The Weatherhead School of Management has announced that its executive education unit has formed a unique partnership with the Council of Smaller Enterprises (COSE), the small business division of the Greater Cleveland Growth Association.

Intended to help close the gap between management education and local business practices, the partnership provides COSE members with access to more than 40 of Weatherhead's world-class executive education and professional development leadership seminars at a 20 percent discount.

According to Mohsen Anvari, Weatherhead's dean, the partnership will help to facilitate the school's ability to share its expertise with the vital growing businesses served by COSE.

"As part of our mission, we are committed to developing transformational ideas and outstanding leaders," said Anvari. "It is also our responsibility to respond to the needs of the local market by making this programming available beyond the larger corporate sector."

Anvari said that although Weatherhead's executive education seminars have generally been attended by managers at larger corporations, the new partnership with COSE "expands those offerings to growing companies that can benefit from management and leadership development."

COSE Executive Director Steve Millard said the partnership is a unique and exciting opportunity for COSE members and their employees.

"To have access to these world-class programs at a discounted rate is an exceptional benefit for COSE members," he said. "COSE recently formed partnerships with a number of Northeast Ohio colleges and universities, furthering our mission of serving the education and training needs of small business."

In terms of focus, Weatherhead said that various programs will cover the most prominent issues in business today, as well as basic business fundamentals critical to growing businesses. For example, "Enhancing Enterprise Value in Challenging Times" on December 12 is a course devoted to learning the keys to successful leadership in the challenging times defined by Enron, WorldCom, ImClone and a down economy.