Successful business owner returns to school to improve management skills
A SUCCESSFUL Birmingham business owner is heading back to school in an effort to improve her management skills.
Michaela Powell founded Aspire People, a supply teacher and education recruitment company, in 2004. What started out as a one-woman operation in an attic has grown into a business employing 45 staff working with more than 2,000 education professionals each year, across every local authority in the region.
Despite this success, Ms Powell is refusing to rest on her laurels and is set to embark on an MSc in Leadership and Organisational Performance at Birmingham City Business School, a work-based degree that will allow her to fulfil her role as managing director whilst completing various business modules.
After putting two members of staff through Master’s programmes at the university, she decided to look at ways to expand her own skill set.
Speaking of the degree, which is the first of its kind in the region, she said: “This is the first programme I’ve found that allows me to focus on my own personal development, without compromising my position in the company.
“It’s so easy for business leaders to become complacent when your company is successful, so taking time out to think strategically is important. Working in recruitment, I recognise that business needs are constantly changing, so embarking on training to keep my skills relevant is imperative.”
Martin Reynolds, head of Centre for Leadership and Management at Birmingham City Business School, said: “Our new Master’s is perfect for people like Michaela, who have already built an esteemed business but want to learn new skills that will assist with its future development.
“The programme is unique in that it encourages our students to take a fresh approach to business leadership, without dragging them away from the workplace – where we know they need to be.”
