LINK Magazine Spring 2015 - Nottingham Trent University

Transcription

The magazine of Nottingham Business School • Spring 2015
Nottingham Business School
Nottingham Trent University
Burton Street
Nottingham NG1 4BU
Tel: +44 (0)115 848 4460
Email: [email protected]
Shifting the gears on your career
Find us at www.facebook.com/ntubusiness
Follow us at www.twitter.com/nbs_ntu
Driving you forward with industry knowledge
Check us out at www.flickr.com/nottinghambusinessschool
Search Nottingham Business School
This publication can be made available in alternative formats. Please note that whilst the University has taken all reasonable steps to ensure the accuracy of the content within this publication at the time
of printing, the University reserves the right to remove, vary or amend the content of the publication at any time. For avoidance of doubt, the information provided within the content of this publication is for
guidance purposes. © Nottingham Trent University and may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form in whole or in part without the prior written consent of Nottingham Trent University.
6423/04/15
PLUS - NBS employability resources
What is CPD?
Introducing the NBS Advisory Board
LINK
LINK
Welcome
Contributors
Contents
Nottingham Business School staff
Professor Baback Yazdani
Dean of Nottingham Business School
This edition of LINK is dedicated to career
enhancement.
We will also be reviewing our School’s great
achievements for the year, reflecting on some
of the exciting opportunities that you can get
involved with.
Nottingham Business School is internationally
recognised as the business school for business
impact and engagement, and everything we
do integrates theory and practice to improve
organisational performance. We do this through
the power of the knowledge we create, and the
education our students receive.
This results in greater success for the career
prospects and advancement of our students,
graduates and alumni.
We carefully shape and develop our courses
conjointly with accomplished professionals to
provide you with as much industry-relevant
knowledge and experience as possible. In this
We are an
award winning
business school
We have recently won the following:
Guardian University Awards 2015
Best Business Partnership Winner:
Nottingham Trent University
Teaching Excellence Winner:
Nottingham Trent University –
Dawn of the Unread
Welcome
edition of LINK, you can find out about some
of the additional things you can do to further
enhance your prospects of securing that dream job.
Graduate jobs are increasingly competitive,
so the more you do outside of your degree,
the more desirable you are to an employer.
This is why at Nottingham Business School
we encourage our students to improve their
employability by providing them with extensive
support and opportunities to develop essential
skills, understandings and personal attributes.
Outlined in this issue are some of the great
opportunities and support we have to offer.
I would also recommend visiting our dedicated
employability team (level 0 of Newton) to gain
a greater insight into how you can develop your
skills to succeed in your chosen field.
We hope this edition of LINK will leave you feeling
determined to achieve your very best in the
remainder of your studies.
Business bits
Alex Hiller
Baback Yazdani
Chris Crabot
Events calendar
Graduate market (cover story)
Harry Barton
Jon Sloper
Karen Slater
Fiona Winfield
Melanie Currie
Additional experience - CPD
The Nottingham Business School Thinkubator
Challenge® is a groundbreaking event
that provides local and national businesses
with access to free expertise to support
their growth. The last event took place on
Wednesday 19 November 2014 and involved
over 1,500 staff and students from across
the School working as consultancy groups on
business issues that had been submitted by
a range of companies.
The next Thinkubator Challenge will be
held on Wednesday 18 November 2015.
Keep an eye out for further details on how
to get involved!
www.thinkubatorchallenge.com
for more information.
Runner up: Nottingham Trent University –
SCALE UP
The Times Higher Education
Awards 2014
Outstanding Support for Students
Winner: Nottingham Trent University
02
Employability resources
2
4
6
7
8
Want to feature in this magazine?
Be a contributor
Why not start expanding your skill set by becoming a
contributor to LINK magazine? For more information
on how to get involved with the magazine email
[email protected]
Become a Course Rep!
If you’re interested in being a Course Rep
please contact [email protected]
or visit www.trentstudents.org/coursereps
Learning in the workplace
Alumni Fellowship
Introducing the NBS
Advisory Board
10
12
14
15
16
Short courses
18
IoD student membership
20
Postgraduate scholarships
22
Undergraduate24
Postgraduate
25
International
26
Corporate 28
Research 30
Summer School
03
LINK
BUSINESS BITS LINK
BUSINESS BITS
Business bits
Nottingham Trent University helps
celebrate women in business
Important news in bite-sized pieces
Knight Commander
Honour for Baz North
Alumnus Air Marshal Baz North (HND Business
Studies 1981) received the Knight Commander of
the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 2015 New Year’s
Honours List.
Air Marshal Sir Baz North said: “It is a rare privilege
to be recognised in such a way. Since 1815 there
have been only around 1,500 Knight Commanders
of the Order of the Bath; to be considered as one
of them is an exceptional honour and one that has
significant personal meaning.”
Our 2011 Alumnus of the Year, Air Marshal Sir
Baz North is the RAF’s Deputy Commander for
Capability and Personnel. His responsibilities cover:
the Air Training Corps, University Air Squadrons;
RAF regular and reserve recruitment; all RAF
training and flying and engineer training for the
MOD; career management of all RAF personnel;
implementation of all personnel policies; control of
all the RAF’s equipment programmes; oversight of
the RAF’s legal, religious, and health care services;
being the RAF’s diversity champion; provision of
retirement support to those leaving the service;
chair of the RAF’s central fund of non-public
monies; and numerous other roles.
He said: “In my role I have frequently used
accounting, legal, personnel and organisational
skills that are founded upon the comprehensive
business education that I received at Nottingham
Trent University in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Indeed, I would not have the understanding of
resource programming and commercial processes
that form a considerable part of my duty, without
that foundation.”
Nottingham Trent University partnered with The Nottingham Post to deliver
the Women in Business Awards 2014. The Women in Business Awards
acknowledge a variety of companies and celebrates the great achievements
of the lead female entrepreneurs within them. Zara Whysall, Senior Lecturer
at Nottingham Business School, had the pleasure of honouring Imogen
Skirving, owner of Langar Hall Country Hotel and Restaurant, with the lifetime
achievement award for achieving such commendable and exceptional success
in her business.
DLHE – Did you know?
All English universities must survey their graduates to find out what they are doing when they leave.
•The DLHE (Destination of Leavers from Higher Education) survey will be emailed to you approximately
three months after you graduate.
•The statistics we collect feed into the Key Information Set (KIS) data we’re obliged to put on our website.
Zara Whysall said: “This year’s awards ceremony was a huge success Nottingham Post’s largest awards ceremony to date. It’s a great testament to
the considerable amount of talent in Nottingham, and it was fantastic to see
this talent being recognised and their achievements celebrated.”
•We ask you what you are doing six months after graduation (for most students, this is January).
•At the last survey, over 90% of NBS graduates were working or studying six months after graduation.
• Over 70% of our graduates were continuing to study or were working in a
managerial or professional role.
Other winners at the awards, held at the Nottinghamshire Golf and Country
Club, include NKD Waxing for the Small Business of the Year Award; the
Apprentice of the Year Award went to Phoebe Gretton of Hairven Hair and
Beauty Salon in Gedling; and an employment law firm in Waverley Street,
Nottingham, owned by lawyer Ginny Hallam, was awarded the Best New
Business Award.
We need you to fill in the survey. Please don’t press delete!
NBS achieves four QS
Stars from Quacquarelli
Symonds
NTU is one of the
world’s top ‘green’
universities
Nottingham Business School has successfully
achieved four (4*) QS Stars from Quacquarelli
Symonds, in one of the world’s most visible
assessments of business school standards
and quality.
Once again we have reaffirmed our position as one
of the greenest universities following the publication
of two major sustainability rankings.
Developed from the QS Stars Universities
rating system, QS Stars Business Schools uses
a methodology designed to assess criteria of
particular relevance for institutes specialising
in business education.
The four stars (4*) that have been awarded
to Nottingham Business School acknowledge
the School as a highly international school
that demonstrates excellence in both research
and teaching.
In addition to the School’s overall four-star ranking,
NBS has also been awarded the full five stars (5*)
in five out of nine categories including:
•Facilities
•Internationalisation and diversity
•Teaching and student quality
•Engagement
•Programme strength.
The QS Stars Business Schools system offers
students, parents and stakeholders a detailed
comparative tool that focuses on an individual
institution’s excellence and achievement.
NTU came fourth out of more than 151 UK
institutions in the highly regarded People &
Planet University League 2015 - the UK’s only
comprehensive and independent green ranking
of universities.
The award came just days after the University
came third in the UI GreenMetric World University
Ranking out of 360 universities around the globe.
Sustainability is something which is taken seriously
here at NTU; these latest rankings add to a long
list of recognition awards, such as the Green Flags
at Brackenhurst and Clifton which acknowledge
our landscape and biodiversity management,
and the Catering Food for Life award for our
sustainable menus.
There were 21 awards presented to winners and runners-up at the ceremony.
Successful Doctorate of Business
Administration (DBA) re-launch
On Wednesday 4 February 2015, Nottingham Business School warmly
welcomed the latest cohort of Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA)
students. 12 students attended the first workshop, representing a number
of industries such as shipping, aviation, academia and telecommunications.
The cohort was truly international, as attendees travelled from a variety of
countries including Portugal, Ireland, Sudan, UAE, Israel and Oman. The students
are the first cohort to embark on the recently revalidated DBA course and were
clearly very enthusiastic about starting their DBA journey. Students will complete
four documents over a four-year period and there is now more emphasis
placed on the impact their work will have on their own personal development,
professional practice, academia and non-academic audiences. The welcome
reception provided students and supervisors with the opportunity to explore their
planned research and future joint outputs in a relaxed environment.
Over the past decade more than £350 million has
been spent improving our estates and reducing our
carbon footprint. Our first carbon-neutral building
at Clifton campus is set to open this year - the
Pavilion building currently being constructed will
replace the George Eliot building.
The highly insulated new building will generate
as much energy as it consumes through the
installation of over 350 solar panels on the roof.
Great strides have also been made with
embedding sustainability in teaching and learning.
Last year over 1000 students took part in an
optional Sustainability in Practice online course.
For further information and to get involved
visit www.ntu.ac.uk/ecoweb
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05
LINK
EMPLOYABILITY RESOURCES
EVENTS CALENDAR
Employability resources
LINK
Events calendar
Upcoming key events for your diary. These dates are not to be missed!
NOW NBS Employability
Learning Room
www.ntu.ac.uk/
Links to resources,
FutureHub
employability
events calendar,
news and updates.
www.ntu.ac.uk/in-place
Placement and internship
database (where these are
integral to your course).
@NTUYouFirstNBS
Daily updates on vacancies,
eventsFutureHub
and opportunities
specific to NBS students.
www.ntu.ac.uk/FutureHub
Jobs (internships, part-time,
volunteering, graduate jobs)
and employability events.
All students should register.
ntuyoufirstnbs.wordpress.com
www.ntu.ac.uk/
www.ntu.ac.uk/
Blog for NBS students anyone isFutureHub
welcome to submit an
article to us for consideration.
