Education and Business

SPECIAL REPORT: EDUCATION AND BUSINESS

PERSONALISED APPROACH Bill Snaith tailors a service to your needs COMMUNITY COLLEGE Stuart Laverick, an early bird spreading a college’s wings

FORMING PARTNERSHIPS Andrew Wathey on sharing expertise www.bq-magazine.co.uk

JANUARY 2009

DREAM JOB Pauline Wonders is passionate about working with business

SPECIAL REPORT: EDUCATION AND BUSINESS

DEVELOPING THE MANAGERS OF THE FUTURE Sunderland School of Leadership and Management provides a Sunderland School of Leadership and Management provides a range of management programmes from short courses through range of management to Foundation Degrees.programmes from short courses through to Foundation Degrees and professional Diplomas.

All of our programmes meet the challenges faced by today’s All of our programmes theimpact challenges faced by today’s managers and can havemeet a huge on both personal and managers and can have a huge impact on both personal and business performance. business performance.

Our range of Foundation Degrees includes: Our range Foundation Degrees includes: (subject to of validation) (subject to validation) • Leadership & Management • Health & Safety Management • Retail Management • Service Management • Service Management (Education) • Service Management (Salon Management) • Leisure & Activity Management • Leisure & Event Management • Leading Attendance & Behaviour in Schools • Tourism Management • Care Management • Law & Legal Services • Training and Work-based learning Each Foundation Degree offers progression opportunities to a final year honours degree programme.

In addition to Foundation Degree programmes we are able to offer short courses which lead to a University Certificate. These can often be customised to your needs. They include: - Project Management - Introduction to Leadership & Management We also offer professional qualifications accredited by the Chartered Management Institute.

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We are also able to develop bespoke training programmes for your management teams which focus on your specific training requirements.

For further details or a full prospectus please contact the School of Leadership and Management team on 0191 511 6189 or via SSLM@citysun.ac.uk

“By using quality management techniques learned on course I was able to find 23 non-conformances that caused costly delays in construction work. I reduced the reasons for these mistakes to 3 main errors reflecting quality checks not being carried out correctly and have implemented procedures to ensure these types of mistakes don’t occur in the future.”

- Andy Rushton Construction Manager and Foundation Degree in Leadership & Management student.

15/01/2009 14:12

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CONTENTS

CONTACTS ADVERTISING

06 NEWS Recent developments in the regions universities and colleges

16 DREAM JOB Pauline Wonders is passionate about working with business

e: sales@room501.co.uk t: 0191 419 3221 EDITORIAL Peter Jackson e: peter@bq-magazine.co.uk DESIGN & PRODUCTION

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EDUCATION AND BUSINESS

WELCOME This region’s universities and colleges are among our economy’s greatest assets, providing not only a first class workforce for the future but also with leading edge research, development and training facilities.

As the economic storm clouds gather, it is increasingly important that businesses look to the quality of their workforce and equip them with the skills to see us through harder times.

Given that it is so important, it was an obvious choice of subject for this, the first of our special reports with BQ Magazine. Each of these reports will focus on a sector of the region’s economy.

In this issue, we take a look at the ways in which our universities and colleges work in close partnership with business, we interview some of the key players and give a roundup of some of the latest news.

To provide you with even more, at the back of the supplement you will find a list of useful contact names and telephone numbers for the regions universities and colleges.

24 PERSONALISED APPROACH Bill Snaith tailors a service to your needs

30 EDUCATION’S BUSINESS END Matthew Rippon gives an external perspective on the enterprise activities of the region’s universities

40 SERIOUS ABOUT BUSINESS Laura Woods explains the University of Teesside’s core philosophy

44 FORMING PARTNERSHIPS Andrew Wathey on sharing expertise

PHOTOGRAPHY KG Photography e: info@kgphotography.co.uk ROOM501 LTD Christopher March Managing Director e: chris@room501.co.uk George Cheung Director e: george@room501.co.uk Euan Underwood Director e: euan@room501.co.uk Bryan Hoare Director e: bryan@room501.co.uk Mark Anderson Business Development e: mark@room501.co.uk

47 ON A MISSION Stuart Laverick, an early bird spreading a college’s wings

50 CONTACTS All you need to know

ON A MISSION

47 SPECIAL REPORT | JANUARY 09

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Room501 Contract Publishing Ltd, Unit 10 Baird Close, Stephenson Ind Est, Washington, Tyne & Wear NE37 3HL www.room501.co.uk Room501 was formed from a partnership of directors who, combined, have many years of experience in contract publishing, print, marketing, sales and advertising and distribution. We are a passionate, dedicated company that strives to help you to meet your overall business needs and requirements. All contents copyright © 2009 Room501 Ltd. All rights reserved. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, no responsibility can be accepted for inaccuracies, howsoever caused. No liability can be accepted for illustrations, photographs, artwork or advertising materials while in transmission or with the publisher or their agents. All information is correct at time of going to print, January 2009.

