Business Empowerment Scholarships

Resilience

What: Resilience awareness and practical tools

What will you learn:  This series of workshops will strengthen your Mental Fitness, by understanding what makes you resilient and which practical tools can help you stop feeling stressed and back in control of your life, in order to feel more resilient, happy, stress free and working to your best mental abilities.  You will be more effective at work, having better working relationships and feeling happier. Over the 3 sessions you will learn about:

• how your mind works (Saboteur to Success)

• understanding who are your inner critics

• what does resilience mean for you

• ABC resilience plan

• coping strategies

• practical PQ tools to build your daily mental muscles

Who is this suitable for / criteria:  This is especially for anyone who currently feels a bit overwhelmed or stressed at work, and is looking for tips to help them feel less anxious and cope better. This is for people who have had no training in this area.

Where:  Online, interactive

How Long:  3 x 90 minute course, with some pre-reading required before each session. Plus the suggestion of short daily practices to help create new mental fitness habits. You need to spend time away from this thinking about the material, what it means, and trying the support exercises to allow you to get the most from this.

When: Once a week, for 3 weeks.  Confirmed dates: Monday 2nd March, Monday 9th March, Monday 16th March 2026 (1.30pm to 3.00pm). Please don’t apply if you can’t make these dates.

Structure: These workshops are created and taught by an experienced leadership trainer and Mental Fitness Coach.  Ahead of the session, you will be invited to a private learning platform where you will get access to the weekly materials. There will be pre-reading and videos to watch that must be done ahead of each session, this will take between 30 – 60 minutes. There will be no need to print anything off.  The weekly live sessions will be online via Zoom and will be interactive with you being expected to contribute your thoughts and ideas.  You require access to a laptop/tablet with a camera and microphone so you can be seen and heard, and a quiet place to take part where you won't be interrupted.

Number of scholarships: 1 group of 25 (max)

Tell us:   Why do you want to do this scholarship?  How do you hope this scholarship will help you?

People Management - Supervisory level

This is the same Tourism and Hospitality Talent Development Programme Supervisory course that we ran in 2022

What:  This course will introduce you to foundational concepts and practical skills and techniques to help you manage change, make better choices and decisions, delegate effectively and manage performance within your team.

What you will learn:  The content has been designed to provide new skills, insights, tools and techniques to allow you to get the best performance from yourself and the rest of your team.  You will learn to:

• Appreciate the mindset and qualities required to move forward in your first supervisory/team leader position

• Recognise your own management style, qualities and strengths whilst improving your confidence when managing people

• Build resilience and inspire trust in yourself and your team

• Explore and create a culture where everyone thrives

• Improve your own productivity and master how to get results through others

• Improve your problem solving and decision-making skills

• Provide effective and actively seek feedback

• Embrace change and support others through the transition.

As part of this programme, your Line Manager is required for a one-to-one weekly meeting with you over the 6 weeks to help you implement a learning each week.

Who is this suitable for / criteria:  This is a junior level position. It is for those who have had no ‘people management’ training.  Participants will be new team leaders or supervisors who want to build confidence and develop their management style. Also suitable for those who are about to take that first step into supervising a team.

Where:  Online (the sessions are live and interactive)

How long:  6 x 4 hour sessions, 9.15am to 1.15pm (you must be available to take part in the whole session, so you must be ready to start at 9.15am and be available until 1.15pm).

When:  Feb/March/April 2026, this will be once a week for 6 weeks.  It will be the same day and same time each week, to allow the business to schedule time for you to do this course.  You must take part in all 6 sessions. This will be on at Tuesday.

Starts Tuesday 24/02/26, 03/03/26, 10/03/26, 17/03/26, 24/03/26, finishes 31/03/26.

Structure:  This course has been created for us and is taught by experienced training company We Are Extraordinary (Training) Ltd.  The weekly live sessions will be via an online learning platform called GiraffePad, and will be interactive with you being expected to contribute your thoughts and ideas.  The trainer will talk through the material, and there will be break-out rooms where you will discuss things. You require access to a laptop/tablet with a camera and microphone so you can be seen and heard, and a quiet space to take part.  This is a series of modules that builds on each other.  This is all live but online, if that is not a suitable learning environment for you, then this is not for you.

Number of scholarships:  1 group of 25 max

PLEASE NOTE - if doing this kind of training virtually, rather than in person, is not a good way of learning for you, please do not apply for this scholarship. The sessions are live and you are expected to be available and concentrate for the whole session. This is not something that works for everyone. Doing this course online allows us to offer places to a mix of businesses across Scotland, without having to worry about travel time, so this is very useful for us.

Tell us:   Tell us about your experience so far as a supervisor/manager, what your current role involves, and how many people you currently manage (if you do!).  If you are not yet in a supervisory role but are hoping to get one soon, and tell us about your hopes for your career.  Tell us why and how you think this will help you and your business.