2015
April
14
Venturefest East Midlands
2015
East Midlands Conference Centre.
Networking event for innovators,
investors and entrepreneurs.
21
Placement Bonanza
(Visit FutureHub for more information).
NTU, Newton building.
The theme for the 2015
conference is ‘home’.
He had a long career at Accenture, holding
various leadership positions culminating
in a seven-year spell as Global Managing
Director, leading the firm’s human capital and
organisation consulting and services practice.
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Placement SOS
23
Nottingham Business
School Graduation 2:15 pm
After leaving Accenture in 2009 and before
joining the CIPD, Peter became Chairman of
the Institute of Leadership and Management,
was an Executive Fellow at London Business
School, and continued with some consulting
as well as teaching and writing.
9 am - 5 pm
(Visit FutureHub for more information).
10
Nottingham Business
School Postgraduate and
Professional Open Evening
Ross Huffen
Employability Adviser
Aliya Tanveer
Business Adviser
Katie Ray
Business Adviser
Fiona Winfield
Employability
Coordinator
The employability team are based on Level 0, Newton. For information or advice email [email protected] or call 0115 848 8638.
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Peter Cheese, Chief Executive CIPD
NTU’s Environment Team
are offering a free full day of
environmental auditor training.
22
Free IEMA Approved Green
Impact Audit Training
June
Marielle Treavis
Careers Consultant
July
Peter Cheese recently delivered a Business
Leaders Lecture at NTU. Speaking about his
experience within the Chartered Institute of
Personnel and Development, Peter is leading a
significant change agenda for the CIPD and for
the future of the HR and learning professions.
Newton building.
Becci Hubbard
Careers Consultant
Hollow Meadows, near Sheffield.
Meet potential employers
through fun activities from
an old school sports day to yoga,
craft, evening bands, BBQs and
outdoor cinema.
For more information visit
www.gradstock.co.uk
11-14
The 33rd Standing
Conference on
Organisational
Symbolism (SCOS)
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Placement and Graduate
Recruitment Fair 2015
The Employability Team:
12 -15
Gradstock
4 pm - 6pm Newton building.
(excluding the courses below).
24
Nottingham Business
School Graduation 10:45 am
(Postgraduate taught and
research courses, corporate
courses, undergraduate
Economics courses and
non-standard undergraduate
courses only).
All graduation ceremonies will take
place at the Royal Concert Hall,
Nottingham. Invitations will be sent
to students via email.
Peter is a member of the Advisory Board
of the Open University Business School, a
member of the Board at BPP University, and
a member of the Council of City and Guilds.
He has authored numerous articles, speaks on
many platforms, and has authored a book on
globalisation and the trends in organisations
and people management called The TalentPowered Organisation.
He holds an honorary doctorate from Kingston
University, is a Fellow of the CIPD, a Fellow
of the Australian HR Institute (AHRI), and a
Companion of the Institute of Leadership
and Management.
For further information on all our events please visit www.ntu.ac.uk/nbsevents or for employability events visit
the NBS employability calendar in NOW.
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COVER STORY LINK
COVER STORY
In June 2013 the CBI / Pearson report on education
and skills, ‘Changing the Pace’, highlighted that
“Having the right attitudes and aptitudes is by far
the most important consideration when recruiting
graduates. Nearly nine out of ten employers (88%)
value these above other factors such as degree
subject (67%) and degree class (48%)”.
Lecture series that has brought top business leaders
to our doorstep to talk about the issues of the day.
This is not to say that the content and the
achievement of the degree aren’t important.
It means that having a good degree is only a
qualifier for a graduate, and not sufficient in itself.
Having a positive, proactive attitude and being
able to manage yourself and your time, and
being resourceful make a great deal of difference.
NBS stands out amongst the business schools as
the business school for business, and the success of
our graduates is no happy accident or coincidence.
It is designed into everything we do for the future
of our graduates’ prospects.
residential courses or work; entrepreneurship projects;
opportunities to set up a business in The Hive; rafts
of business competitions; community projects; and
international exchange and study tours.
Of the more than 125 UK business schools in the
university sector and over 13,000 business schools
globally, NBS occupies a very distinctive position and
is internationally recognised as a business school
for business impact and engagement. In fact NBS’
mission is “to provide education and research that
combines academic excellence with impact upon
business and society” in order to enhance business
and organisations through knowledge and people.
None of this happens by accident. At NBS we know
that our graduates are competing with the best
graduates that universities in the UK and indeed
globally have to offer.
The reasons for this are simple: NBS graduates have
a ‘can do’ attitude and have invariably developed
their knowledge and skills not just in the classroom
but have practiced and applied them in reality, and
have learnt from that experience. This is because
all NBS courses design experiential learning into
the fabric of the course, modules and indeed the
university-level opportunities.
NBS teaching philosophy
The NBS teaching philosophy follows as an active
and experiential cycle, based on a virtuous cycle of
theory, practice, experience and observation, and
then reflection to improve. It is in the crucible of
actual experience that how to apply theory and
learn from it can be really honed as a skill.
by Professor Baback Yazdani, Dean of Nottingham Business School.
The span of experiential learning at NBS has been
developed over more than 35 years of our history
and includes sandwich placements; internships;
company projects; consultancy projects; company
Deeply rooted in NBS’ approach
Focus on student experience
Focus on student outcomes
We know that our graduates will be working in an
increasingly globalised working environment and
will have to know how to work in multinational,
multicultural and often multilingual teams and
companies. That’s why our academic team,
student body, courses and curriculum, experiential
opportunities, and overall environment is
internationalised.
NBS staff produce research that is of the highest
of international standards. We actively work with
major international bodies such as EFMD and
AACSB to ensure that our graduates get the best
research and education that the world has to offer
and indeed, every year academic and business
leaders from across the world come to NBS and
talk to our students about the latest thinking in the
business, management and economics world.
A good example is the International Professors’
Week, which brings top scholars from across the
world to talk to our students on important subjects
such as responsible and sustainable business.
Another good example is the Business Leaders
Experience
& Observe
Summative
Feedback
Teaching
Materials
Theory
Formative
Feedback
Reading
Materials
Seminar
s
Guest
Speakers
Practice
ks
Materials
rk
Wo
Company
Visits
Wo
r
up
Focus on embedded in module
and course design
Reflect
& Improve
Course
level
Lectures
Gro
08
In short NBS brings the classroom to life and
our graduates benefit from a range of experiences
that make them fitter and more capable than
their competitors.
Learning
It’s no accident that Nottingham Business School graduates do very well in the overall job markets, with 92% securing the jobs they wanted to
start their careers even in a tough economic environment. Not only do our graduates have the knowledge and skills, but they also have the positive
attitude that makes the crucial difference for success in business.
NBS experiential learning cycle
Module
level
Active and experiential learning cycle:
*
Every year we source and advertise some 800
well-paid graduate placements, over 100
international exchange opportunities and a
host of second year options for our students.
At postgraduate level, all our students apply
their knowledge in consultancy projects.
ho
ps
*92% of Nottingham Business School graduates are employed
or engaged in further study six months after graduating
(DLHE Survey, 2012-13).
Professional
Leaning
Log
Personalised
Support
NBS / NTU
level
Modules
Higher
Education
Library Learning
Materials
Student
Mentors
Professional
Membership
Consultancy
Projects
Work
Shadowing
Co
Placement
Internship
Capstone
Projects
Sustainability
Certificate
????
ns
titio
HIVE
er
mm ls
Su hoo
Sc
inary
Discipl tives
Cross
Elec
Alumni
Mentoring
e
mp
Exchange
Professional
Leaning
Log
ctures
Int
er
Pro natio
fs W nal
eek
The attributes that graduate employers look for
– particularly in business and management – are
designed into the work of NBS students from start
to finish, and pervade everything we do.
NBS graduates fair better in a competitive
graduate market
Business and related subjects are increasingly
popular for aspirant students applying to universities
in the UK, with around 70,000 business graduates
entering the job market on an annual basis in the
UK alone.
Special Le
LINK
Part Time
Work
Clubs and
Societies
Language
Learning
09
LINK ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE - CPD
What is CPD?
By Fiona Winfield,
Employability Coordinator,
ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE - CPD
Consultancy project –
Student interview
Course: MSc International Business
Company: Etnonautas
When NBS introduced the undergraduate Leadership and Employability module
in 2012 and the postgraduate Developing the Effective and Responsible
Practitioner module in 2014, rather than have a one size fits all module
insisting all students do a CV workshop, or attend a talk from IBM or Experian,
we decided to devote some of the contact hours to activities chosen by the
students themselves – depending on what they felt they needed to fill any gaps.
Please provide a brief description about your consultancy project brief:
These self-selecting events, developed into the continuing professional
development (CPD) of today, now extended to include all first and second years,
plus full-time taught master’s students. This is in line with many professionals
out in industry, who do CPD to keep up membership of their professional body.
If you’re a student member of the Institute of Directors, you’ll see that the
IoD routinely promotes CPD events to its director members.
Do you feel that the consultancy project benefited your studies?
What you select depends on what you think you need and your future plans.
These should be part of an overall personal action plan. We’re very flexible
and it’s up to you to select. We suggest you ask yourself whether the activity
in question will help you improve a relevant skill or achieve an NTU Graduate
Attribute. If it does, then go for it.
Where can I find out what’s on offer from the University?
We have a calendar with suggestions on the NBS Employability NOW
learning room and we tweet: @NTUYouFirstNBS. See also: @NTUYouFirst
and @nbs_ntu.
The Employability Team also offers a range of activities such as an
employability award, Acceler8; employability mentoring (usually from NTU
graduates); Institute of Directors’ student membership and the newly
introduced Bright Futures Society.
Meanwhile, The Hive (NTU’s centre for entrepreneurship and enterprise) is home
to NTU’s Enactus Team and also hosts Thirsty Thursday networking evenings
with speakers and other exciting events. There’s also an entrepreneurs club.
Do I have to book?
That depends on the event. Employability events are usually bookable via
FutureHub. Others are organised by the University centrally, e.g. the NTU
Distinguished Leaders’ Lecture Series, or via the University’s library – just check
the instructions in each case.
What else can I do?
Why not look out for interesting online events such as webinars and TED Talks?
Or listen to a Radio 4 programme such as The Bottom Line, which is a great way
of learning more about real live business issues and is made in conjunction with
the Open University. Also if you’re a member of a club or society and are part
of the committee, you could count that.
Top ten hints for using
to
network and potentially secure a job!
Name: Antoine Calon
Applying for jobs and getting nowhere? Finding it hard to explain where you
developed certain competencies? Realised you ought to have joined a few
more societies, volunteered or done an internship in your first or second year?
Too often we find out too late why people keep pestering us to do certain things.
How do I decide what to do?
LINK
Sector: Software localisation, multilingual computing services
Etnonautas SL is a start-up based in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain, which
provides software localisation and translation services. They faced challenges
in finding new clients mostly due to the visibility of their company and the
relative geographical isolation to prospective new markets. We proposed some
tools and improvements in their marketing strategy.
