Nursing a career in management
When Sally Brown decided to pursue further study, she was looking for a programme that could be completed quickly, and arm her with the skills and knowledge applicable to her current role as Café, Design and Marketing Manager at Blueskin Nurseries and Cafe in Waitati.
What she found was Xcellerate; a programme delivered in collaboration between Otago Polytechnic and the Otago Chamber of Commerce, which recognises your existing skills and knowledge, and allows you to achieve a qualification in an accelerated timeframe.
"I’m involved in our family business and there is a large variation in my work. I manage the café, work in the Garden Centre, and I’m also a landscape architect, so I was looking to improve my business management skills across many areas."
Sally completed the Diploma in Business Management over just nine sessions. "The interaction with the group was great, and hearing the stories and discussing how to overcome problems was where I learnt the most. The guest speakers in the modules were fantastic, giving examples, experiences and very sound advice.
"It has given me the confidence in applying the concepts learnt in my business planning and management. I definitely recommend it to others working who want to advance themselves in business management."