People Management - Management level

What:   The purpose of these work-sessions is to enable managers to get the best performance from themselves and the rest of their team by gaining new insights, skills, tools and techniques needed to help them feel more confident, motivated and self-assured.

What you will learn:  We will share proven strategies to help you shift your mindset from manager to leader, focusing specifically on communicating your vision, goal setting and achievement, clarifying expectations, planning and prioritising, constructive feedback and how to inspire yourself and others.  You will learn to:

• Clarify what leadership means, to you and others

• Appreciate your own leadership style, qualities and strengths and adopt a leadership mindset

• Build resilience and inspire trust in yourself and your team

• Explore bias and identify ways to raise awareness and manage unconscious bias in the workplace

• Influence others, improve communication and manage up effectively

• Cultivate a culture that opens up conversations and develops capabilities

• Adapt a coaching mindset and techniques and understand the importance of feedback

• Influence others, improve communication and manage up effectively

• Embrace change and support others through the transition

As part of this programme, your Line Manager is required to help you identify one project that you will assume responsibility for over the 6 weeks which you will share a short presentation on in the final session.

Who is this suitable for / criteria:   This is likely to be junior to middle management level. Participants will ideally already be managing a team, or have previous experience of managing a team. It is for those who are looking to enhance the performance of their people and move them, and themself, from good to great. For those moving from being a functional expert to leading people for the first time, you will want to find ways to motivate, engage, coach and have conversations that matter.

Where:  Online (the sessions are live and interactive)

How long:  6 x 4 hour sessions, 9.15am to 1.15pm (you must be available to take part in the whole session, so you must be ready to start at 9.15am and be available until 1.15pm). 

When:  Feb/March/April 2026, this will be once a week for 6 weeks.  It will be the same day and same time each week, to allow the business to schedule time for you to do this course.  You must take part in all 6 sessions. This will be on a Wednesday.

Starts Wednesday 25/02/26, 04/03/26, 11/03/26, 18/03/26, 25/03/26, finishes 01/04/26.

Structure:  This course has been created for us and is taught by experienced training company We Are Extraordinary (Training) Ltd.  The weekly live sessions will be via an online learning platform called GiraffePad, and will be interactive with you being expected to contribute your thoughts and ideas.  You require access to a laptop/tablet with a camera and microphone so you can be seen and heard, and a quiet space to take part.  This is a series of modules that builds on each other.  This is all live but online, if that is not a suitable learning environment for you, then this is not for you.

Number of scholarships:  1 group of 25 max

PLEASE NOTE - if doing this kind of training virtually, rather than in person, is not a good way of learning for you, please do not apply for this scholarship. The sessions are live and you are expected to be available and concentrate for the whole session. This is not something that works for everyone. Doing this course online allows us to offer places to a mix of businesses across Scotland, without having to worry about travel time, so this is very useful for us.

Tell us:  Tell us about your experience so far as a manager, what your current role involves, and how many people you currently manage.  Tell us what training you have had in people management so far.  Tell us why and how you think this will help you and your business.

Art of Leadership

What:  The Art of Leadership

What you will learn:  ‘The Art of Leadership’ helps managers understand how to go from managing a team, to leading a team.  It looks at leadership theory and behaviour, putting the theory into practice, with various methods for building relationships for successful business results through effective communication. It looks at leadership competencies and the essential role of HRD in times of crisis, critical leadership skills, your leadership style and how to adapt it to suit a situation.  It looks at coaching and how to lead a successful team.  The participants will have an opportunity to develop their own personal action plan.  This course also lets you experience how hospitality is taught in this world renowned hotel management business school, and is great for networking with the other scholars.

Who this is suitable for / criteria:  This is aimed at middle managers and HODs who already have experience managing others and have completed some training in people management, who are confident in their ability to get the best performance from themselves and the rest of their team.  You will have been in a middle management position for at least 2 years.  You must have a team responsibility so you can put the learnings into practice.  This is suitable for people who wish to move into a more senior role as a leader.

Where:  EHL Hospitality Business School, Lausanne (EHL), Switzerland.

How long:  2 day course, you are away for 3 nights 4 days, and stay in Lausanne.

When:  April/May 2026 (exact dates TBC)

Structure:  This course has been designed by EHL Advisory Services, the consulting arm of EHL, especially for our HIT Scotland group, and is facilitated at the EHL campus in Lausanne, Switzerland.  This is an interactive programme, with facilitation methods that offer real life examples and industry good practice filled with discussions and group presentations.  Participants will all be encouraged to practise giving and receiving feedback during the sessions. There is group homework on day one, where you will be expected to read a case study and prepare a presentation for the next day, this is done after class. At the end of the session, participants will take away key leadership skills and practices to navigate in their work environments and add value to their organisations.

Number of scholarships: 1 group of 16 max

Tell us:  Tell us about your experience and training as a manager, especially within the area of people management, what courses have you done and what have you learned?  Tell us how long you have been a manager at this level, what your current role involves, and how many people you currently manage.  Tell us why and how you think this will help you and your business, and your plans for your career.