Not every course offers a consultancy project, and the applied consultancy
project differs from an internship or placement. I think it allows the students
to improve their skills while being mentored in a safe environment. Students
are not left on their own in different companies; here we have to work in small
groups and manage a project with a common goal. The fact that we go to the
clients’ venue all together is something I found very motivating.
Did you feel that the consultancy project was relevant to your studies?
Absolutely, it’s the logical outcome of the studies in international business
as many of the students want to hold managerial or business consultant
positions or even to start their own firms so it’s more logical than just a
placement or internship.
Did you develop any new skills?
Interpersonal communication skills with the client and my fellow group mates,
critical analysis of a situation, self-control, resilience to stress and frustration,
time management.
Did you feel that you were able to put the skills and knowledge you
developed on your course into practise?
If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile yet (or thought it was just about posting
your profile, sitting back and waiting) check out our top ten tips below.
1. PLAN - Take the time to create a great profile, using good key words
2. IMAGE - Definitely have a photo and select it carefully (professional,
not a holiday snap!)
3. ORDER - Stress the important parts of your profile
(you can re-order content)
4. PRIVACY - Need to update? Check privacy settings so you don’t
broadcast every small change to your network
5. TARGET - Think carefully about your audience and join select groups
(this will give you access to the group members)
6. CONNECTIONS - Wanting to connect with someone? Don’t just hit
‘connect’ - go on their profile, introduce yourself, ask to connect and
explain why!
7. BE ACTIVE - Post interesting content and comment on others’ posts
(it’s not just a home for your profile)
8. ENDORSE - Recommend colleagues and fellow team members,
seek out recommendations from them too
9. BE CONSISTENT - Ensure your profile is consistent with your CV
(yes, people do compare!)
10. DIGITAL FOOTPRINT - What is your overall online presence?
(Blogs? Twitter? Facebook? Instagram?)
Want to know more about this or personal branding?
Call down to the Employability Centre on level 0 of Newton – we run sessions
on LinkedIn and personal branding.
Once you have created your profile, join the “NTU Alumni Business” page.
I did, maybe not all the modules but some of them. I think there is no specific
module that was of benefit to us but it’s more the aggregate of knowledge we
accumulated this year.
Did you enjoy working on a live client brief?
It was really stressful beforehand as it’s a test, and the accomplishment of
your studies. Hopefully all the groups in our classes performed very well and
made the teaching staff and clients proud.
What does the future hold?
I have already found a job at EMC Corporation as Inside Sales Rep at their
European HQ in Cork, Ireland… another adventure!
Other suggestions include: volunteering (whether at NTU or independently),
being a Student Ambassador, or a Course Rep. The list is endless. The main
thing is to make the most of the opportunities on offer – once you start your
graduate job, you’ll wonder what you did with all that free time!
How does all this help my employability?
The key thing is to keep track of what you’re doing and think about the skills
you’re developing as a result. You’ll then have lots of examples to put on that
job application, or talk about at interview. For further information and advice,
email [email protected]
JuliusKielaitis / Shutterstock.com
10
11
LINK LEARNING IN THE WORKPLACE
Learning in the
workplace
The mission for NBS’ work-based courses is:
‘to develop outstanding business and
management graduates whose employability and
performance in the workplace is enhanced through
a distinctive learning in the workplace experience.’
LEARNING IN THE WORKPLACE LINK
Andrew Boyd
George Kaye
Richard Samuel
BA (Hons) Business Management
(In-Company)**
BA (Hons) Management*
BA (Hons ) International Business
“The main benefit I got out of completing a work
placement was the significant improvements
to numerous soft skills, that I do not believe
is possible through learning in a classroom
environment.
“The BA (Hons) International Business course
at NBS provided an excellent career platform,
combining an industry-relevant course with
the opportunity for practical application in an
international market. But this alone is not enough.
“My communication improved dramatically, in an
office environment you begin to really appreciate
the importance of speaking with clarity and being
conscious of your body language. A placement
is also a fantastic opportunity to work under
pressure; when a department’s profit margin is
partially dependent on how you perform a task
this is working under a far greater pressure than is
possible in the classroom. Other skills I enhanced
were personal organisation, time keeping and
following company processes.
“The opportunities for further summer placements,
business competitions and company networking
should not be overlooked if you want to set
yourself up for success and stand out in a
competitive market for the best graduate jobs.
What is BA (Hons) Business Management?
BABM is a fast-cycle degree with two routes.
Students can apply for either the one year
in-company or two year in-company. There is
flexibility of movement between the two routes
and students can choose corporate, SME or even
to set up their own business with The Hive.
From your involvement you will gain…
Increased self-confidence and self-efficacy due to
the combination of full-time work and having to
complete work-based assignments. The fast-track
structure also reduces the overall cost of
completing a degree, especially if companies
sponsor on the two-year route, and has led
to increasing interest by final year students in
continuing to a full-time masters.
Having an undergraduate degree, placement
experience and masters all completed in four years
is a powerful differentiator. Developing a network
of industry contacts at an early stage and via the
final year conference can also increase opportunities
post-graduation.
Apart from the frequently highlighted need for
communications skills and ability to collaborate
effectively, companies also look for highly motivated
self-starters who can take responsibility for their
own development. Strong Excel skills have also
re-emerged as a ‘must have’ skill for many roles.
What are the main benefits for companies
taking on BABM students?
It can save on recruitment costs as companies have
already seen the student’s talent in the workplace
so they are a ‘known’ resource. The requirement
for completion of work-based assignments through
collaboration in the workplace also provides
organisations with a valuable research and
consultancy resource that can be of direct
benefit operationally.
Apart from ‘learning in the workplace’ are
there any other unique aspects of BABM?
Embedding behavioural insights and practice
at all three levels adds to students’ adaptability
and resilience in what is an increasingly complex
and unbounded world – these approaches have
generally been confined to institutes such as
Harvard and Stanford, and Warwick Business School
recently adopted this approach in the postgraduate
economics suite.
On the one-year route a mobile learning and digital
literacy project has been running for three years
and there is currently a pilot underway with the
Lync conferencing software to better support
distance learners, especially if they pursue
overseas opportunities.
12
Our in-company degree is a unique course right
from the application process. BA (Hons) Business
Management (In-Company) (BABM) student
Andrew Boyd (currently on placement with
Rolls-Royce) spoke to LINK about the difference of
this course compared to others on offer.
“I would hugely recommend a placement to
anyone considering it, the skills and business
contacts you build throughout your year in
industry are absolutely invaluable when looking
for a graduate job, and should provide a great
platform for the early years of a successful career”.
What makes a BABM student different?
The difference is visible immediately from the
recruitment process of the course. Leaders from
the course are looking for core competencies that
attract a certain type of student. One who is willing
to take leadership of their own development,
and follow up with the understanding and
implementation of those skills to drive their career.
These core elements are spotted during the
recruitment process prior to joining the course.
Why is it different?
The course is unique, from the teaching of
the modules to the placements themselves.
The student undertakes different roles, giving them
different perspectives and experiences within the
company and eventually leading up to a leadership
position. The innovative teaching styles of the
course leaders make the content exciting and
different. The content of the course is customised
based on the company.
What can a student offer a future employer?
With an extremely competitive environment once
graduating, students can find it difficult to obtain
their perfect job. However, with the in-company
degree, students have the option to do two years
of work experience, along with the specific skill
set that has been purposely developed through
university. With the gap between academia and
practical experience being reduced, students are
able to apply what they have learnt at university
to the practical working environment.
BA (Hons) Management*
“I feel as though choosing a course that
incorporates a placement has allowed me to
develop many skills that are essential for a
graduate to possess. Before completing my
placement year I was not the most confident
person; during my placement there were certain
activities, events and meetings that enabled me
to develop my confidence. I now believe that I
am a stronger candidate. Having completed a
placement and all the skills I have developed
will help me a lot in my final year studies”.
Jon Sloper
To set this in context you are competing against
over 500k other full-time undergraduates in your
year!
“I took part in several schemes including a summer
placement at Shell, an international placement
at Chiyoda in Tokyo, the UK STEP programme
and the National Business Awards, all of which
enhanced my options for joining a business
consultancy”
Please note
* BA (Hons) Management is now BA (Hons) Business Management (1 Year In-Company)
** BA (Hons) Business Management (In-Company) is now BA (Hons) Business Management (2 Year In-Company)
Chartered Management Institute (CMI)
Employers are now looking for business-ready
graduates who already possess the practical
knowledge and skills to perform well in the workplace.
What are the benefits of CMI accreditation?
75% of employers believe that graduates should
undertake professional qualifications as they
provide evidence of practical skills.
•provides help and advice for career development
21st Century Leaders Report, June 2014
Rhianna Stredder
60 seconds with...
•Offers the opportunity to make valuable
business contacts
•graduate with the CMI qualification in addition
to your NBS degree
We have a number of courses validated under
dual award arrangements with the Chartered
Management Institute (CMI).
•demonstrates your professional credibility
to employers
The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) is
the only chartered professional body in the UK
dedicated to promoting the highest standards in
management and leadership excellence. It is the
only organisation awarding Chartered Manager
status, the hallmark of any professional manager,
and encompasses a membership community that
is more than 100,000 strong.
•can lead to career progression
Our courses that are validated with the Chartered
Management Institute (CMI) accreditation include:
•aids development of transferable
managerial skills.
•MSc Management
We aim to provide you with all the opportunities
you need to give your CV the extra boost and
increase your career prospects. We aim for
you to leave your time at Nottingham Business
School having developed the skills and practical
experiences you need to progress easily into a
successful career.
•Masters of Business Administration (MBA)
•Executive Masters of Business Administration (EMBA)
•MSc Management and Leadership
•BA (Hons) Business
• BA (Hons) Business Management and Accounting
and Finance
• BA (Hons) Business Management and Economics
• BA (Hons) Business Management
and Entrepreneurship
• BA (Hons) Business Management and
Human Resources
• BA (Hons) Business Management and Marketing
•BA (Hons) Business Management
(1 Year In-Company) and BA (Hons) Business
Management (2 Year In-Company)
•BA (Hons) Management and Leadership.
•shows managerial competence
Co-leader (BA Hons)
Business Management
(1-Year In-company)
previously Course Leader
BA (Hons) Management
Length of time at NTU:
Full-time since 2006 (part-time 2000-2006).
Tell us a little about your role at NBS:
From July 2008 to 2014, I have led the
undergraduate BA (Hons) Management
(BAM) degree – a unique two-years and ninemonths fast-cycle business management
course, incorporating a full-time placement and
concurrent distance learning of modules in the
2nd year (Learning in the Workplace). I also lead
the personal growth and employability modules
at all three levels of the course, teach business
information systems and digital entrepreneurship
on other undergraduate degrees and supervise
final year dissertation students. I am also
currently completing my MA (Education) focusing
on mobile learning and digital literacy based on
a longitudinal study of a cohort of students on
the BAM course.
What was your first ever job?
Working on the largest sheep farm in Devon
during spring and Summer School holidays in
my early teens.
