Businesses across metropolitan and regional Western Australia impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic can now access tailored mentoring, coaching and support services to help them rebuild capacities, capability and improve diversity as part of Fast Forward WA — a new initiative backed by National Energy Resources Australia (NERA), the Western Australian Government and leading business organisations.
Fast Forward WA is a free-to-attend program tailored to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that provide services and products to the State’s essential mining, oil and gas, agriculture and technology sectors.
The program has been designed to embed new skills and techniques to help each business adapt to post-COVID-19 conditions by targeting cash flow and liquidity management, digital marketing and strategic tactics for new sales, followed by leadership development and practical, cost-effective ways to unlock capacity.
Interested businesses can apply now to take part in Fast Forward WA, with activities split into two streams:
Open Workshop Series
Held virtually, the Open Workshops will provide free, pragmatic training on topics essential for SMEs to recover, lead and grow through the COVID-19 recovery market.
Any business that registers can attend all or any of the workshops, which will be run from 21 August to 2 November 2020 and consist of six training workshops followed by Q&A, via virtual online delivery. Participants can either register online here for all sessions or for selected sessions.
Extended Mentoring Program
The Program is offered free of charge via an application and selection process (only 30 spots available), and is tailored for B2B in industrial sectors like manufacturing companies, providers of services or products to the oil and gas, mining, agriculture, transport, defence, healthcare or technology.
The Program will provide group coaching, specialist mentoring, access to a mental health and safety training portal, and an invitation to a catered networking event in Perth. Companies also get access to the Tap into Safety online mental health and learning platform. Applications close 1 September. Apply here.
With support from NERA and the State Government’s New Industries Fund, businesses across WA’s regional communities also have access to these critical support services through a companion program: Regional Reboot.
Regional Reboot will provide business resilience workshops across regional centres in WA and mentoring sessions for 20 selected business as part of a customised business reboot program.
NERA CEO Miranda Taylor said an industry-led recovery from COVID-19 must include support measures that assist SMEs rebuild business resilience, adapt to disrupted market conditions and embrace technology opportunities that can unlock productivity improvements and create jobs.
“WA is home to world-class innovative small businesses, including many who provide products and solutions to our critical energy resources sector. We encourage all of these SMEs, particularly those in our State’s regional centres who have been impacted by COVID-19, to apply for this Program and leverage the support on offer to optimise their businesses and create significant flow-on effects throughout our State,” Ms Taylor said.
Fast Forward WA is also helping to build broader business resilience across WA by showcasing a free and online database of videos, tools, links and contacts to help all small businesses access available support, including where to look for government assistance (State and Federal), how to complete grant applications and other services.
For more information and to register for the free support, please visit www.fastforwardwa.com.au.