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EDUCATION AND BUSINESS

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NEWS

JANUARY 09

The region’s universities and colleges are actively co-operating with businesses to their mutual benefit. Peter Jackson reviews recent developments

Turnover: (l-r) Dr Phil Hackney, graduate Chris Parkin, Anross MD Rod Leyland

>> Accessing expertise Northumbria University was able to help out when Anross Ltd needed help in the development of a new range of buckets for mechanical diggers.

The University was able to work with the company to assess their specific requirements before designing and prototyping the products with the help of a graduate from the Mechanical Design and Technology course who was supported by the manager of Northumbria’s award-winning Centre for Rapid Product Development.

Rod Leyland, managing director of Anross, said: “This project enabled us to advance the development of these products and bring them to market in a far shorter timescale than would otherwise have been possible.

“By tapping into University expertise we can now project a significant increase in turnover by penetrating additional sectors of the recycling marketplace.’’

>> Appointment boosts learning programme Dr Jenny Naith has joined the University of Teesside’s Business School as assistant dean for partnerships. In this new post Jenny will play a leading role in developing

SPECIAL REPORT | JANUARY 09

the school’s work-based learning programmes, particularly at postgraduate level. She said of her new role at Teesside: “We’ll be looking to significantly expand the programmes offered by the Business School to employers. This is a wonderful part of the country and the University is a friendly, welcoming place with huge potential.”Jenny is originally from London and grew up in Guilford.

She is a graduate of Warwick and Middlesex Universities.

>> Knowledge transfer When Durham Pipeline Technology needed help with the design of a new cuttings tool, they turned to Northumbria University for some advice.

The company asked for assistance with the design of a new cutting tool to be used to clear residues and other material from pipes.

Although the Gateshead-based firm has expertise in this area, it decided to use a Collaborative Innovation Partnership to bring science to the development of the new tool for maximum efficiency.

Mechanical Engineering graduate Arfan Ayub was brought in to work on the project under the supervision of Prof. Mohammed Sarwar.

Prof. Ernie Appleton, Technical Director at DPT, said: “Schemes like these are great for small businesses because very often they do not have access to able graduates and Universitytype facilities. “

>> Let there be light A project supported by the University of Durham is set to revolutionise lighting technology and change the way people live throughout the world.

Dr Geoff Williams of lighting giant Zumtobel is leading a £3.3m project to develop a new form of lighting that is far

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more efficient, far more environmentallyfriendly and considerably more flexible in its applications than current light sources.

As the technology develops, its applications are expected to become widespread and revolutionary.

The Thin Organic Polymeric Light Emitting Semi-conducting Surfaces (TOPLESS) Project, part funded by the Government’s Technology Strategy Board fund, is on the brink of small-scale prototype testing at the new £10m Printable Electronics Technology Centre (PETeC), based at the North East Technology Park (NETPark) in Sedgefield, County Durham.

Project TOPLESS is a collaborative programme that bridges the divide between academia and commerce. The consortium consists of Zumtobel (Thorn’s parent company), Sumation UK and the University of Durham.

The motor industry is already closely monitoring its progress due to its potential to tackle the causes of driver fatigue at night as well as its more practical space saving capabilities.

>> Kids on Cloud9 On February 25th 2009, over 1000 of the region’s most promising young and aspiring entrepreneurs will gather together for a day of inspiration, opportunity and knowledge-sharing.

Conceived and brought to the region by the Entrepreneurs’ Forum, Cloud9 builds on the success of their student conferences held over the last 3 – 4 years, which have attracted big name speakers including Ian Livingstone, Bob Geldof and Tom Hunter.

Tre Azam, (The Apprentice 2007), who dazzled and inspired the audience at Start Local, Think Global, will return to the region and a stunning line-up of speakers will be announced over the coming weeks through Cloud9’s Facebook.