•provides evidence of practical skills needed
for professional practice
Tell us one thing that NBS students won’t
know about you:
•reinforces your degree
On 11 March 1980 I went to the 21st birthday
party for Clive Burr, then drummer for Iron Maiden,
who were supporting Judas Priest on the British
Steel tour - a good time was had by all at a hotel
near Sheffield City Hall.
•offers access to additional online resources
•demonstrates determination, commitment
and ambition
What is your favourite brand and why?
Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University - a
refreshing approach to life with their “special
competence in the area of human and social
values which allows them to bring a particularly
ethical and spiritual approach to world concerns”.
Two years ago in Abu Dhabi I had the honour of
meeting Sister Jayanti, their representative to the
United Nations, which was truly an enlightening
and inspirational experience.
For your business dream team, who would be
around the boardroom table (dead or alive)?
Richard Branson for his vision and entrepreneurship
spirit, Steven Covey for his promotion of the
“character ethic”, Bill Gates for the Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation and Bruce Dickinson for his
many talents including flying humanitarian
missions for tsunami victims.
What is the most important thing you’ve
learned in life?
Patience, mindfulness and positive outlook.
13
LINK ALUMNI FELLOWSHIP
introducing the NBS ADVISORY BOARD LINK
What the Alumni Fellows are involved in and how
students can engage with them
Course Enhancement Boards: The Course
Enhancement Boards meet to focus on course
currency and relevance. It takes a strategic focus
to identify medium and long-term changes to
the course structure and curriculum. The Board
consists of the Course Management Team,
employers, alumni and student representatives.
The role of the alumni representative is key; as
individuals who have completed the course and
several years in employment, alumni can draw
upon this combined experience to help the board
identify potential changes to curricula and other
course enhancements to maintain relevance to the
world of business.
Mentoring: Here the Alumni Fellows share their
professional knowledge and experience with
students. As mentors they fulfil several roles for
our students, which include motivator, resource,
supporter and coach. Employability mentoring
offers students the unique opportunity to be
matched with an experienced professional,
including an Alumni Fellow who can offer you
support, guidance and an insight into their sector.
Employability activities: Alumni Fellows are
contributing to our recruitment fairs through
providing informal information to our students
about what employers are looking for; tips and
advice on making applications; and speaking at
workshops on the day. Alumni Fellows are also
assisting NBS during assessment centres where
students complete a range of activities, such as
interview and aptitude tests. They are part of a
Introducing the NBS
Advisory Board
group of observers running the activities and tests
to identify individuals possessing the skills that the
organisation needs. These centres all contribute to
raising our students’ employability and preparing
them for their futures.
Academic buddying: Through this activity the
Alumni Fellows gain and provide an alternative
viewpoint to our team of academics through our
academic and industry buddying scheme, which
develops business and academic staff through a
common interest, trust and credibility.
Guest talks: Alumni Fellows are sharing their
experiences with current students by delivering
guest lectures and career talks.
Julian Bond is Head of ICT for The Hillarys Group
Ltd, the UK’s largest retailer of made-to-measure
residential window coverings such as blinds,
shutters and awnings. Julian has worked in
business-focused IT management roles in UK and
global enterprises for the last 25 years. These roles
have predominantly been in supply chain sectors
(including Rolls-Royce, Heineken and Laporte), but
most recently retail. He was recently named in
the top 100 IT leaders in the UK list published by
Computing magazine.
Julian completed his MBA from NBS in 1996 and
continues to be a research-informed management
practitioner. He is now a regular guest lecturer on
undergraduate and postgraduate courses within
NBS, together with active research interests and
some academic collaborations in business areas
that include the management of customer service,
change projects, supply chain, innovation and
information. Julian is also a Chartered Manager,
Chartered Engineer and Chartered IT Professional.
Julian has already been involved with NBS’s
Customer Engagement (Retail and Services)
research group through his role of NBS Alumni
Fellow: “Participating in the Customer Engagement
(Retail and Services) research group meeting
provided an interesting window on the multidisciplinary research and consultancy being
undertaken by academics in the field.
“For many years NBS has had a deserved
reputation for striking the right balance between
academic excellence and business applicability,
and this highlights that the tradition lives on.
This particular meeting gave the opportunity
for three Alumni Fellows to share their business
experience and research interests in related areas,
14
The board supports the School by advising how to
develop the best course structures and teaching
methods to ensure all NBS students are able to
secure practical experience for a successful
future career in business.
Name: Professor Krzysztof Fonfara
Job title: President
Company: Wielkopolska Business School
Name: Mr Tony Jefferson
Job title: Retired
Formerly: Director
Company: Rookes Consulting
Name: Ms Rosemary Stamp
Job title: Director
Company: Stamp Consulting
Meet the Nottingham Business
School Advisory Board
Name: Professor Baris Tan
Job title: Vice President for Academic Affairs
Company: Koç University
Name: Professor Andreas Athanasopoulos
Job title: Vice Chairman & Managing Director
Company: Dixons South-East Europe AEVE
Name: Andrea Gasparri
Job title: Special Advisor to the Dean
Company: SDA Bocconi School of Management
Name: Dipl. Kauffrau (FH) Petra Bohlein
Job title: CEO
Company: Kerp GmbH & Co. KG
Meet some of our Alumni Fellows
Julian Bond:
The Hillarys Group Ltd - Head of ICT
The Nottingham Business School Advisory
Board comprises of accomplished professionals
who are individually selected for their expertise
and knowledge.
Name: Philip Davies
Job title: Director
Company: Impact Innovation
Name: Dr Tim Miller
Job title: Retired
Formerly: Director Property, Research and
Assurance and Chairman
Company: Standard Chartered Korea
Name: Craig Boundy
Job title: CEO North America
Company: Experian
Name: Tony Walker
Job title: Deputy Managing Director
Company: Toyota Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd
Name: Stéphan Bourcieu
Job title: Dean
Company: Burgundy School of Business
Name: David Ralph
Job title: Chief Executive
Company: D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership
Name: Paul Walsh
Job title: Chairman
Company: Compass Group plc
Meet some of the NBS Advisory Board
as part of a wider exploration of where
opportunities for collaboration might exist.
“There was clear consensus on the demand
for academic research in this field (and many
others) that is more accessible to researchinformed practitioners, rather than restricted to
a solely academic audience. It was also a useful
opportunity to reacquaint with academics that I’d
met briefly at the ICRM 2012 conference hosted
by NTU, where Professor Alistair Mutch presented
a paper that we’d co-authored.”
Sue Shepherd:
East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust Director - MTCCN and EMMTN
Sue Shepherd spent the first 15 years of her
career working for the University of Nottingham
at the Queen’s Medical Centre. She began her
management career in the NHS in 1997 and
spent a further three years in the same hospital
before moving to take up a management role in
specialised commissioning at the Nottingham
Health Authority.
Julian Bond, The Hillarys Group Ltd - Head of ICT
Stéphan Bourcieu
Baris Tan
Phil Davis
Andreas Athanasopoulos
David Ralph
Rosemary Stamp
Sue completed her MSc in Public Services
Management in 2003 at NBS and is currently
in the final year of her Doctorate in Business
Administration, researching clinical networks.
As part of her role as an Alumni Fellow, Sue will
be involved in the employability and Acceler8
programmes, helping to improve students’
employability prospects through sitting on mock
interview panels where students receive valuable
feedback about their performance, which will
help them improve their techniques at further
interviews, and by sharing her own experience
gained through her career.
Sue Shepherd, East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust Director
15
LINK SUMMER SCHOOL
SUMMER SCHOOL LINK
Broaden your skills around the globe
What do we do at NBS?
What are Summer Schools?
This year we are hosting three Summer Schools:
Summer Schools have become increasingly
popular over the last few years. Nottingham
Business School has course-specific summer
courses available that enable students to widen
their subject knowledge, concentrate on a specialist
area and develop a tighter grasp on matters in
the wider world.
Summer Schools are an ideal opportunity
to internationalise your curriculum, through
immersing yourself into a new culture in a more
relaxed way and giving you the ability to gain
the intercultural skills that are essential to make
a difference in the job market. This is a great
opportunity to take classes that are outside the
remit of your degree and to stretch yourself to
different dimensions.
Below are key factors that may explain why
Summer Schools are becoming so popular
among our students:
•They offer a safe and attractive way to
internationalise your curriculum in a more relaxed
context. Often, universities will try and showcase
their best courses through these programmes and
offer specialisms that are not available to regular
semester-long exchange students. Additionally,
the academic content of the Summer Schools are
complemented by extracurricular activities that
give you a chance to get a deeper immersion into
the host country’s culture. As a result, Summer
Schools are seen as a very fun and effective way
of getting a study abroad experience. In many
cases, this first international experience will not
be the last and will open your mind to other
international opportunities.
•In the light of last year’s success with Summer
Schools, NBS will continue sponsoring students
to go onto a carefully selected number of
programmes to make sure that high achieving
students from all backgrounds could access these
opportunities.
What are the benefits?
There are plenty of benefits and possibilities that
go along with enrolling on summer courses at
one of our host institutions. You can gain credits
to your overall degree and improve grades by
increasing your knowledge in and around the
business sector; this is especially useful for first
year students. Summer Schools can increase your
course knowledge and make the next year slightly
easier by reducing the gap between the end and
the start of a new year. Students on the summer
course work across cultural dimensions, benefiting
from sharing ideas and understanding cultures
from students who come from all over the globe,
as by nature, Summer Schools have a very diverse
student population.
Design Thinking
The Design Thinking course focuses on enhancing
the creative thinking of the participants, combining
business techniques with product design
concepts. If you would like further information
about the Design Thinking course please email
[email protected]
“My best experience at Solvay was the chance to interact with students
from around Europe, allowing me to draw on experiences they have in their
culture and even learn a new language. Most of all, the chance to travel
around Belgium to look at different cities is an unforgettable experience.”
Sustainability Summer School
The Sustainability Summer School explores the
global challenge of food and sustainability from
a personal and course perspective. The course
enables students to work with leading academics
and experts. If you are interested in attending this
course or would like more information please email
[email protected]
Where can you go?
Below are a few examples of where NBS students
have attended Summer Schools:
•Solvay, Belgium
•Strasbourg, France
•Lisbon, Portugal
•Stockholm, Sweden
•Zhaw, Switzerland
•Vienna, Austria
•Norway
Kirstie Difford –
Summer School - Solvay Brussels School of Economics
& Management
Eugene Patterson –
BA (Hons) Business Management and Entrepreneurship
Summer School - Stockholm University, Sweden
“I learnt a range of academic and visual skills while studying there.
The University really pushed my time management skills. Interacting
with other students from abroad helped my confidence and made me
realise there is so much more to learn about the world of business.
Most importantly, I learnt that everybody interprets things differently
and there is a variety of management tools used.”
Laura Leeson –
BA (Hons) Business
Summer School - Vienna University of Economics and Business
Greenhouse Gas Reduction in Business
This project aims to enhance knowledge on an
ever-present issue of sustainability in business.
