Since its establishment over 44 years ago, the British Chamber of Commerce in Colombia (BritCham Colombia) has consistently evolved to meet the needs of its members, fostering robust trade relations between the United Kingdom and Colombia. A pivotal moment came in 2020 with the launch of a new 5-year strategic plan, which refocused the Chamber’s priorities. Key initiatives included strengthening relationships with international entities, relaunching BritCham’s Sustainability Awards, introducing BritCham Academy, and developing both outbound and inbound trade missions.

One of the pillars of this transformation is ‘BritCham Academy’, our flagship initiative that has

expanded and integrated our webinar and learning courses, sustainability awards and trade missions under one dynamic platform; BritCham Academy embodies our core values- member-centricity, education, inclusion, and sustainable development- and seeks to extend them both on the national and international scale to position Colombia as a prime exporter platform for the UK in Latin America.

BritCham Academy: A Model of Strategic Impact

In just two years, BritCham Academy has delivered high-quality, targeted training to more than 4,000 individuals from 1,000 companies across Colombia. This initiative reflects our commitment to strategic collaboration, accessible education, and social value creation.

The Academy delivers both specialised in-person and online offerings, ranging from short courses and webinars on topics such as digital project management and marketing, customer experience, strategic communications for leadership, and financial sustainability in rural economies. Furthermore, our five-month language courses focused on improving legal and business English proficiency are one of the benefits most valued by our corporate members.

These programmes are developed in collaboration with Colombia’s Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje (SENA) and leading universities, including Universidad del Rosario, Universidad EAN, and Universidad Externado, ensuring academic rigor and developing international standards with local relevance.

Commercialisation and Member Engagement

BritCham Academy is central to our member engagement and retention strategy as commercial vehicle. The programme is available exclusively to affiliated members, clearly demonstrating the value of membership and creating a compelling incentive to join. For many, the benefits and cost-savings accessed through the programme’s premium content either match or exceed the cost of annual membership- making affiliation not only valuable, but financially sound.

This targeted strategic approach has contributed significantly to a rise in both member acquisition and retention rates. By partnering with content providers and corporate members who finance these courses, we have enhanced the diversity of our offerings whilst maintaining cost-efficiency and delivering high impact. Our frequent collaborations with members, such as KPMG, Baker McKenzie, PwC, Baker Tilly, Oxford University Press, Cambridge University, MacMillan Education, AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, Haleon, Control Risks, amongst others, on high-value webinars and content exemplifies the Academy’s integrated, multi-stakeholder model. This co-creation model ensures that content is tailored to community needs, ascertained through feedback loops and regular questionnaires, fostering continuous member engagement. In short, the BritCham Academy has become a cornerstone of our commercial and operational sustainability.

Sustainability and Social Impact

The BritCham Academy also drives our commitment to sustainability. In November 2024, BritCham hosted the ‘BritCham Sustainability Awards’, a carbon-neutral event attended by over 400 participants, where the Academy provided educational programming and curated panel discussions. Over 15 businesses were recognised for sustainable innovation, and sessions featured prominent industry voices, helping to embed ESG principles across sectors.

This event also served as a launchpad for further ESG collaboration across the British Chambers of Commerce in Latin America and the Caribbean (BritLAC). Regular dialogue within this network has since been reactivated, allowing for cross-border knowledge sharing and deeper commercial ties.

Local Partnerships and International Missions

Collaboration is a key facet of BritCham Academy’s success. Our ‘Learn from the Masters’ segment brings C-suite leaders and senior executives into dialogue with our members, offering practical case studies that bridge academic theory with real-world application. Nationally, we work with Confecámaras (Colombia’s network of Chambers of Commerce), to expand our local reach and integrate British good practices into regional development efforts.

In September 2024, we organised a sector-specific mission to the UK, in collaboration with the British Embassy in Colombia and CAMACOL Bogotá. The mission immersed participants in the latest developments in the UK construction sector, including visits to landmark projects such as the Leadenhall

Building (Cheese Grater), King’s Cross Station, and the Elizabeth Line. The delegation engaged with experts from ARUP, AECOM, and Mott MacDonald, gaining deep insight into innovations in BIM, sustainable design, and public housing policy.

Another accomplishment of BritCham Academy was the organisation of UK Education Fair, where we had more than 26 British universities present and more than 600 visitors, being able to promote UK as a destination for language and high level studies.

These missions are promoted through the BritCham Academy network, expanding their reach and reinforcing their value as platforms for economic diplomacy, technical exchange and bilateral investment. Two additional trade missions to the United Kingdom, focused on the renewable energy and urban smart planning sectors, are planned for 2025, further expanding the Academy’s international footprint.

Conclusion

BritCham Colombia’s Academy is more than just a professional development programme; it is a strategic platform for social impact, economic empowerment, and global integration. Through the programme’s offerings in 2024, we have not only developed a multi-faceted, scalable initiative that promotes the global Chamber networks’ values, but redefined the value proposition of our Chamber membership, strengthened its internal and external networks, and demonstrated a replicable model of how Chambers can evolve to remain relevant in a global, digital, and sustainability-focused economy.