Pulse Issue 7

PULSE News and opinion from Liverpool Hope Business School February 2020 | Issue 7

STEPPING STONES TO SUCCESS

Working with businesses to place students into the heart of industry

PLACEMENT YEARS

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

YOUNG ENTERPRISE

New scheme launches

Alumni share career successes

Finalists announced

News and opinion from Liverpool Hope Business School February 2020 | Issue 7

WELCOME TO PULSE Ensuring our students are well prepared to take the first steps on the career ladder is at the heart of both the curriculum and teaching styles in the Business School.

As well as lectures and seminars, students are challenged to put their learning into practice through a series of lessons with a difference. On pages 4 - 5, we hear from students who were tasked with creating and floating a business on the stock market.

Meanwhile, a guest lecture from former Head of the FA Brian Barwick (page 6), and a trip to crazy golf (page 7), allowed students to put questions to the experts and see a business model in operation.

The importance of on-the-job experience has also been recognised with a new placement year scheme – introduced at the start of the academic year. This is open to all Liverpool Hope students and aims to develop them professionally, as well as give them an impressive addition to their CV. Elsewhere, the Business School continues to expand its course offerings with the launch of an exciting new Economics programme (page 9). Proving popular among applicants, we look forward to welcoming new students to the course in September.

Dr Clay Gransden Senior Lecturer in Marketing

IN THIS ISSUE

NEWS IN BRIEF Students showcase social media skills

Hope Solutions continues to go from strength-to-strength, with students from across the Business School working with a number of local organisations on their social media and marketing strategies.

Several students are working with Liverpool Society of Chartered Accountants to support the social media output of the student branch, while Simpsons Tavern – a chophouse in central London that has been running since 1757 – has also commissioned the help of our students.

Also among the projects running this year, is a partnership with Liverpool City Council, whereby students are helping to develop a social marketing and media campaign around the Council’s Sustainable Urban Development scheme.

Hope Solutions launched in October 2018, and is a student-led consultancy service that aims to connect students, academic experts and businesses through innovative projects.

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Placement year scheme launches

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Alumni talk career success

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Immersive learning brings business to life

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New Economics course announced

Past projects have seen Business School students working on social media with the Crowne Plaza Hotel at Liverpool John Lennon Airport, and conducting a competitor audit for local gaming company Ripstone.

Teams through to Young Enterprise final

If you’re a company with a business problem that needs solving, email hopesolutions@hope.ac.uk to find out more about how we can work with you.

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Former FA Head shares career insights

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SPOTLIGHT

Placement years help students get a step ahead

Liverpool Hope launches exciting new placement year scheme for students across the University.

Placement years were introduced across Liverpool Hope University in September 2019, ensuring students have the opportunity for coveted on-the-job experience.

“Hosting a Hope placement student has been an asset to our business. Joe contributed to exciting projects and we hope he applies for a graduate position with us when he finishes his degree.”

Students who chose to take advantage of the scheme will spend an additional academic year – between second and third year – in the workplace gaining industry insight and experience. The placement is a minimum of 1,200 hours and spent across one or two positions.

The placement year will be an option for all undergraduate students at Hope. The Careers and Employability Team will manage the process and support academic departments.

Liverpool Hope Business School student Joseph Dunwell completed an Accounting placement year in 2018-19.

Talking about the experience, he said: “My placement year has given me life-changing personal and professional experience. The opportunity has confirmed my career plans and developed my professional network.”

Joseph’s placement was with national accountancy firm Sedulo. The company’s HR Director Jess Walton said:

Anna Worsley, Senior Employment & Placement Officer at Liverpool Hope, explained how a competitive graduate labour market means placement opportunities are more important than ever.

She said: “According to the Highfliers report, 33 per cent of graduate jobs go to students who have already worked in that company through an internship or placement year.

“Hope’s placement year is a fantastic addition to our student experience that will place our graduates a step ahead when they launch their careers.”

To find out more about the placement year scheme, email careers@hope.ac.uk PULSE Magazine | 3

FEATURE

Taking the reigns

An immersive learning session exposed first year students to the realities of founding and managing their own business.

Creating a business and managing it through the highs and lows of a series of real-world scenarios, was the task facing teams of first year students at a special Business Simulation event.

Using their diverse skillsets, Marketing, Business Management, and Accounting & Finance students came together to create companies, which were then floated on a simulated stock market.

An algorithm assesses how each team’s decisions may impact their companies’ performance across a six-year period, challenging the students to think outside the box.

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By immersing students in a simulation event, they are taught that decisions have consequences for important partners, such as shareholders.