DeVonte Cliett is a student from Savannah State
University, USA, who attended the Greenhouse
Gas Reduction in Business Consultancy Project
at Nottingham Trent University last year.
“It was greatly informative and we learnt a lot
about greenhouse gases, learning calculations
and how to convert them to the equivalent. I
enjoyed every minute! The people, including the
staff, were awesome - I love the UK. The course
information was good and I gained a lot.”
“At first I was a bit hesitant about studying for three weeks in the summer
abroad and not knowing anyone, but after completing the course I am
extremely happy that I did it and would definitely recommend it. As well as
learning lots about international marketing and management, I learnt a lot
through interacting with my classmates who came from all over the globe,
understanding all about their different cultures.”
Samson Babatunde Abiona –
MSc Management and Entrepreneurship
Summer School - ISCTE Business School Lisbon, Portugal
“This experience did not only immensely expand my academic alternatives,
but gave the act and will to think like a manager/entrepreneur.
More so, interacting with students from all over the globe strengthened my
relationship, communication, and coordination skills. I learnt the practical
applications of some management theories and international marketing
skills and productivity.”
Lisa Moritz –
MSc Accounting & Finance
Summer School - Solvay Brussels School of Economics & Management
How do I take part?
Summer Schools are an amazing opportunity to develop your own international networks and skills.
For more information on attending an outgoing Summer School, visit www.ntu.ac.uk/international
or email [email protected]
16
If you would like to attend a Summer School at
Nottingham Trent University or require further
information email [email protected]
“This experience was not only valuable from a career viewpoint, but also from
a personal viewpoint as I got to know so many different people that made
this week unforgettable. I would recommend attending a Summer School
to everyone that likes to learn about different cultures, languages, people
and who likes to improve interpersonal and intercultural competences, which
is particularly important in today’s globalizing world.”
17
SHORT COURSES LINK
LINK SHORT COURSES
Entrepreneurship,
Creativity and
Innovation Short Course
at Burgundy School of
Business, Dijon, France,
12 - 23 January 2015
This year, for the first time, eighteen second and
final year students on the BA (Hons) Business
Management and Entrepreneurship course had
the opportunity to attend a two-week short course
at the Burgundy School of Business in Dijon, France.
The course ran from 12-23 January and included three
mini modules focused on entrepreneurship, creativity
and innovation. The 18 students from Nottingham
Business School were joined by 20 students from
Curtin and University of Western Australia.
During the course the students were able to
explore the link between entrepreneurship
and creativity and to understand innovation’s
invaluable role in contributing to the success
of entrepreneurial activities.
During the Entrepreneurial Awareness
module, students established the link between
entrepreneurship and art and developed a creative
outlook on business practices. A local artist ran the
sessions and activities included clay modelling, story
telling, producing life size self-portraits and haikus
(traditional Japanese poetry). Through this creative
process the students were able to develop their
personal awareness and enhance their understanding
of interactions with others.
ESC Dijon Bourgogne –
Entrepreneurship, Creativity and
Innovation – Student review
“This experience really was one that could not possibly be found anywhere
else. The entire course was thoroughly enjoyable and despite my third year
workload, I would never regret having gone.
“There are multiple aspects to this course, all of which were fun and engaging.
I learnt something new from each and every aspect, even though I had
covered some similar content in modules that I had done previously at NTU.
“The course is broken up in to four main sections and throughout the two weeks
you get real experience in running a business and making strategic decisions.
You are also competing against other teams, which gives it a competitive
edge. The creativity aspect is really enjoyable, you cover so many different
techniques for generating creativity at both an individual and group level
which will really help with one of the modules that you do in your third
year studies.
“Dijon really is a beautiful city and
there are so many things to see
and do; there is time in the evening
where you can explore and get to
experience some of the traditions
that the region has to offer. I truly
enjoyed this course and all of the
features that came along with it
and would recommend that if you
have the opportunity to take part,
do not let it pass by!”
Rebecca Taylorson
Level 3 BA (Hons) Business
Management and Entrepreneurship
“When learning the theories behind entrepreneurship and the ways in which
you can become more creative and innovative, I found that the company visits
to innovative businesses were really useful, it was like using a case study and
seeing the relation of the theory to real life.
“The social aspect of the experience was truly amazing. The course was half
taken up with NTU students, and the other half was by Australian students.
“We were split into two randomly selected groups for some of the exercises
and all got on extremely well. I made some friends for life in the Australian
students as well as taking away more invaluable knowledge from the
course itself.
The Entrepreneurship Activities module took place at
the Chamber of Commerce in Dijon and included a
MIME, a complex business game run over two and a
half days where students discovered the functioning
of a company and the role of the managerentrepreneur. The teams were mixed and allowed
students from Nottingham Business School to work
with their Australian counterparts.
During the second week, the students undertook a
module on innovation, which included three company
visits. The visits enabled the students to apply theory
to practice in a number of different settings. A cultural
visit to Beaune and a wine tasting afternoon also
formed a part of the second week.
Although the course was busy, the students did have
the opportunity to explore Dijon, which is famous for
its mustard, Kir, gingerbread and wine. The study tour
culminated in a dinner and a mini awards ceremony.
The course proved to be an enjoyable and valuable
learning experience for all who took part.
Karen Slater
Course Leader
BA (Hons) Business Management
and Entrepreneurship
18
19
LINK IOD STUDENT MEMBERSHIP
What is the IoD?
Established in 1903, the Institute of Directors (IoD) is
the most experienced and longest standing business
organisation for professional leaders in the UK.
The IoD currently has 2,500 student members in
the UK and over 34,000 director level members split
between 12 different regions from across the wide
business spectrum. The IoD’s mission is to offer
support to members in leadership roles, represent
their interests and encourage the highest levels of
professional business conduct. The IoD is not a time
consuming scheme and will not distract you from your
studies. Students are however encouraged to attend
as many local member events as possible as these are
prime opportunities to network with IoD directors and
other members.
IOD STUDENT MEMBERSHIP LINK
Events have included workshops on:
•How to network
•How to present yourself professionally online
•CV and covering letters
•Employability
•Leadership and motivation
•The challenges of running your own business
...plus many more.
The IoD Annual Convention – The IoD offers
students the tickets with a substantial discount (from
£360 to £50!). Previous speakers have included:
Richard Branson, the MD of Google UK and Ireland,
Wikipedia, Decoded, Buzzfeed and Uber.
Exclusive discounts – The student membership
discounts include hotel accommodation, car rental
and health care plans.
Business information service – This is located in
the member-only portal. This is where members can
access factsheets, research articles and briefings on
various areas of business.
Start Up Smart Up – This is where members offer
advice and tips on setting up and growing a business.
Director magazine – Produced ten times a year,
students can download the app to receive the digital
edition of this IoD magazine. The magazine content
provides valuable insight into the latest businessrelated news and issues.
Mentoring – The online Guru Panel offers students
the opportunity to ask the professional members
confidential advice about industry, receive tips and
get CV feedback.
The benefits of becoming an IoD student member
include:
•The ability to network with accomplished
professionals
•Additional support and advice when seeking
employment for your future career
Student member profile
In November 2014, Nottingham Trent University
launched the University Million Makers challenge with
student members of Institute of Directors.
Role at the IOD: Finance Director of the
Student Committee.
The launch of the University Million Makers challenge
was attended by over 150 students from the
University and 30 mentors from the Institute of
Directors. During the launch, students and mentors
heard about the impact their fundraising efforts will
have and saw a video of a young person who has
benefitted from the work of The Prince’s Trust.
I have been a member since September,
so around six months.
This enabled everyone taking part to understand
the impact they can have on the local community,
and helped the students to appreciate the learning
opportunities that come with this challenge.
There was also an opportunity for students to
ask questions and explore their business ideas
with The Prince’s Trust and their allocated mentors.
The IoD student membership includes:
Networking opportunities – The IoD holds 50
events each month across the UK. At the events
students are offered the opportunity to meet business
leaders including accomplished professionals,
entrepreneurs and employers. There is also a
dedicated LinkedIn group for students and full
members. This is where you can network online, view
discounts, ask questions and view upcoming events.
University Million Makers
with student members
of IoD
All students can apply now for IoD Student
Membership which includes an extensive events
programme, starting in the Autumn term, 2015.
For more information on how to become an IoD
student member, email: [email protected]
Name: Justin Peach
Course: BA (Hons) Business Management
and Marketing
How long have you been a member?
What does the membership involve?
The membership offers a lot of opportunities for
students. There are a wide variety of challenges and
workshops you can get involved in as well as dozens of
events that are run throughout the year. An example
of a challenge is the £10 Challenge, where you make
as high a profit as possible from a start-up budget of
£10, with that building a platform to the Prince’s Trust
challenge later in the year.
Why did you join?
It is a fantastic prospect for students with a vast
amount of perks that will help you in your approach to
employability, which in the long run will do no harm to
your graduate job search. In addition, there are alot of
opportunities to network with existing directors due to
the events that are held, as well as the direct support
they give to students.
Do you think being a member benefits
your studies?
I think it helps in many ways. For example, when
undertaking the £10 Challenge, I found myself
drawing back to the key elements of my second year
learning in marketing, and with that it was useful
to have that experience of designing flyers and
communicating your message to students. It was
more or less a live project and something that I can
draw back on in the future.
Do you think the membership will benefit
you in the future?
Yes, definitely. I have practical experience of a mini
campaign in relation to the £10 Challenge, and this is
something I can draw from in future interviews as well
as use to learn from the mistakes we made as a group.
As well as that, it looks great on your CV to have been
involved with such a highly regarded organisation.
Do you enjoy it?
I really do, it is something different to what is normally
offered at university. But much like other societies
and schemes, you make friends and socialise as much
as you would in any other group. Also, the different
challenges and workshops that are on offer keep it
very fresh and you never find yourself learning the
same aspect twice.
•Opportunities to increase your professional and
personal skills
•The chance to gain additional practical experience
to add to your CV
•Invites to useful and interesting events
•Successful and inspiring guest talks
20
21
LINK
POSTGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIPS
POSTGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIPS
LINK
•MSc Economics
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Boost your em
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u
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on
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(Or inc
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with a se this to 50%
scholar
ship.)
O
n this course you will use and evaluate the
economics toolkit as a resource for informing
decision-making in various organisational
contexts. It is designed for students with some
successful study experience of undergraduate
economics.
•MSc Finance
(Available in September and January)
Points to remember
•If you are a current final year undergraduate
student you do not need to apply for the discount
as it will automatically be deducted from your fee
before enrolment.
•You can also apply for a master’s scholarship,
however the total maximum award will not exceed
half the total course fee.
•The scheme is not applicable to sponsored
students (either partially or fully) and applies to
2015 entry only.
•The scheme applies only to those students who
progress onto a master’s course in the 2015/16
academic year (i.e. students who graduate in
summer 2015 must start their course in autumn
2015 or January 2016 to qualify for the
progression discount).
Add to this with a scholarship - get up to 50% off
As a School we are able to offer a number of
scholarships to students starting on a full-time
master’s course in either September or January.
The scheme is competitive, and open to UK, EU and
international students.
