Executive education: Career-boosting online trainings for individuals and companies

The British Chamber of Commerce | EU & Belgium has launched a new Academy offering training in English by a roster of highly qualified experts with international experience on a range of topics. Aimed at individuals and companies, the Academy was inaugurated on 12 March. It is running a full programme of online trainings specialised in immediately applicable skills.

During this unprecedented time, the British Chamber Academy’s online training is critical for its members who are dealing with an unfathomable economic situation, where extraordinary leadership is required, online meetings are unfamiliar and virtual negotiations are complex. The Academy’s instructors focus on best practice in these areas and engage the participants through two or three 1.5 hour online sessions.

It also guarantees participants exceptional networking opportunities with multiple training sessions designed to bring people together. “Gathering a group of like-minded people who are open to ideas, who are on the incline of their careers and interested in developing their skills and knowledge: the Chamber is uniquely positioned to do this,” says the Academy’s dean and professor, Dirk Daenen (pictured during a training session, below).

The academic and communications specialist has a wealth of experience in the sector. A Belgian national, Daenen was educated in English and is the former dean of UBI-Brussels business school, validated by Middlesex University in the UK and with campuses in Luxembourg and Shanghai.

Daenen underwent a life-changing experience while studying for an MBA, leading him to drop his IT consultancy and focus on intercultural communications. This change of career led to 16 years in academia and his founding of TEDxLuxembourgCity. The experience has deepened his conviction in executive education and the future of academies that focus on soft skills.

For the British Chamber Academy, “the medium- to long-term goal is to start an academically validated programme, working with a British university, that would offer master's degrees.”  In turn, the Academy brings added value to the British Chamber by providing its member companies with high-quality English-language training in applicable skills by vetted trainers, while also capitalising on the Chamber’s networking expertise.

In addition to individuals who may want to improve their skills, the Academy will help companies in need of in-house training. “There are many independent companies offering training in niche areas, but we take all the guesswork out of it and can provide excellent trainers with an international reputation,” says Daenen. “As a not-for-profit, the Chamber also keep costs very reasonable because the aim is not to make money; the aim is to provide a service to our members and bring more members to the Chamber who understand the value we offer them.”

Upcoming Academy training

All online training courses consist of two or three sessions of 1.5 hours each:

• 22 July: The Secrets of Networking and Managing Business Relationships
• 5 August: Public Speaking Workshop
• 17 August:  Advanced Excel for Everyone Workshop