EDUCATION AND BUSINESS

JANUARY 09

To register with Cloud9 please email: Cloud9@entrepreneursforum.net.

Cloud9 is supported, partnered and endorsed

by The Prince’s Trust, Make Your Mark, Young Enterprise, RTC North, One NorthEast, Big Ideas Youth Challenge, North East Enterprise Bond, Enterprising@ and www.ifwecanyoucan.co.uk, www.cloud9summit.co.uk/facebook

NEWS

Cutting edge: South Tyneside’s new campus

>> Search in the third dimension A unique virtual world search engine developed by a team of experts at the University of Teesside is due to go live.

The Meta-Mole, created by the Centre for Design in the Digital Economy (D-LAB) based within the University’s Institute of Digital Innovation, will ultimately be a dedicated searchable online resource for the 350 plus virtual worlds currently existing on the Internet.

Philip McClenaghan, deputy director of D-LAB said: “We were analysing virtual world platforms and realised that there doesn’t appear to be a comprehensive service offering to list and compare key data for major 2D and 3D environments. We intend to fill the >>

>> Contractors appointed for College New Build Regional firm, Surgo Construction and national building giant, BAM Construction, have been appointed as stage two contractors by South Tyneside College to build its new multi-million pound state-of-the-art college.

Surgo will handle construction of the college’s new Hebburn campus, while BAM will be responsible for the Westoe campus new build.

The new development, which will be partly funded by the LSC, will replace the existing college buildings to provide a modern, cutting-edge learning environment for up to 22,000 students over two campuses.

It is anticipated that the final designs will be ready to submit for planning permission in spring 2009, with work set to start on site in summer 2009.

“ We wanted to set up a business that reflected our uniqueness as a group; as people with limitless ideas and limitless enthusiasm to deliver them.

As four women, we wanted to run a company that was fun, young and dynamic; a world away from the prohibitive ‘innovation’ to be found in the board rooms of the creative agencies we had worked for previously.”

Rona Askew, Emma Ailes & Verity Bonney, Tinderbox Events, former Durham University students

Universities are a fantastic breeding ground for future entrepreneurs. Rona’s determination to take charge of her own destiny prompted her to start her own business along with partners Emma Ailes and Verity Bonney. If she can do it, maybe you can do it too?

Read more about Rona and the stories of many other graduates at www.ifwecanyoucan.co.uk

EDUCATION AND BUSINESS

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Inspired by

SPECIAL REPORT |JANUARY 09

NEWS

JANUARY 09

gap with the Meta-Mole.’’

The Meta-Mole allows for the sharing and comparing of information and provides access to the latest core, technical and specialist features on current virtual worlds, as well as those in development.

In addition to the digital industry, the team at D-LAB believe there are a range of potential users for this service such as businesses seeking a platform for new commercial opportunities and academia.

time programme offers an opportunity to study for a Diploma in Management & Leadership (awarded by the Chartered Management Institute). It is aimed at middle managers with little management development experience or fast track firstline managers / graduates and covers four key areas: Your Professional and Personal Role, Managing and Improving Teams, You and Your Leadership Role, Managing and Improving Tasks. www.dur.ac.uk/dbs

of data about and experience in the airline industry. Every political, union and industry executive concerned about the industry’s fate will learn something from its pages.’’

>> Top marks for local University

Business benefit: (l-r) Gary Addison, Michael Neilson

>> New faces help local businesses South Tyneside College has two new faces marketing the college to local businesses.

Gary Addison and Michael Neilson have been appointed as field sales executives at South Tyneside College to help local companies learn about relevant training courses, which will benefit their business, as well as identifying potential funding.

“As a dedicated point-of-contact for local companies, Garyand I will be able to provide the immediate response companies expect in order to help them access the training they want, when they need it.”

>> Develop your career The Management Development Centre at Durham Business School will be running its next Professional Development Programme from February. This part-

SPECIAL REPORT | JANUARY 09

Durham University has won praise for the international quality of its research in a new national assessment of UK universities.

Durham was independently assessed as having world-class research in every single area of assessment across the sciences, social sciences and humanities.