For further information on entry criteria and how to
apply visit www.ntu.ac.uk/nbsscholarships
•MSc Management
Ideal for those with a good degree but little
experience of business and management; it will
provide future managers with a grounding in all key
functional areas. The course also offers a number
of specialist routes, giving students the opportunity
to study an area of interest alongside core business
and management modules.
• MSc Management and Entrepreneurship
• MSc Management and Human Resource
Management
• MSc Management and International Business
• MSc Management and Finance
• MSc Management and Marketing
• MSc Management and Global Supply
Chain Management
Our MSc Management courses have a Dual
Award with the Chartered Management Institute
(CMI). This means you will graduate with an
MSc and a CMI Level 7 diploma in Management
and Leadership.
• MSc Marketing
Don’t miss the deadlines...
To apply for a scholarship for a course that starts in
September 2015, the following deadlines apply:
•29 April 2015
If you are an existing NTU
undergraduate student
studying at the City site,
Clifton campus or Brackenhurst
campus and you choose to
progress directly onto any of
the full-time master’s courses
within Nottingham Business
School, you will automatically
receive a 25% reduction off
your course fee.
22
This course is aimed at students who are
interested in a general career in marketing,
for example as a marketing manager and may
not want to specialise in one specific area.
• 24 June 2015.
• MSc Branding and Advertising
Take a little time first and start early 2016
This course is aimed at students with a particular
interest in marketing communications and who
are aiming for a career in advertising or brand
management. You will benefit from exposure
to leading-edge marketing thinking, tools
and techniques.
For courses that start in January 2016, the deadline
dates are as follows:
• 21 October 2015
• 25 November 2015
• 9 December 2015.
Tick tock! Tick tock! You need to get your
application in before 4 pm GMT on each date.
Choosing your subject...
We’ve got a range of exciting and innovative courses
for you to choose from. Whether you want to
specialise in marketing or economics; experience
life overseas or gain some experience in industry,
we have a course to suit your needs. Take a look
for yourself.
Designed for ambitious individuals seeking a career
in finance, this course will give you a
wide-ranging theoretical background and equip
you with practical skills for active interaction in
the world of finance.
•MSc Accounting and Finance
Accounting and finance is a core function of
any business, and this course enables you to
become a critical member of an organisation’s
strategic management team.
•MSc International Business
This course will enable you to study business
whilst providing an insight into cultural and
international impacts. You will develop a greater
cultural awareness and have the opportunity to see
industry on an international scale by completing a
two-week study tour overseas.
•MSc Human Resource Management
This master’s has been developed to produce
graduates capable of making a difference in the
HR arena. The programme is approved by the
Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
(CIPD), meaning that the content of this
programme is contemporary and highly valued by
employers.
•MSc Global Business and Management
(Dual Award)
If you want to work in an international arena, this
innovative and exciting course is for you. You’ll
study in Nottingham and with a partner institution
overseas. You’ll also complete a short internship.
As it is a dual degree, you will graduate with two
MSc awards.
For full details on all our courses please visit
www.ntu.ac.uk/nbspg
All marketing courses are accredited by the
Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), meaning
you will have exemption from two modules from
the CIM’s Professional Certificate or Diploma.
• MSc Digital Marketing
This course is designed to develop you into an
effective digital marketing professional who is
able to operate in one of the fastest and dynamic
growth areas in the marketing profession. As a
result of this course you will be able to operate
at both a strategic and tactical level within the
global digital marketing profession.
23
LINK UNDERGRADUATE
POSTGRADUATE LINK
Undergraduate update
Postgraduate update
Melanie Currie,
Associate Dean and Head of Undergraduate (UG) Programmes
Alex Hiller,
Head of MSc Programmes
Welcome back to the final term of your studies and, for some of you the conclusion of your degrees and
your time with us at NBS. We hope that the last two terms have been challenging and rewarding and
we are delighted that so many of you have been participating in the work of the School, your course and
the University.
Welcome to another edition of LINK. As always, I hope you enjoy reading about our events and student
successes. The theme of this edition is employability, and a master’s degree is something that graduates
often want to undertake to improve their employability prospects. A recent Higher Education Careers
Service Unit (HECSU) report acknowledged that many employers value the skills, abilities and knowledge
gained on master’s degrees, and the Graduate Management Admission Council’s (GMAC) research shows
that this year more employers plan to hire graduates with postgraduate-level qualifications in business,
management and economics. You can read about some of the ways we help to boost our students’
employability prospects in this edition.
This edition of LINK magazine has a focus on employability and highlights some of the key achievements of
our UG students, events that have taken place and the continued development of an active and engaged
student community. We are very proud of our students and the work that you do and together we are
creating a School that we can be proud of.
Our work in the School continues to be focused on further enhancing the UG student academic experience
and to ensure that undergraduate students are at the heart of what we do. Employability is a key focus
of our curriculum design, tutorial support and opportunities that we offer. These opportunities can range
from participation in continuing professional development (CPD) events, volunteering, Summer Schools, live
projects, study abroad, internships and placements.
We want you to realise your ambitions and so our growing networks with professional bodies (CMI, CIM,
CIPD, ACCA, CIMA) and links to industry provide additional opportunities for experience alongside your
academic learning. These experiences also facilitate you in thinking about your future.
60 seconds with...
Dr Michael McCann
Principal lecturer
course leader Undergraduate
Economics courses
We continue to listen to your feedback and I would like to take the opportunity to thank you for taking part in our
EvaSys evaluation, the National Student Survey, course committees and social media. Your feedback matters and
helps us further improve our delivery and how we support you. What matters to you matters to us.
On behalf of all the UG course team we would like to wish you well in all your upcoming assessments,
particularly the final year students as you take your final set of assessments. We look forward to seeing you
cross the stage in July and celebrating, and hearing about your future successes.
Follow Melanie on Twitter @NBS_HeadofUG
11 years
I am course leader for the economics
undergraduate courses in Nottingham Business
School. I specialise in teaching economics and
finance modules and have published in the field
of finance.
I drove a forklift truck in a warehouse.
know about you:
I have been river walking in Northern Israel
(a favoured pastime in those parts).
Craghoppers – an outdoor clothing brand that is
affordable, yet innovative and stylish (well, at least
I think so!).
Billie Jean King – a great tennis player, but also,
businesswoman and resolute campaigner for
fairness. Terry Leahy – visionary and innovator. Jamal
Edwards, for his drive and persistence in pursuing a
passion (and to make great company videos).
learned in life?
Learn from the past, but don’t dwell on it.
24
Free subscription to the Financial Times exclusive
to NBS students
As a student of Nottingham Business School you
can benefit from full access to premium
content on the Financial Times website www.FT.com
By having access to FT.com, you get an insight into
award-winning reporting from journalists around the
globe. At the click of a button you will have up-todate and relevant information on events and trends
that are influencing world business.
Don’t forget to make use of the FT web app, which
has been enhanced for the iPhone and iPad and
is available through the Safari browser rather than
the ‘app store.’ The web app keeps you up-to-date
with new features and sections added to it regularly.
Recent additions to the iPad app include ‘clippings’,
allowing you to save articles for later reading.
There are also a number of ways that we ensure employers provide input into course design at the
postgraduate level. Most significantly, this is through our course enhancement boards which consist of a
number of employers and alumni and who meet regularly to discuss each course. Our many professional
accreditations also give us direction about the knowledge and skills required by industry and the professions,
and we even have employers directly involved as collaborators and clients through the consultancy projects
which feature on each full-time master’s course.
Advice from NBS alumni…
Name: Alexandra Ababei
Job title: Service Transition Project Manager Remote Secure Connectivity - (DWP AMS)
Company: Hewlett-Packard
•Don’t underestimate how many applications you
will need to complete before being offered an
interview.
•Remember that your MSc award will make you stand out from the rest and there will be knowledge from your course that is applicable to any role.
•Take advantage of any experience on offer as it is often the unusual hobbies you have engaged in
that make your CV stand out.
To be sent instructions and the authorisation code,
please email [email protected]
•If you are offered an interview and the company
are really interested in you, this is the point where
it is over to you to make what you have to offer for
this position really stand out. So do your homework
and go for it!
You need to use your NTU email account for the
subscription to be effective. Do not use a personal
email account.
Name: Mohit Garg
Job title: Real Estate Consultant
In order to gain access, you will need to register
using our unique authorisation code.
Once you have registered you will be able to
download the FT web app to any mobile device
or tablet.
If you already have an FT account, you should just
be able to use the activation code with your existing
log-in details.
•Use LinkedIn extensively. Make a good LinkedIn
profile by putting all your past and present
experiences and competencies/skills on your profile.
Ask for references. It looks good on your profile.
Try and connect with old colleagues, friends and
industry professionals. It always helps to have a
good network, not only with your job search but
also during the later stages of your career. Apply
for jobs through LinkedIn. A lot of recruiters are
using LinkedIn to fill up vacancies and not many
applicants are aware of it, so you might have a first
mover advantage.
•Don’t give up. It’s natural to get frustrated and
upset when you do not get any positive replies from
employers after all your best efforts, but please
don’t give up. Patience and perseverance is what
will help you get through tough times.
If you are interested in finding out more about how a master’s degree can help your career,
come and visit one of our information sessions and open events; details are on the website
www.ntu.ac.uk/nbspostgradevent, or contact me at the email address below. We have a number
of competitive scholarships for all of our full-time MSc courses for up to 50% of the fees.
If you have any queries, concerns or feedback, or if you would like to contribute to future editions of this
magazine please do not hesitate to contact me, or visit me during my weekly drop-in session on Tuesdays
4 pm - 5 pm in the seventh floor Link Lounge.
Contact Alex: [email protected]
Follow Alex on Twitter @NBS_MSc
60 seconds with...
Dr Christopher Michael Pich
Module Leader for Developing the
Effective and Responsible Practitioner
(Marketing Division)
3 years
I am a lecturer on several undergraduate and
postgraduate marketing related modules
including ‘Principles of Marketing’, ‘Integrated
Marketing Communications’, ‘Strategic Marketing
Management’ and ‘DERP Research Skills’. I am
also module leader for ‘Marketing Management’
level 2 and a placement tutor for in-company
students. I am an active researcher with an
interest in political branding and qualitative
projective techniques.
Sales assistant at my local Post Office (I am sure
my £1 an hour salary was illegal).
Nottingham’s own Castle Rock Brewery – local
brand, consistent and clear message across all
products and brewer of great tasting award
winning real ale.
Richard Branson for his entrepreneurial spirit and
knowledge of branding. Baroness Karen Brady for
her vast experience in business and chef Nigella
Lawson for her time management skills and
creative edge.
learned in life?
There aren’t enough hours in the day.
know about you:
I conquered the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge.
25
LINK INTERNATIONAL
INTERNATIONAL LINK
International update
By Chris Crabot,
Head of International Affairs
A recent QS survey found that 60% of employers
agreed that an international experience made
students more employable.
Employability and internationalisation are core to
the development of Nottingham Business School.
