Northumbria
University students have praised a pioneering enterprise programme for giving
them the real-life learning experience and entrepreneurial skills to succeed in
business.
A survey
conducted by the university’s Business Clinic revealed that almost half (46%)
of its students rated themselves as having the highest level of entrepreneurial
mindset skills, compared to just 14% at the start of the course. Almost nine
out of ten (86%) rated themselves in the top two categories (level four or
five).
Three out
of four students said they had developed the highest level of teamworking
skills compared to 17% at the start, while 69% rated themselves as having first-class
communications skills (compared to 33% at the start).
The
students also said working with the Business Clinic helped them to develop
problem-solving, critical analysis, people management and project management
skills which would be useful in their careers. More than four in five (82%) rated themselves
in the top two categories for skills in innovation management and digital
technology, compared to 45% at the start of the module, while 64% said they had
developed top decision-making skills as a result of their time at the Business
Clinic.
A total of
240 students took part in the survey.
One of the
students, Ella Craggs, recently completed a Business Clinic project with Nexus to
work out ways of promoting the transport operator’s green credentials to
encourage more customers to use the Tyne and Wear Metro.
Ella, who led a team of students on the project, said: “It
was fantastic to gain such invaluable practical experience to complement our
academic studies; it looks great on our CVs and gives us the edge over our
peers when applying for a job. We had an excellent professional relationship with
Nexus. They were easy to work with and gave us some really positive feedback on
many of our ideas.
“At times it was challenging to keep to project deadlines
and timescales, but all four students on the project have complementary skills
so we made it work well.”
Nigel
Coates, founder of the Business Clinic at Northumbria University, said: “One of
our key objectives is to give students the necessary skills and real-world
experience to succeed in business and in life. They get the opportunity to showcase
their business acumen by working on live projects that add genuine value to organisations.
“Our
students are encouraged to develop an entrepreneurial mindset, which can help
them to either launch their own business venture or create a culture of
enterprise in the organisation that employs them. Our survey results show how
much they value our support and how useful it is as they embark on their chosen
careers.
The Business Clinic offers pro-bono consultancy support to
SMEs, multi-national organisations, charitable organisations, educational
trusts and social enterprises that operate across a wide range of sectors, both
in the North East of England as well as further afield in the UK and overseas.
Students work at the Business Clinic within their final year
of study, offering clients a full consultancy experience that takes in
activities as diverse as feasibility studies including finance, investment and
growth; HR including recruitment, retention and diversity; marketing including
branding and digital; business analytics; logistics and supply chain. The aim
of each project is to undertake research and make recommendations that will
benefit the organisation in the short and long term.
The Business Clinic is part of Northumbria’s Newcastle
Business School, which recently relaunched its entrepreneurship programme
following 10 years of excellence and experience in the field of enterprise.
The newly-designed programme follows a decade of supporting
hundreds of students in setting up their own businesses. In the past 10 years,
the business school has supported almost 200 students through its
entrepreneurial business programmes. This year’s graduates alone have created
32 businesses over the three-year programme, with 11 of those carrying on after
graduation. In their final year, these students turned over £150,000.
