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Helping people back into work, developing new workforce leaders, linking employers with graduate talent and addressing skills gaps have helped Â鶹´«Ã½ Leicester (Â鶹´«Ã½) reach the finals of this year’s Leicestershire Business Awards.

Â鶹´«Ã½ has been shortlisted five times in the 2024 awards, the area’s largest business awards which aim to celebrate the very best in business innovation and growth in the region.



Helen Donnellan, director of Research, Business and Innovation at Â鶹´«Ã½, said: “One of Â鶹´«Ã½’s core values is partnerships with purpose and it is incredibly rewarding to see our work with local businesses recognised in this way.

“To be shortlisted four times for these awards is a wonderful acknowledgement of our efforts to be a resource for the business community and make a meaningful impact.”

The shortlisted categories are:

Apprentice of the Year - James Colver, Caterpillar UK and Mariya Muleya, Leicester City Council. Both James and Mariya are on the Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship programme and were nominated by tutors Anne Marlow and Felicity Williams for their outstanding performance on the course, which aims to develop new leadership talent.

Excellence in Collaboration – Â鶹´«Ã½, Leicester City Council, Prince’s Trust and Futures for the Leicester Employment Hub project, which saw Â鶹´«Ã½'s business development team help more than 60 people back into employment across the city and county, raise awareness of available business support and make new links with SMEs.

Education and Business Partnership Award – Leicester Castle Business School for moving its Help to Grow training programme to Market Harborough and ACE Internships, run by Â鶹´«Ã½ Careers Team, have both been nominated.

ACE Internships saw 145 undergraduate students from Â鶹´«Ã½ from first year to final year complete six weeks' worth of paid internships with companies locally, regionally and nationally as well as within Â鶹´«Ã½ departments. "It has been incredibly popular with both employers and students," said Zul Muhammed, graduate success officer at Â鶹´«Ã½. "We had all kinds of businesses large and small and sectors from fashion and media to web development and accounting. It has had great feedback from employers and students, and we are excited to be shortlisted."

Â鶹´«Ã½'s Help to Grow: Management programme moved to Market Harborough after the area was identified in the Local Skills Improvement Plan as needing more support for SMEs.  So far more than 70 businesses have benefited, with Danny Buckley, subject lead for executive education at Â鶹´«Ã½, working alongside Harborough District Council, Market Harborough Chamber of Trade and Commerce and the EcoVillage in the town.

Dr Buckley said: “This nomination is deeply meaningful to me, as it reflects the success of our efforts to be a valuable resource for local businesses and the wider community. I strongly believe that universities should play a crucial role in making a positive societal impact, particularly within local business communities.

“Our partnership with Market Harborough has allowed us to bring essential educational programmes like Help to Grow: Management directly to small businesses, providing them with the tools they need to thrive.”

Finalists were announced last week by Chamber president Stuart Dawkins, who praised the “exceptionally high” standard of entries for this year.

He added: “The East Midlands business community is strong and when I see so many leaders, so much rising talent, apprentices, and innovative people all in one place, I’m reminded why the region is a Centre of Trading Excellence.   While announcing the finalists is exciting, it’s the sharing of ideas that means everyone at an event like this gains.”

The finals take place on November 8 at a ceremony held at The Venue, part of the Leicester Business Festival.

* If you are a business and would like to host an ACE Intern for six weeks in summer 2025, we'd like to hear from you. Please email aceinternships@dmu.ac.uk and let us know. The internships are fully funded by Â鶹´«Ã½.