PEABODY —The Peabody Area Chamber of Commerce (PACC) has a new program designed to bring more educational courses and programs to members and its employees.
It’s called the Chamber’s {GROWTH} University, a series of virtual presentations that run from three to eight weeks, focusing on a variety of topics designed to improve business.
PACC President Deanne Healey said the initiative came about as a result of members’ inquiries to the chamber requesting additional training and education opportunities.
“We started hearing from our members about more specific training,” said Healey. “We picked a wide variety of topics with a mix of some new things and some things, like Destination Creation, that we had success with a couple of years ago, so we are hopeful that it appeals to a wide range of businesses.”
Healey also touted that members can choose to take individual courses of their own choosing.
“It’s not just a one-and-done experience and the added bonus is for most businesses, it won’t cost anything because there are grants,” she said.
The series begins May 2 with Social Media Marketing presented by Robin Samora. The six-week program promises to take your social media to a higher level to outshine your competitors.
Destination Creation, presented by Jon Schallert, begins July 10. The eight-week program will turn your business into one that is consistently preferred over the competition.
Beginning Sept. 5, Leadership & Culture, presented by James DesRosiers, will teach you the art and science of obtaining results to create a work environment where employees consistently give their best effort and total commitment. The program runs for four weeks.
Outbound Community Sales & Marketing, also presented by DesRosiers, begins Oct. 3. The four-week program will help attendees optimize sales and profit by identifying ways of attracting new customers and retaining existing customers.
The final program in the series is Goal Setting and Time Management which begins Dec. 5. The three-week program will help businesses prepare for 2024 with a plan that will drive their daily activity and achieve greater results.
All classes are virtual. The cost is $3,000 per course for each employee, but many Massachusetts businesses are eligible for financial assistance through the Workforce Training Fund Express grant program, provided they are in good standing with the Commonwealth.
Qualifying organizations with 100 or fewer employees will receive 100 percent reimbursement, while those with more than 100 employees will receive 50 percent reimbursement.
The Express program provides employers with fast, simple access to grant-funded training, helping them to respond to emergency needs. It is designed to help businesses respond quickly to change, and keep employees engaged.
“We felt not only will this program give our members added opportunities to learn, but to be able to offer the grant assistance that comes with it is an added benefit,” said Healey. “A lot of times businesses get overwhelmed with the state grant process, so being able to be walked through the process is ideal. Most small businesses are eligible for the grant, as it’s a benefit from paying into the unemployment tax fund, so it really is a win all the way around.”
Healey said the chamber is hoping for 15-20 people per session, but is prepared to accommodate larger numbers. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. There is no limit on the number of employees who can be enrolled in any of the sessions.
“With it being Zoom, we can always scale it up if need be, but coming out of the gate, we were trying to be conservative,” Healey said.
Full course details, dates, times, and grant guidelines are available at www.peabodychamber.com.