Many of the University’s departments, including Applied Maths, Archaeology, and Theology and Religion are ranked among the best in the UK. Professor Tom McLeish, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research, said: “These results are yet another indicator of Durham University’s continually rising position as a leading research university which stems from the excellence, enthusiasm and energy of our staff.

>> Book launch A new book examining the problems of the international airline industry was launched at Newcastle University Business School last month.

Visiting professor Greg Bamber’s new publication: ‘Up in the Air: How Airlines Can Improve Performance By Engaging Their Employees’ was unveiled at the school on January 14.

The book focuses on the increased frustration of customers and plummeting morale of employees in the airline industry.

Robert L. Crandell, retired chairman and chief executive of American Airlines said: “Up in the Air is a very useful compendium

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First cut: Darlington College’s Business First director Terry Fennell marks the official launch of Business First

>> Business First Local employers are being offered the chance to hone their workforces with an innovative training scheme which will give them the best chance of business success.

Representatives from companies across the region were invited to Darlington College for the official launch of Business First, a special employer training operation. The college has appointed a dedicated team of experts to forge even stronger links throughout the region and offer companies the training they need for their businesses to flourish.

Branded Business First, the department is backed by a new, website www.dcbusinessfirst.co.uk For more information on Business First visit the website or telephone (01325) 503282.

>> College top for apprenticeships Apprentices at Gateshead College are the most successful in the region according to figures released by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC).

The college has been named the top >>

EDUCATION AND BUSINESS

g n i r i p s In s d i k r u o today St. Cuthbert’s RC High School, Newcastle upon Tyne.

Means more scientis ts like Am ie tomorr ow

Amie Davies, Science & Engineering Ambassador, Newcastle upon Tyne.

Biomedical Scientist Amie Davies is rather like a TV detective. Based at the Freeman Hospital, she grows bugs from all kinds of tissues with one sole aim. To treat and cure patients.

It’s interesting stuff. And as part of the STEMNET Science and Engineering ambassador programme, complementing Newcastle Science City’s work, Amie is bringing scientists’ real life experiences to young people today, inspiring them to take up careers in this interesting field in the future.

The future is happening right here in Newcastle Science City.

Science is the future. The future is here.

www.newcastlesciencecity.com

NEWS

JANUARY 09

performing college in the North East region in its delivery of apprenticeship and advanced apprenticeship programmes by the Learning and Skills Council.

A success rate of 94.9%, placed Gateshead College among the very best.

Chris Ord, partnership manager from the Learning and Skills Council in Gateshead said: “Gateshead College has created an apprenticeship scheme that benefits local businesses and students. The partnership between Nissan and Gateshead College is a key example of the incredible training they provide.”

Leaders: (l-r) Darren Austin, Marcus Stephenson and Asz Rahman

>> An Orange collaboration The University of Teesside has launched a Foundation Degree in Contact Centre Management for Orange managers throughout the UK. The specially designed management degree is a combination of taught courses, incompany training and work-based learning.

This allows managers from Orange to complete a degree whilst continuing their busy lives in any location.

The programme uses the internet and a flexible approach to learning that can be completed according to each manager’s

situation. For example, five of the managers are based in Plymouth and many of the incompany training sessions take place across the UK.

>> Ian brings wealth of experience to NUBS Newcastle University is delighted to announce the recent appointment of Professor Ian Clarke as director of the business school. Ian took up his appointment in early November.

Ian joins Newcastle from Lancaster University Management School, consistently in the top three UK schools in research performance, and has previously held professorial appointments at the Universities of Durham, Sheffield, and Glasgow Caledonian. His research has been funded by EPSRC and ESRC, and most recently he has held one of 17 prestigious Senior Fellowships of the Advanced Institute of Management Research (AIM).

On his appointment Ian said: “Newcastle is a vibrant city, and as a member of the Russell Group, the University has a strong heritage on which to develop a business school of international standing.

>> Professor appointed to Steering Group Professor Tom Redman of Durham Business School, has been appointed to the Directors of Research Network (DoRN) Steering Group.

DoRN is managed by a steering group of 14 from business schools around the UK. Tom is Director of Research and Professor of Human Resources at Durham Business School. He has been on the editorial boards of numerous management journals including the Journal of Management Studies. He has also been

Delivering innovative solutions to people and businesses throughout the region and we are determined to make high quality skills training accessible to all

SPECIAL REPORT | JANUARY 09

the editor of Personnel Review for more than 11 years.