We have therefore decided to launch a new
initiative that will take the form of a survey tool
called MEMO www.memo-tool.net. MEMO will
help our students benefit fully from an experience
abroad, whether it is by studying or working, by
evidencing the essential professional transferable
skills that can be acquired whilst overseas.
The MEMO survey tool will
be embedded in our regular
outgoing mobility packages
and procedures so that it is
easily made accessible to all
our students
The MEMO survey tool will be embedded in
our regular outgoing mobility packages and
procedures so that it is easily made accessible to
all our students. In practice, students will be asked
to answer two questionnaires that will take 20
minutes each to fill in before their departure,
and upon their return.
The MEMO tool is much more than a satisfaction
survey. It works on the assumption that students
often cannot evidence all the benefits of an overseas
mobility period, especially when it comes to personal
and professional transferable skills and competences.
MEMO uses data based on the students’
assessment of their own behaviour, both before
and after their mobility period. It then groups
the results into categories, describing their main
personality traits relating to intercultural skills and
competencies, as well as future employability.
Participating students will receive a personalised
report with detailed feedback relating to the
development of their personality traits, which
they can use to boost their CV or to help them
differentiate themselves in the job market. As an
institution, we will also receive a comprehensive
annual report that will provide extensive data on
competencies developed by our students overseas.
It will also illustrate how to work better with
different groups of outgoing students to optimise
our support systems and increase participation in
overseas mobility experiences.
The personality traits that will be surveyed are:
curiosity, confidence, adaptability, sociability,
tolerance, decisiveness, self-awareness, problem
solving, self-assessment and position defending.
The MEMO tool will be available to
all NTU students from April 2015.
As an institution, we will
also receive a comprehensive
annual report that will
provide extensive data on
competencies developed by
our students overseas.
Introducing our partners…
In true LINK magazine tradition, we’d like to introduce you to three of our overseas partners, all of which offer opportunities to become
involved in entrepreneurial learning and activity.
Nothern Arizona University
University of West Florida
•Nothern Arizona University (NAU) is based
in Flagstaff, the largest city in Northern Arizona.
•University of West Florida (UWF) offers 49
bachelor’s and 23 master’s degree courses
across many academic disciplines. It is a
nationally ranked public university with excellent
student-centered academic courses taught
by award-winning faculty members, whose
primary interest is helping students achieve their
academic and career goals.
•NAU is just a one-hour drive from the
Grand Canyon and is located in the middle
of a national pine tree forest.
•Located just two hours from Phoenix, which
is the fourth largest city in the U.S., NAU is
a large public university with over 19,000
students studying on campus.
•The Franke College of Business has been listed
as one of the best business schools in the USA,
according to the Princeton Review.
•NAU’s Business School is housed in a recently
constructed 25 million dollar facility.
•International students have a dedicated advisor
in the College of Business for any questions they
have about classes.
•An average of 288 days of sunshine per year
and an average 100 inches of annual snowfall,
Flagstaff offers a scenic setting to live and learn
while surrounded by a landscape and fourseason climate.
•Travel + Leisure magazine recently named
Flagstaff among the top 10 Best College Towns
in America, and Time.com has called it one of
the nation’s happiest cities.
•Flagstaff attracts outdoor enthusiasts yearround with its spacious vistas and cool,
clean mountain air. Activities include hiking,
mountain biking, disk golf, camping, boating
and rock climbing.
•Located on the Gulf Coast of Florida, UWF is
minutes from the emerald waters and white
sand of some of the world’s best beaches.
Pensacola waters provide a wealth of
opportunities for activities including swimming,
surfing, kayaking, canoeing, fishing and diving.
•Designated as a ‘Best Southeastern College’
by the Princeton Review, UWF is home to
international students from a wide range
of nationalities and over 100 countries.
Our university provides numerous opportunities
for students to get involved on campus through
a vibrant student life programme.
•Situated on a beautiful 1,600-acre campus
with 25 acres of nature trails, UWF is home to
over 10,000 undergraduate students and over
2,400 graduate students. The University’s
main campus in Pensacola is only three hours
from Tallahassee, less than four hours from New
Orleans, four and a half hours to Birmingham
and five hours from Atlanta.
•The Intensive English Program (IEP) offers
several courses designed to help non-native
speakers develop English skills for personal,
academic, and professional purposes. Students
enrolled in the highest level of the programme
may gain conditional admission into a degreeseeking course at UWF.
University of Texas-Rio Grande
Valley, Brownsville campus
•In December 2012 the University of
Texas System Board of Regents approved
transformational plan to create a new university
in South Texas which will combine the resources
of two existing UT System universities in the
Low Rio Grande Valley- University of Texas at
Brownsville and the University of Texas Pan-Am.
The name of the new university is University of
Texas-Rio Grande Valley (UT-RGV) with about
30,000 students.
•UT-RGV will be the first new large university
created in the US in the 21st century.
•320-acre campus in Brownsville and
186-acre campus in Edinburg each provides
a beautiful educational setting and the most
modern technology.
•Brownsville is one of the fastest-growing urban
areas in the United States.
•UTB is leading change through its Centres of
Excellence, which allows students, faculty and
staff to collaborate with outside institutions
and innovators conducting research, raising
awareness and creating change of regional
and global impact.
•Set amid palm trees and resacas (oxbow lakes),
the Brownsville campus is a 380-acre campus
that originally housed historic Fort Brown.
•The campus boasts a semitropical climate,
located just 20 miles from the popular beaches
of South Padre Island.
60 seconds with...
Donna Newman
NBS Student Exchange
Coordinator
Three months.
I am the coordinator for all NBS students who
study abroad at a partner university during
their degree at NTU, and all incoming exchange
students who study at NTU for one semester or a
full year. I look after the Summer School
26
opportunities that are available to students.
I am also Subject Administrator for the Joint
MSc International Finance students
from Bratislava, Slovakia.
Babysitting once a week at the age of 15 and
then I worked as a weekend sales assistant at
BeWise Stores during my time at college.
know about you:
I go to lots and lots of different music festivals
throughout the year – all different genres of music.
What is your favourite overseas destination
and why?
New York City. I was lucky enough to visit when
it had been snowing so it was very pretty but
very cold! Ice skating in Central Park is one of
my favourite memories from my time there.
learned in life?
Life’s too short, it’s important to make the most
of the time you have with the people you want
to spend it with.
Arizona
West Florida
Texas
27
LINK CORPORATE
Corporate update
Alison Smith,
Head of Executive Education and
Corporate Relations
The Corporate Team has been focusing on the
employability of our students in recent months.
We have a number of projects which directly
support the enhanced employability and career
prospects of our students at NBS. Specific
examples of our wide-ranging activities include:
Thinkubator Challenge®
This, now annual, event encourages final year and
postgraduate students to engage with businesses
directly by working on real live business problems.
Last November we addressed 60 challenges that
were introduced by the businesses themselves,
many of which stayed in the challenge hubs to
watch the students at work. Not only was the
feedback impressive but employers were also able
to see the quality of our students, which benefited
the student body as a whole as well as individuals
who were ‘spotted’ for employment opportunities.
Our Corporate Executive Education (CEE)
Advisory Board met on the morning of
Thinkubator and then joined in both the launch
CORPORATE LINK
and the activity, submitting challenges and visiting
hubs. Ted Miller, Head of Learning & Development
at Pendragon Plc said: “As a large local employer we
are very proud to support this innovative event.
We had a number of undergraduates working in
our business from NTU and they attended the
event as part of their development.
Small Business Charter
Growth Voucher
Programme
“It is really important for them to be able to put
their learning into practice on their placements
with us and this is an opportunity for them to
demonstrate how much they have learned
through those placements as they apply their
knowledge/experience to other businesses’
challenges. It is great to see business and
education working together in such a way.
Employability does not end once you are employed,
as it is important to continuously build on your
skills for personal and business success. This is
exactly what we are offering small businesses the
opportunity to do within our new Small Business
Charter Growth Vouchers Programme.
“Also, as a member of NBS’s Corporate Executive
Advisory Board it is really encouraging to see
the wide-ranging support for the event and
the number of students involved. It looks like
the event has gone from strength to strength
for its second year and will be a firm fixture in
Nottingham Business School and businesses’
calendars every year.”
The CEE Advisory Board exists to contribute an
external perspective to our work and to ensure that
all of our provision is aligned with what employers
need and want. We have representatives from
professional bodies, public and third sector, as well
as large and small employers and entrepreneurs.
The voluntary contribution made by our board
members to the work of the Corporate Team is
invaluable and ensures everything we do is aligned
with employment and career development needs.
In this issue you will find out about NBS’ Advisory
Board, its role in the strategic direction of the School
and how it dovetails with the EECR Advisory Board.
In this edition of LINK you will find out more about
our Alumni Fellowship Scheme, which we began
in the summer of 2014. This project is closely
aligned with developing a personalised approach
to student learning which focuses, amongst other
things, upon career preparation and placement.
We have 33 Alumni Fellows in this pilot year who
have volunteered to work with you and our staff on
mentoring, providing CV and interview support and
facilitating company visits. We shall be growing
their numbers in subsequent years to enhance
and deepen the learning experience for you, our
students. And in later years… it could be you!
Up to 100 entrepreneurs looking to grow their
businesses in 2015 are being offered the chance to
take part in a free workshop, where they will receive
expert 1-on-1 mentoring and an action growth
plan worth £500 when they sign up to the Small
Business Charter Growth Vouchers Programme.
Run in the region by Nottingham Business School
and Nottingham University Business School, two
events have already taken place, with businesses
taking away individual action plans to help kickstart their growth ambitions.
Ian Morris, Managing Director of the creative
design and branding agency Threerooms Ltd,
attended the workshop. He said: “Taking time
out of the business to work on my core business
objectives was really valuable.
“Meeting with industry mentors to produce an
action plan that I can follow over the next six
months will help to keep my focus on my sales,
marketing and business growth.”
Businesses that attend the workshop have the
chance to take part in a full training course on
small business growth delivered by a national
consortium of leading business schools, including
those in Nottingham.
Following the diagnostic events, half of the
participating businesses will be chosen at random
to receive a voucher worth 50% of the cost of
the growth programme. Those allocated the
Growth Vouchers will receive £2,000 match
funding towards the cost of attending ten half-day
workshops and will also receive up to ten hours of
expert business mentoring.
The half-day workshops will cover topics such
as a review of growth opportunities; cash flow
and general financial management; marketing
strategies for small businesses; raising the finance
for growth; and planning next steps. Nottingham
Business School will also run specialist workshops
tailored to the needs of the participating
businesses, such as sessions on social media
strategy.
To find out more about this programme visit
www.sbcgrowthvouchers.co.uk or contact
[email protected].
28
Nottingham Business
School & Experian PLC:
and Leadership
Nottingham Business School has a long tradition of
applied studies and a strong track record in terms
of the employability of graduates. In 2011 NBS
and Experian worked closely together to develop a
new work-based degree – BA (Hons) Management
and Leadership. Growing organisations like
Experian recognise that attracting and retaining
new talent into their organisations can be critical to
their ongoing success.
