AIIA & Govt work to build ICT billionaires

Stan Beer
Monday, 22 May 2006 20:16

IT Industry - Market

ICT business professionals with the potential and determination to grow their business from one million dollars to one billion graduated at the Macquarie Graduate School of Management on Saturday. At least that's what the AIIA  believes after they completed the industry association's year long ‘Developing Business Skills for ICT Entrepreneurs’ program.

The program is an Australian Government funded service under the Small Business Enterprise Culture Program. The aim of the ‘Developing Business Skills for ICT Entrepreneurs’ program is to enable emerging entrepreneurs to acquire the business skills that are needed to establish their companies as long-term, thriving and profitable organisations.

Rob Durie, Chief Executive Officer of AIIA says, “The Australian ICT industry plays a significant role in Australia’s economy, contributing 4.6% of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product, which is larger than agriculture, fisheries, defence and education and almost as large as mining.

“As a result, it is important that programs such as this exist in order to encourage the innovation, professionalism and business skills needed to ensure the Australian ICT industry continues to grow in size and economic contribution on both a local and international scale.”

The course has been designed specifically for business owners and managers of established ICT companies with less than 20 employees and who see great potential in expanding their operations from less than 20 people to more than 200 in the next five years.

The program involves three key elements - training, mentoring and business relationship development and requires participants to attend four residential workshops over a year, each one 3 days long. The workshops comprise coursework, class room discussion and case study sessions.

Participants also undertook monthly sessions with an assigned mentor and a small group of fellow local program participants. These sessions provided the opportunity to review their businesses and discuss the application of their learning through the development and implementation of business action plans.

The AIIA is now looking to develop ways in which the program can be continued in future.