The Judge Institute of Management Studies, Cambridge University's business school, has launched a new course for senior staff in community-based regeneration organisations.

The Judge Institute of Management Studies, Cambridge University's business school, has launched a new course for senior staff in community-based regeneration organisations.

Such organisations are playing an increasingly important role in the fight against poverty and social exclusion. They combine social aims - such as job creation and provision of local services - with a commercial ethos, operating as self-sufficient businesses. The sector is growing rapidly, supported by government regeneration programmes such as the Single Regeneration Budget.

The MSt in Community Enterprise will cover the political and social context of community regeneration but its main focus will be on management skills. As the sector develops, the need for a professional approach to management has become apparent. Community enterprise organisations are often led by strong personalities who possess enormous enthusiasm and commitment for their work but often lack formal training in the business skills needed to run high-risk enterprises. Until now there has been no course which is geared specifically to their needs.

The new part-time course will run over two years. In their first year students will develop their knowledge base in a range of areas, such as human resources, finance and project management. In the second year they will work on in-depth projects which relate to their own organisations and communities. It is hoped that these projects will increase the research base of the sector and help to identify best practice in the sector.

The course has been set up in response to a request by the Development Trusts Association. Eileen Rubery, the Course Director, believes that it represents an important step in the professionalisation of the community enterprise sector: "This is a great opportunity to develop a demanding and rigorous programme, which will illuminate practice in an exciting and rapidly growing area."

Sandra Dawson, Director of the Judge Institute, is also excited about the course: "This new initiative provides wonderful links between entrepreneurship and strategic leadership in the not-for-profit sectors - two areas in which we are already strongly involved."

Further information
For further information about the course, contact the Community Enterprise Office:


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