Working closely with HR professionals from Experian,
tutors at Nottingham Business School developed
a three year work-based degree course, where
students would work full-time in the company
and attend a series of short and intensive study
blocks throughout the year. The resulting BA
(Hons) Management and Leadership was a full
honours course, equivalent to other business
degrees, but allowing the students to utilise their
experiences in the company and apply their learning
immediately in the work place. The students were
paid a basic wage and had their tuition fees paid
by the company. At the time of the launch Robert
Seacombe, Head of Talent and Acquisition at
Experian, said: “This is an innovative way to attract
talent to our organisation and at the same time
offer exceptional career opportunities to students
embarking on the next stage of their education.
The combination of vocational and theory-based
learning will give students a significant head
start in their careers and we are delighted to be
launching this in partnership with Nottingham
Business School.”
Throughout the course NBS continued to liaise
with managers at Experian, and students benefited
from senior guest speakers in their study blocks.
By the end of the course they were familiar with a
wide range of the company’s operations and had
roles with significant responsibility. Several of their
modules included elements of consultancy and
business improvement projects, which brought
genuine benefits to the organisation.
Experian has always been at the forefront of
nurturing potential talent within its business and
the BA (Hons) Management and Leadership course
was an important part of this continuing strategy.
Chris Clark, Managing Director, Experian UK&I,
said: “We’re delighted by the success of our
sponsored in-company degree scheme with
Nottingham Business School. Our people are one
of our most important assets and this scheme
helps us find, support and develop new talent,
which is great for Experian and for the local
economy. This is the first crop of graduates to
come through the scheme and they have certainly
excelled by gaining excellent degrees, while at the
same time laying the foundations for what we
hope will be long and happy careers at Experian.”
This combination of intensive study and
contemporary real world experience proved
very valuable and undoubtedly supported their
academic achievement.
In July 2014 all 11 of the first fully-sponsored
students graduated with top degrees and the
offer of permanent employment at Experian.
The group successfully graduated with eight
first-class honours and three upper secondclass honours. Dr Polly Pick, course leader at
Nottingham Business School, added: “The first
group of fully-sponsored graduates have worked
very hard and done exceptionally well. The
experience they’ve gained during their time at
Experian is invaluable.”
60 seconds with...
Thomas Spencer
BA (Hons) Accounting
and Finance and a range
of other NBS courses.
Senior lecturer Division of
Accounting and finance.
Just over six years.
I am responsible for a range of modules across
NBS mainly at the final year level. I am also the
final year tutor on the Accounting and Finance
course, helping support the students through the
final stage of their studies from both an academic
and pastoral perspective.
I had a variety whilst growing up but one of my
favourites was working at a clay pigeon shooting
business. This involved releasing the clays
from the traps (some involved sitting in a metal
mechanism that flung the clays round about
four inches from your body) and scoring for the
shooters. There were some interesting characters
but it taught me a lot about communication and
taking responsibility and pride in what you do.
know about you:
I am part of the organising committee for
the ‘Telling Tales – Nottingham Kids Festival
of Imagination’, which runs every October in
Lady Bay. This is a not-for-profit festival that
encourages children aged 3 – 13 to engage with
their creative side through a range of workshops,
talks and events: nottinghamtellingtales.org.uk
(Sponsors welcome for the 2015 event!)
Ted Baker. I love their styling and attention to
detail but they still retain a sense of humour. It is
also a British brand that has grown from humble
beginnings and is now internationally recognised.
Warren Buffett for his business acumen and
philanthropic views, Steve Jobs for his creativity
and vision and Vince Lombardi (former NFL coach)
for his motivational prowess and tactical nous.
learned in life?
To falter is part of life, what makes us stronger
is learning from those mistakes.
29
LINK RESEARCH
RESEARCH
Research update
In December 2014 the results of the UK’s Research
Excellence Framework (REF) exercise were
published. The results highlight that Nottingham
Business School (NBS) has consolidated its position
as a recognised global institution that delivers both
world class and internationally leading research
outputs, which have delivered a measure of impact
categorised at the same level.
This excellent result reflects the outstanding
contributions made by academic researchers across
the School and should prove inspirational
in deepening our research culture even further.
This is already being demonstrated by both
an increase in the range of faculties delivering
research outputs and the increase in research grant
applications over the last year, as illustrated by
improvements in NBS’s key performance indicators.
Professor Harry Barton
Head of Research
Encouragingly this increase in research activity can
be seen across all academic divisions and grades
of faculty across NBS, with 35 members of faculty
submitting applications in 2014.
This constitutes a marked increase in research
activity and demonstrates an increased awareness
of the importance of securing research grants.
Research within NBS is primarily organised through
eight research groups, with research co-ordinators
supporting divisional research activity.
The research groups were re-configured prior
to the REF to provide a focal point for high
quality research. At their core these research
groups include those faculty returned for the
REF submission, but they also contain a wider
constituency of staff, including early career
researchers (ECRs) and other research-active
staff, who make a valuable contribution to the
development of a research culture even though
their outputs were not part of our final submission.
The research groups typically have a membership
of between 5 and 12 colleagues who have a
research-active designation plus doctoral students,
and in some cases invited external members.
Furthermore, the international development of our
research activity has continued by increasing the
number of invitations to international colleagues
and by widening our participation in international
conferences. Many projects already in progress will
further enlarge the international integration of our
research activities in the years to come.
Finally, I would like to congratulate all colleagues
within NBS who have contributed to our success in
2014, be it through their contribution to REF, wider
academic publishing, conference attendance, grant
capture or through attendance at our increasing
number of research seminar events, and I look
forward to you all maintaining this momentum
through 2015 and beyond!
Results of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014
December 2014 saw the publication of the
Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014 results.
This is a new system for assessing the quality of
research in UK higher education institutions (HEIs).
It replaces the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE),
last conducted in 2008.
Our NBS submission was considered alongside
101 other UK business and management schools
by REF sub-panel 19 which comprised a group of
experts within the field.
Each submission was assessed in terms of three
elements, which were combined to produce an
‘overall quality profile’ awarded to each submission:
•The quality of research outputs. This subprofile contributes 65% of the overall quality profile.
•The social, economic and cultural impact
of research. This sub-profile contributes 20%
of the overall quality profile. This is a new feature
in the assessment framework.
•The research environment.
This sub-profile contributes 15% of the overall
quality profile.
30
Our results overall
% of the submission meeting the standard for:
4*
3*
2*
1*
u/c*
Our results
Overall
The results of the 2014 REF demonstrate the high
quality and enhanced international standing of
research conducted within NBS, with an increase
in our grade point average (GPA) from 2.15 in 2008
to 2.65 in 2014.
This ranks NBS at 56 (55 percentile point) out of
101 business and management schools in the
UK that submitted to the business panel unit of
assessment (19) for REF2014.
Outputs
The results show that the quality of submitted
research outputs has improved significantly since
the 2008 RAE, with 11% of the output sub-profiles
judged to be world leading (4*). The average
proportion judged to be internationally excellent
(3*) has risen from 25% to 48%.
As a result of these high quality outputs we have
risen in the output table to rank 49 out of 101.
The pipeline of work in this area is already underway
and the research groups and individual objectives
are being set and reviewed to increase both the
volume and quality of our research output.
The pipeline of work in this
area is already underway
and the research groups and
individual objectives are being
set and reviewed to increase
both the volume and quality
of our research output.
4*
3*
2*
1*
U/C
11
48
36
5
0
Outputs
13.3
40.8
38.8
7.1
0.0
Impact
13.3
86.7
0.0
0.0
0.0
Impact
Environment
0.0
25.0
75.0
0.0
0.0
For the first time, the assessment provides
evidence of the impact of UK research, evidenced
through the submission of case studies.
Overall
Category A staff FTE: 23.00 Category C staff headcount: 0 Category A and C staff headcount: 26
The REF result highlighted these case studies
as being either outstanding (4*) or having very
considerable (3*) impact as a result of the research
conducted. This ranked NBS at 44 out of 101
Schools in the league table with GPA of
3.13 for impact.
Outputs
Quality of Outputs
(ABS ranking)
4*
RAE2008
5%
25%
50%
20%
REF2014
11%
48%
36%
5%
3*
2*
1*
Environment
LINK
Spotlight on Knowledge Transfer Partnerships
(KTP) Research Grant Success
Dr Julie Lewis
Dr Roy Stratton
In August 2014 Dr Julie
Lewis (Lead Academic and
Knowledge Base Supervisor),
a senior lecturer within
the Marketing Division
of Nottingham Business
School, was awarded an
18 month KTP project with
Meadowmead Ltd, a local
furniture manufacturer
based in Long Eaton, Derbyshire. The KTP with
Meadowmead commenced on 24 November
2014 when Hannah Eaton started her role as
Brand and Digital Marketing Manager (KTP
Associate) on the project. Hannah previously
studied for her MSc Marketing with NBS, and
graduated with the highest mark attained by any
MSc Marketing student.
In November 2014 Dr Roy
Stratton (Management
Division) was awarded a
KTP through Innovation UK
to partner with Amberol,
a small locally based
manufacturing organisation
that pioneered the concept
of self-watering hanging
baskets and planters on the
UK high street over 25 years ago.
They are known for their innovative range with
customisable features that distinguishes them
from the competition.
However, the growing product range and
complexity is increasingly difficult to manage
without an integrated planning and control
system. As a consequence the company is prone
to high work-in-progress inventory, long lead
times, poor priority planning and inefficiencies
that have led to lost sales during the peak season.
The management want to take advantage of
growth opportunities following the recession so
they need to ensure management systems are
put in place as a top priority.
The purpose of the KTP is to propose operating
systems that will enhance the delivery service
offered to the market at the same time as ensuring
effective and efficient material and information
flows with a growing range of products.
Since her appointment Hannah has been working
closely with Dr Julie Lewis and Suzanne O’Flynn,
MD and Creative Director of John Sankey
(Company Supervisor) to deliver the project.
At present, the project is on track and the KTP
team are working towards completing stage one
of the project, which currently entails interviewing
a range of UK furniture retailers and customers.
From an academic perspective the benefits
associated with the project include creating
research outputs and teaching materials, and
generating significant research income for
the University.
Dr Stratton’s research is focused on the
application of the Theory of Constraints
(TOC) and particularly buffer management
across different manufacturing and service
environments, and this KTP project offers the
opportunity to be more directly involved in
testing and developing the theory in a
distinct environment.
The academic challenge is in interpreting the
theory to fit different environments in developing
simple and robust computer systems and the
education and training that will support its
ongoing use and development. This KTP will focus
on the scheduling of the rotary moulders and
the use of buffer management, which are both
strategically important to Amberol.
The knowledge-based KTP team brings together
computing and management expertise in
developing action research evidence regarding
the practical application of this theory to an SME,
where the cost and sophistication of commercial
systems is currently neither feasible, warranted
or available.
The quality of our research environment was
identified to be 25% internationally excellent (3*)
and 75% internationally recognised (2*).
31

LINK Magazine Spring 2015 - Nottingham Trent University

Transcription

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