Best Learning / Professional Development Programme (up to 2000 members)
EIT Community Strategic Regional Innovations – EIT Jumpstarter
Since 2017, the EIT Jumpstarter, one of the main pre-accelerators in this part of the world, has trained 1180 new talents and created 124 start-ups in Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe. These ventures have collectively attracted EUR 120 million in external funding and introduced 2,100 new jobs in industries such as agrifood, healthcare, energy, manufacturing, and raw materials. This year, 600 teams comprising over 1000 individuals applied to the program, aiming to convert their innovative ideas into start-ups and gain an entrepreneurial mindset.
EIT Jumpstarter, a pre-accelerator of the EIT Community, the largest innovators’ network in Europe, supports idea-holders in transforming their concepts into viable businesses. The program’s goal is to help innovators build sustainable business models and, if successful, register their companies. It aims to create a sustainable impact in Central-Eastern and Southern-European regions, enhancing innovation and entrepreneurship and preventing brain drain.
Participants gain crucial skills and ongoing support from the EIT Communities, including connections to partners, VCs, and regulatory bodies. The program covers market segmentation, customer value proposition, financials, and legal foundations framed within a lean start-up methodology adapted to the European context.
EIT Health InnoStars – EIT Health DRIVE
EIT Health DRIVE Programme is specialised in accelerating accelerators, which involves disseminating knowledge to regions in countries with modest and moderate innovation capacity and preparing local incubators, accelerators, and startup support organisations to effectively assist local startups. This equips them with the skills and competencies to support and scale companies innovating in healthcare.
With a limited amount of investment, we are able to make a significant impact and provide appropriate support to hundreds of startups, thus contributing significantly to the development of these regions’ innovation capacity.
We are establishing an international network of interconnected healthcare accelerators that use the same methodology to share knowledge and best practices.
This allows us to target healthcare startups effectively and uncover the most innovative solutions.
During the programme 12 innovation ecosystem leaders were trained from 6 countries (Croatia, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia)
A further 16 ecosystem leaders were supported in their efforts to implement their local start-up support programmes in 3 countries (Italy, Lithuania, Romania) and 5 regions (Trento, Kaunas, Vilnius, Iasi, and Cluj Napoca)
81 start-ups and teams were supported in their entrepreneurial journey.
Electrical Distributors’ Association – EDA Product Knowledge Modules
As the world moves to electrification, the products traded are increasingly high-tech: electricians/contractors expect wholesalers to have comprehensive product knowledge and be up-to-date on standards and legislation. Well trained staff can better interpret customer needs, helping select the right solution for projects.
This is why the Electrical Distributors’ Association (EDA) offers a comprehensive training programme for its member wholesalers and affiliate manufacturer businesses. Central to this programme is a suite of 12 bespoke Product Knowledge Modules. These City & Guilds Accredited modules, created over a 2-year period by harnessing the expertise of professionals in the sector who volunteered their time, offer technical training in the products traded along the supply chain.
With 8,000+ training modules sold to date, the suite has recently been transformed from textbooks to vibrant e-learning experiences, brought to life through 1,500+ videos and interactive learning experiences. Learners study at their own pace around work/home commitments, accessing training on PCs/tablets/smart phones, via The EDA Academy Learning Management System – which is fast becoming a hub for training in our sector.
89% of commissioning managers rate the training as Good or Very Good, and the e-learning option is even better value: e-modules are 30% cheaper than printed textbooks.
Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine – DPM Training Programme
The DPM Training Programme exists to support candidates’ preparation for the Diploma in Pharmaceutical Medicine exam.
Sitting the DPM is a challenging prospect, and candidates typically choose to take a training course to prepare them for the content and structure of the exam.
Until 2019 external organisations, including ‘Boyds Training’, delivered courses and these were conducted face-to-face. In early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic meant that delivery had to pivot online, and to support this, Boyds and FPM pooled resources to co-deliver the modules via live Zoom sessions. Following this successful pilot, FPM and Boyds convened the course again in 2021 in the same format.
In 2022, FPM and Boyds realised that the current offering was not a viable long-term solution. Mandatory live sessions were anachronistic, and learners expected on-demand remote tuition, something that Boyds couldn’t provide. So, they transferred ownership of the course materials to FPM which enabled them to redesign the programme for on-demand delivery using a bespoke learning management system (FPM Learning Hub). Now in it’s second year, the DPM Training Programme is already an acclaimed educational product that has helped examination candidates reach their potential whilst delivering a very high ROI for FPM.
Independent Publishers Guild – IPG training in Artificial Intelligence in publishing
The IPG is the UK’s largest association of publishers, providing 600+ members with resources and events that are all underpinned by professional development. Our provision includes a popular mentoring scheme, CPD-accredited workshops and the IPG Skills Hub, a free portal for training and guidance.
Our expertise in publishing-specific learning positions us well to give rapid support on big issues in our industry—like the challenges and opportunities brought by Artificial Intelligence. We identified an urgent need for training in this area and swiftly created the first ever AI-related, CPD-accredited package dedicated to the needs of publishers.
After surveying members’ priorities and recruiting an outstanding partner, publishing and technology expert George Walkley, we devised a one-day course with an overview of AI and its issues, examples of good practice and hands-on exercises. We delivered it in three formats—in-person and online plus bespoke in-company days—and retained ownership of the intellectual property to maximise commercial benefits and control use. Training days have sold out and more than 450 individuals have attended so far. Revenue has tripled forecasts and more days and related courses are planned. The training has benefited our members commercially and cemented our reputation as a professional development leader.
International Institute of Nutrition and Health – IINH and D2L advance wellness learning
The International Institute of Nutrition and Health (IINH) provides globally accredited awards and continuing professional development to wellness professionals in around 40 countries.
Training is an important part of the mission at IINH, and it has a rich and well-established online learning presence and content. In 2023/24, IINH set itself four learning programme objectives to enhance efficiency, learner reach and the learner and educator experience. It achieved this by launching an online alumni space, expanding its portfolio of short courses and webinars, implementing rubrics and Zoom integration, and introducing new features including online drop-in sessions. The result is a more cohesive online learning experience, transparency of assessments for learners, less administration for assessors, an active alumni community, and opportunities for members to interact, request help and receive support.
