When The Employable heard that founding BBC Dragon and School for Startups founder Doug Richard was working with the Government on Free business bootcamps all over the UK, we thought this was a story TheEmployable would love to hear about….

Looking to inspire Britain’s small businesses to focus on growth and new job creation through better exploitation of the internet; check out the story below and see if the regional Bootcamps would be worthwhile to you and your business.

Doug says: “2012 is set to be one of the toughest economic environments in recent history – and my goal is to persuade Britain’s small businesses that your country really does need you, as our economy depends on the survival of our small businesses. So this is my Lord Kitchener moment. Young businesses are the wealth and job creators that will haul us out of this recession, but in order for them to survive, they must use the internet as their lifeline. It gives businesses the potential to become global in just a few clicks.”

Through his School for Startups, Doug is teaming up with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) to teach web exploitation skills to 3,500 SMEs across England through the new Web Fuelled Businessinitiative that starts this month.

About the initiative, Doug says: “The Web Fuelled Business is not just about selling online. It includes aspects such as driving marketing through social media, increasing website exposure through search engine optimisation and procuring and enhancing supply chains through business-to-business websites. More effective web use can help boost productivity and growth potential and assist in creating and safeguarding jobs.”

About the initiative, the Prime Minister David Cameron said: “We’re getting behind schemes like the fantastic Web Fuelled Business that’s launching today with workshops for 3,500 businesses all over the country to get them online.”

The three-month pilot programme, co-funded by BIS, will commence this month on 17 January 2012 with a full-day bootcamp in Manchester.  Around the country there will be a total of 12 full-day bootcamps, with web-broadcasts and support for the businesses as they apply the skills they have learnt within their individual businesses. Please find the locations below:

Manchester Tuesday 17th January, Nottingham Wednesday 18th January,  Birmingham Thursday 19th January, Torquay Tuesday 7th February, Norwich Thursday 9th February, Portsmouth Tuesday 28th February, Bristol Wednesday 29th February, Reading Thursday 1st March, Leeds Wednesday 21st March, Liverpool Tuesday 20th March, Newcastle Thursday 22nd March

Check out the website webfuelledbusiness for more information and how to apply….