ICMIF member LocalTapiola’s Life Company has donated EUR 300,000 euros to enable entrepreneurs in Finland to develop their skills. The donation will enable an Academy of Entrepreneurs where people can update their skills free of charge. The Academy will be coordinated by Suomen Yrittäjät, a service organisation for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) of all types across Finland and their owners. Suomen Yrittäjät works to facilitate the improvement of conditions for entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship in Finland and Europe.
The Academy of Entrepreneurs will offer a new range of training options, courses and webinars tailored for entrepreneurs. Digitalisation and responsibility have been chosen as the main themes of the training package aimed at developing the skills of entrepreneurs and their staff. The two Academy coaches will help to find the right courses and trainings, among other things, and lead the workshops.
“Entrepreneurs can be confident that all the training available has been selected to ensure it is suitable for their needs,” says Eeva Salmenpohja, Director of Responsibility and Public Relations at LocalTapiola.
The training offer consists of online courses offered by Finnish polytechnics and universities, as well as courses offered by selected companies, such as Google. The trainings are free and open to everyone. The training programme also includes face-to-face training days where entrepreneurs can network and learn from each other. Training is available throughout 2022 and people can sign up at any time.
Time and money as barriers to competence development
According to a survey commissioned by Suomen Yrittäjät in November 2021, 70 per cent of entrepreneurs say that lack of time is the biggest obstacle for them being able to develop the competencies they need. The second most important reason is a lack of money.
“The coronavirus pandemic has changed the operating environment of many companies. Many entrepreneurs have had to reform their business to survive in the world before and after coronavirus. The Entrepreneurship Academy has been established to support these changes,” describes Mikael Pentikäinen, CEO of Suomen Yrittäjien.
Veikko Salonen, Director of Local Tapiola’s Corporate Banking, sees supporting the training provision of entrepreneurs in society as very important for Finnish companies to be able to survive the coronavirus pandemic.
“During the coronavirus period, we have seen the effects of changes in the business environment on companies and their people. Therefore, the opportunity to support the training and competence development of entrepreneurs in cooperation with Finnish Entrepreneurs is important to us as a life insurance company,” says Salonen.
