It’s not just about the technical at The Plato Project.
The Plato Project is a new Melbourne-based business school that delivers tailored programs to entrepreneurial businesspeople and business owners looking for a modern approach to business management.
Launched in late 2016, the school offers a dynamic syllabus that covers technical skills, personal development, mindfulness, leadership and numerous other areas that contribute to business success.
“In the modern world, in order to [achieve success] it’s important to pay attention to both mindset and capabilities,” says Omar de Silva, the school’s co-founder and CEO. “This is something that the traditional universities don’t really focus on.
“We set-out to create a broard curriculum that not only covers the nuts and bolts of business, but one that also helps students find balanced success around purposeful business, meaningful work and personal growth.”
Recent market trends show that more and more people are taking this approach in business. A 2016 Deloitte study showed that young professionals are increasingly choosing organisations that share their personal values over those that don’t. And international research shows that businesses that put resources into reaching goals that aren’t measured by financial metrics are outperforming their peers.
“In our early market research we found that university dropout rates were as high as 50 per cent in some programs, which suggested to us that there was a disconnect between what students were expecting and what they were getting,” says de Silva.
“In creating our program we took on board this research as a way to connect students, industry and education.”
Current programs on offer at The Plato Project include Starting a Start-up; Mindful Leadership; Business Growth; Product Development; Self-Awareness and Resilience; New Customer Experience Design; and Innovation Strategy. These have all been curated with the help of industry-leading organisations to ensure real-world relevance.
What also makes The Plato Project different to many other education providers is its tailored approach.
“We don’t believe in one size fits all,” says de Silva. “Rather than being forced into a set curriculum, such as a typical MBA, we allow students to pick and choose those programs or units that are most relevant to them.”
“To make that process as valuable as possible we encourage interested people to speak with our advisors to determine the capability gaps they need to close to have the best chance of achieving their respective personal and professional goals, before then designing a program schedule that will be best.”
During their study, students can learn directly from industry leaders including PwC, M&C Saatchi and REA Group as well as guest presenters.
The Plato Project also hosts a regular event series called The Dialogue. Past speakers have included Zingy co-founder Tobi Skovron, Startup Victoria CEO Georgia Beattie, and Finch App founder Shahirah Gardner.
Find more information on The Plato Project here.
Broadsheet Media is a supporting partner of The Plato Project and has provided assistance with its curriculum development. In 2018, representatives of The Plato Project will be contributing regularly to Scout jobs to assist business owners and job hunters find balanced success.