It challenges them to think about issues they may never have considered previously, and develop skills to make the right choices under pressure.

Find out what our students who took part in the Business Simulation event had to say about their experience.

FEATURE Max Woodhall, Business Management “This style of teaching is a great way to bring people out of themselves, and encourages you to talk to others.

You get to learn things you wouldn’t get in a lecture, such as the where and how elements of business come about.

“I enjoyed having the opportunity to look at finance statements and revenue, as it provides an understanding of more than just the profits and margins.

“As well as the sales, we were tasked with considering the wider aspects of business, such as reputation, perception and the morale of

employees. The session brought a focus on the personal elements of business, as well as the challenge of monitoring growth and spend.”

This style of teaching is a great way to bring people out of themselves.

Aleksandra Augusiewicz, Accounting & Finance “The session was very informative and business orientated, with real-world scenarios that give an insight into what running a business involves.

“I studied Accounting and Economics in school, which meant I’ve had some experience with balance sheets and statements, but I’ve never worked with them across such a long period.

“It was a great opportunity, as I would like to run my own business in the future. I’d like to open a restaurant that is based around vegetarian/vegan lifestyles.

“The Business Management side of the activity was new to me and quite a learning curve.”

Kieran Bradley, Accounting & Finance and Business Management “Seeing just how much has to go into running a business, has been a real eye-opener. For example, having to understand wages based on salary and seeing real-life scenarios.

“There’s a lot you have to research, including looking at where the growth is to see if you should take risks.

“I’ve never done an exercise like this before, but have really enjoyed the hands-on experience and getting to put what we’ve been taught in lectures and seminars into practice.”

Seeing just how much has to go into running a business, has been a real eye-opener.

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HIGHLIGHTS

Former FA Head shares sports industry insights

Business School students hear from Football Association chief executive Brian Barwick.

A special guest talk from former Football Association chief executive Brian Barwick, saw students given an inspiring insight into how an Economics degree led to a glittering career in sports.

Mr Barwick, who grew up near Hope Park campus in Childwall, is currently chairman of the Rugby Football League, and a former head of BBC and ITV Sport.

During his three-year spell as head of The FA he worked with three England managers – Sven Goran Eriksson, Steve McClaren and Fabio Capello – and oversaw the completion of the new £789 million Wembley Stadium and the long-running ‘Respect’ Campaign.

The 65-year-old addressed a packed-out lecture theatre for 90 minutes; discussing his early life, A level studies and university, before recalling his rise to prominence as a sporting administrator. Students were able to take part in a Q&A session afterwards, as he shared tips on working in the sports industry and the habits of successful people.

“I didn’t expect to get into university and I didn’t apply,” 6 | PULSE Magazine

he said, during the session hosted by Hope alumnus and LLS founder Jordan Wright.

“If I had my way I’d have studied English Literature, but I went through clearing because I hadn’t applied initially. My A Levels were a lot better than I thought.

In fact, when they arrived I thought they were someone else’s results at first. Although it wasn’t my first choice, Economics worked out well for me in the end.”

After graduating Mr Barwick began a career in journalism, progressing from local newspapers to the BBC. He said: “I always wanted to be a reporter, but my dad was a policeman and my mum a shop assistant so we didn’t have anyone we could call for advice or a way into the industry.”

Speaking afterwards, Mr Barwick described his deep affection for Liverpool Hope. He said: “Hope is very much a part of my background; I played football on the pitches here when I was at Junior school and walked past this wonderful place every day. I think this is a great university and a great campus.”

HIGHLIGHTS

LESSON PROVES ABOVE PAR One of Liverpool’s most popular concept venues was the location for a Business Management lesson with a difference.

Located in the heart of the trendy Baltic Triangle, Ghetto Golf combines crazy golf, theatre, cocktails and DJs in a converted warehouse decked out in street art.

Foundation students were taken on the field trip to learn more about customer segmentation, and the development of services and products for Millennials and Generation Z. Paula Raper, Senior Professional Tutor in Human Resource Management, described how discovering more about how the Ghetto Golf business model would give real-world insight to the 50 students who attended.

She said: “On the course, we have explored how businesses must respond to changing consumer demand and understand market segments etc. A lot of the evidence supports the view that Generation Z and Millennials want an activity, rather than to merely drink and socialise – something the Ghetto Golf model taps into.”

As well as hearing from the venue’s management team, students were able to sample the activities offered, to gain a full customer experience.

THURSDAY 25TH JUNE 2020 LIVERPOOL HOPE UNIVERSITY Excellent leadership can change lives. It is vital in times of change, experimentation and adversity.

