued by:
Melissa Craven, Communications and Marketing Officer
Tel: 01305 224491
Email: m.craven@dorsetcc.gov.uk
Communications Unit, County Hall, Dorchester DT1 1XJ. Tel 01305 224491
www.dorsetforyou.com/news
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