Ellie Greaves joined a Dagile course in February 2021. At the time, she was working within Housing Management at the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea as their Project Officer. Ellie chose to study Business Planning, a course from our Leadership & Management pathway. To celebrate International Women's Day #IWD2022, we wanted to share Ellie's learning experience with Dagile, which lead to her recent promotion as Implementation Lead.
Ellie joined us to share her story...
Hi Ellie, it's good to see you again after the course. Happy International Women's Day.
Hi Thomas, thanks for having me! Happy International Women's Day too.
I know you are super busy with your new job so let's jump right right in. Can I start by asking what made you choose the Business Planning course?
Sure, I was looking to up-skill and challenge myself. The Dagile platform seemed well established, agile and professional. The prestigious London University associations, expert lecturers and EU funded elements really appealed to me.
I was keen to understand the theory and learn about standard tools and frameworks that can be applied to business planning within public sector environments and organisations. I wanted to formalise and gain accreditation and further knowledge for practical experience I have gained from working for small-medium enterprises to take into the public sector and future work.
That's brilliant. What made you choose Dagile as your training provider?
The content is smart and clear and the assessment-based learning means you can really invest time into studying and then applying your learnings practically in an assessment. The course was funded which was also a key aspect to me applying as I had been budgeting during Covid.
We are glad you and many others are making the most of these funded courses through the European Social Fund.
How did you find the course and teaching?
The tutor [you] were very knowledgeable and personable with an impressive background. The pre-recorded lessons made it easy to study at my own pace, in my spare time. Also, it meant that there was no interruption due to Wifi dropping or other students questions. I really valued the feedback received after each assessment. The slides used during the lessons were clear and presented in an easy-to-understand format.
You are too kind. Did the training help you develop new ideas for your company, and did you get a chance to implement them?
Understanding different frameworks and tools has been very useful, I hope to apply them to future project work in professional and personal settings. The content was also relevant for current economic times specifically contingency planning.
Lastly, has the training enhanced your career progression?
Yes, the course has been my first step back into studying for 12+ years and I felt it was wise to start a short course on a digestible, flexible, online platform to gauge whether I would be able to dedicate the time needed. Applying myself and finalising the assessments was rewarding and completing the course has given me the confidence to become more mindful of my objectives and focus on my personal development. In recent months I applied to, and was successful for, a promotion within my department. I am now Implementation Lead within Housing Management at the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea, and I feel well equipped within my new role with an improved understanding of Business Planning.
Congratulations, that is is so great to hear. Did you have any final thoughts you wanted to share?
I just wanted to add, I found it very easy to get in touch with the team when needed, you were all helpful and friendly. I was also impressed with the new platform you recently launched.
Bless you , we are proud of the new platform too.
Thank you so much for your time today Ellie, and best of luck in your new post.
Thank you for inviting me along Thomas.
The purpose of the European Social Fund (ESF)
The ESF programme in England contributes to local growth by increasing labour market participation, promoting social inclusion and developing the skills of potential and existing workforces. The Dagile project offers free online digital skills and leadership training for people working or living in London - in particular, those from under-represented groups, with the aim of enhancing their career prospects.
About Business Planning
Dagile’s Business Planning qualification requires 21 study hours and is worth 3 OCN London Credits at Level 3. The unit will enhance your understanding of the key reasons why business planning is important. You will develop skills and insight to:
- analyse the effectiveness of planning for an organisation
- understand the process of developing strategies from a set of business objectives
- evaluate the effects of restraints on developing strategies.