Liverpool Hope Business School and The Leaders Club are looking to recognise individuals who make a significant difference to the Liverpool City Region by demonstrating excellent leadership skills and/or promoting excellence in leadership in others.

Nominate your inspirational leader at: www.hope.ac.uk/leadersawards

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ALUMNI STORIES

Where are they now?

Many of our Business School students have gone on to diverse and exciting careers. Pulse caught up with three of them to find out where they are now, and how their time at Hope helped shape their career path.

Kayleigh Burns, Business Management A placement award launched Kayleigh on the path to a coveted graduate scheme, where she now manages up to 100 people and helps ensure the continued success of supermarket chain Tesco.

“The University felt very personal when I came to the Open Day, and I thought ‘that’s what I’m about’. The best thing about Hope was the one-to-one relationship and small tutorials and lectures.

“I was nominated in my second and third year for the Insight to Business Awards, and in third year I won an internship opportunity at Lloyds Bank.

“Part of the reason I won, was thanks to the efforts I made working with classmates to set up our own business while at university. We actually ended up at the North West regional finals of the Young Enterprise Awards. We won a best report award, which was amazing.

“I’m currently on the Tesco Graduate Scheme, which means I can be considered a Store Manager in smaller shops or I can be a Senior Manager in large shops. I take care of five Managers and about 80 - 100 colleagues, all of whom report to me. My focus is on business and leadership, and how to get the business moving. I’m part of running shops that take up to £1.3 million a week, and without Hope I don’t think I would ever have got here.

“I needed guidance on essay writing when I first joined Hope. This actually led to my tutor encouraging me to get tested for dyslexia and after being diagnosed, my grades increased considerably. I don’t think I’d have made it through first year without this support.

“100 per cent if I had to do my time again, I would come back to Hope. I wouldn’t change a thing.”

Nicholas Otaegui, Business and Media Studies After spending 10 years in a band, Nicholas decided to take a new direction, returning to University with the aim of achieving a degree that would help him to launch a successful career in music.

“Joining Liverpool Hope opened up a pathway that allowed me to not only be a musician, but also work in the music industry.

“The academic side, and the framework helped me to branch out into other areas, such as the marketing and promoting of shows, managing budgets and operations, and human resource management, which gave me a wider scope on business.

“I became freelance while I was at university, and by the time I left I had enough experience to be able to set up my own business. I now work for myself and it’s great.

“I’m a performing musician and recording artist, as well as an event manager and show rep for everything from small live music shows, to large-scale music festivals.

The support you get from academics is second to none.

“Looking back on my time at Hope, the academic side was very similar to where I studied before, but given the nature and size of this University, there is a real community between the students, and the support you get from academics is second to none. I’m still good friends with some of my lecturers and I graduated back in 2012.

“The degree has helped me to get where I am and I’m very fortunate to have the career I have.”

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STUDY Jacob Sanderson, Business Management University helped Jacob to gain more than just a degree. At Hope he found his passion and took the first steps on the road to a career that he loves.

NEW FOR 2020: ECONOMICS

“I originally began my studies at another university, but I felt like I was just a number. I had friends at Liverpool Hope, who explained how it’s a great university, so I came to an Open Day and fell in love with the campus and the culture.

“The tutors genuinely want you to do the best you can, and they push you in the best way possible - the teaching standard is excellent. The business industry is so diverse, and the tutors take the time to introduce you to different companies to help you find where your interest is.

“I work for the Liverpool Growth Platform, which is a social enterprise, that helps local businesses. My passion for this grew in third year thanks to my tutor Tony Bradley, who led the social enterprise course. I loved the module and idea of it.

“Every part of business that I learnt about at Hope I apply to my job. We got a lot of practical experience from Young Enterprise, and I can’t emphasise how much I’ve put that in to use on a daily basis.

The tutors are brilliant, the facilities are top notch, and the stats speak for themselves.

“Social enterprise is about propping up local businesses and looking after your community, so that all profits go straight back in to the enterprise and are used to help the community.

“Speaking to the Careers Hub is something I would recommend, they are brilliant. They can advise and put you on the right track. They don’t try to push you into just any job, they unlock your passion in business.

“I wouldn’t be where I am today without my tutors putting me on the path. It really is one of the best places to study, the tutors are brilliant, the facilities are top notch, and the stats speak for themselves. I really would recommend coming to Liverpool Hope.”

The Business School is excited to announce its newest undergraduate course – Economics*.

This is an exciting time to study Economics, great ideological debates, policy decisions and technological changes are taking place that impact our lives. These range from the direction of globalisation, international trade and trade restrictions, to trends in economic inequality, the environment and climate change, the gender paygap, migration flows, economic integration, and financial crises.

New for September 2020 entry, this degree will delve in to an in-depth study of real economic issues, based on a solid foundation of an eclectic economic theory, and an understanding of how economic policy is formulated. This will enable students to gain the analytical and critical evaluation skills needed to recognise how national and global issues affect a society’s welfare.

Students will be exposed to a range of topics, including Quantitative Methods, Econometrics, Intermediate Micro and Macroeconomics, History of Economic Thought, Banking & Finance, and International Economics and Finance.

The course is designed to provide students with the experience, knowledge and skills needed to succeed in the job market, by putting a strong emphasis on analytical, quantitative and research skills highly valued by employers. It will also develop a student’s ability to apply the concepts, theories and quantitative methods to business and public policy decisions, in a diverse range of settings.

Find out more about the course at: www.hope.ac.uk/undergraduate/ undergraduatecourses/economics *subject to validation

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ENTERPRISE

The final countdown

Two teams from Liverpool Hope make it through to the Young Enterprise North West Start-up Final.

Teams of eager young entrepreneurs gathered to hear if their business initiative would be moving forward to the Regional Final of the Young Enterprise awards.

After presenting their pitches to a judging panel made up of industry experts from local businesses, the successful teams were announced.

Two teams from Liverpool Hope Business School’s Young Enterprise programme were selected to go through; Seedlings and Bella Beauty.

Katie Moore, Managing Director of Seedlings, said: “Young Enterprise has been invaluable in teaching our team that if there’s determination and positivity, then you can create something fantastic from nothing.

“Young Enterprise presented challenges and triumphs throughout the first stage, which reflected a real-life experience of running a business, which added so much value to our degrees. Winning the Young Enterprise Liverpool Hope Finals was an amazing experience, and gave us the motivation we needed to continue the hard work to build Seedlings.”

“Working with and getting to know the teams over a period of weeks, and watching them learn to work together and discover how best to deal with the many different challenges of taking a product or service to market is always immensely satisfying. I never fail to have a sense of real pride in their achievements: seeing them perform so well together at the final presentations is always a highlight.”

Tony Bradley, Tutor in Entrepreneurship and the Business School’s Young Enterprise Coordinator, added: “Young Enterprise has become one of the cornerstones of the degrees in Business Management at Liverpool Hope.

“Every single one of our second-year undergraduate students has the opportunity of working in a team, to create their own real, trading business start-up, completely from scratch.

“Our successes, in recent years, show the immense dedication, hard work and creativity of Hope business students. Each year there are amazing new businesses, and Seedlings and Bella Beauty are no exception.”

Hems de Winter, of Hems De Winter Consulting, has helped to support the scheme in recent years, most recently by mentoring Bella Beauty.

The Young Enterprise North West Start-up Final will take place at the University of Central Lancashire on 26th February, and Young Enterprise alumna Hannah Houghton will be co-hosting the event.

Speaking about the experience, he said: “It has been a privilege to have had the opportunity to be part of the Young Enterprise team and sharing my experience of running a business.

Hannah, who is a final year student at Liverpool Hope and Managing Director of Young Enterprise start-up Sweet Sips, is the first-ever alumni member invited to co-host the event.

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THE BUSINESS SCHOOL

ABOUT US: LIVERPOOL HOPE BUSINESS SCHOOL The Business School curriculum is cutting-edge with all teaching research-informed and delivered by staff with both professional and practical backgrounds. A high number of staff have PhDs, while three members of the School have run successful businesses. This means the School is highly qualified at an academic, professional and experiential level, to engage in research that connects with the business sector.

The School works closely with accreditation bodies and is a member of various professional networks.

These include the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), the Chartered Association of Business Schools (CABS), the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and Professional Liverpool.

With strong links to a range of leading local and national companies, professional bodies and organisations, and a range of innovative ethical and social enterprises, the School has a reputation for developing students with sound theoretical principles and a thorough understanding of contemporary business practices. Guest lecturers and practitioner input allows students the opportunity to visit companies, study abroad and work via Young Enterprise to develop and run their own business.

WHO WE WORK WITH:

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CLUB

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CLUB

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To find out more please visit: www.hope.ac.uk/businessschool

Pulse is published by Liverpool Hope Business School, Hope Park, L16 9JD.

T: 0151 291 3087 E: businessschool@hope.ac.uk

The views expressed in the magazine are those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent those of Liverpool Hope University.

LiverpoolHopeUniversity @LiverpoolHopeUK