Tom spent 10 years in industry in quality, production and HR management positions before re-entering academic life.

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Leader’s praise: David Cameron admires Sunderland

>> Leaders praise David Cameron MP, Leader of the Conservative Party has applauded City of Sunderland College for its award-winning computer academy and innovative approach to retraining local people.

His comments were made on a trip to the region that coincided with redundancy notices being issued by Nissan.

Mr Cameron visited the College’s Centre for Advanced Technology at its Shiney Row Campus.

The College’s approach to its retraining provision is helping local people get the skills they need to get back into work, change their career paths or progress in their chosen profession.

Vice Principal for Curriculum, Stuart Laverick, said: “City of Sunderland College is a leading player in delivering innovative solutions to people and businesses throughout the region and we are determined to make high quality skills training accessible to all.”

EDUCATION AND BUSINESS

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BUSINESS

JANUARY 09

COLLEGE SETS ITS SIGHTS ON BUSINESS IN 2009 As regional businesses gear up for the economic challenges of 2009, one North East college is setting out its stall to help

SPECIAL REPORT | JANUARY 09

South Tyneside College has made the business community a key target in a bid to help SMEs and boost the local economy.

Hayley Ward is head of marketing and commercial development at South Tyneside College. She said: “For almost 150 years, South Tyneside College has been offering bespoke training for the marine industry so we have immense expertise in developing and delivering training packages that provide real commercial results for specific sectors.

“Over the past two years we have been transferring this experience to the SME sector and for 2009 we intend to aggressively market our offer to ensure that local businesses are equipped to face a potentially tough year.

“Often companies come to us wanting one thing but we discover that’s not what’s needed. For example a company recently approached us for a communications course for its managers, as they were having difficulty getting their message across to junior staff.

“When we delved a little deeper it became apparent that what was really needed was management and leadership training. We were able to help the company access funding for this training and in turn make a real difference to their business.’’

South Tyneside College reports that its relationship approach is reaping results with achievement levels for business training standing at 80%, against a national average of 65%. There has also been a four-fold increase in business training at the college.

The college is investing heavily in training and, as well as increasing the number of work-based trainers by a half, the college has recruited two dedicated field sales executives

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Working for SME’s: Hayley Ward aims to equip local businesses to help companies identify relevant training and potential funding to support their goals.

Hayley Ward added: “The needs of business are changing and South Tyneside College is well placed to address their requirements.

“We know that we need to deliver value-formoney, tailored training, at a time convenient to the business and its employees.

“So this year we want to push the message for business that we can deliver the training you need – just like a martini - ‘any time, any place, any where’.” ■

EDUCATION AND BUSINESS

Your chance to shape your company’s future Despite the difficult times currently faced by companies, it is vital that you have the trained staff to help you maximise any opportunities. By taking on an apprentice, or training existing staff through the Apprenticeship route, you can make sure your company has the skilled employees you need now and for the future.

Interested?

Call 0800 0150 600 or visit www.apprenticeships.org.uk to find out how your business can benefit from Apprenticeships.

Funded by:

SCIENCE

january 09

Appliance of science Newcastle Science City is engaging students in science, encouraging them to think and to question Newcastle Science City has been supporting a diverse range of dynamic science education projects over the past 12 months. Its aim is to encourage more students to realise the range of careers open to them after studying science.

Karen Marshall, Newcastle Science City’s education specialist explained: “We have to ensure that we are well placed to compete at all levels in the global knowledge economy and to achieve this we want young people in our region to realise the enormous potential for them personally, of being part of a thriving science city.’’

As part of this education initiative Newcastle Science City has commissioned an international survey to identify science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) skill trends over the coming five – ten years.

The survey will cover issues such as potential skills gaps in the future and the relevance of the curriculum to science careers.

These results can then be used to help create and shape a skills base to give Newcastle the best competitive advantage in terms of the available workforce.

At present many students see scientific careers through TV series such as CSI Miami. This raises the interest of young people in science, giving them the chance to invent the next generation of aero engines, create and produce new drugs and to work to develop new financial or IT products. But it is also felt that students still need to understand that choosing to study STEM subjects can lead to exciting work on projects that address issues such as climate change and curing disease.

So Newcastle Science City encourages students to consider studying biology, physics, chemistry, maths and engineering so that they do not restrict their potential career paths and to give themselves a head start by acquiring transferable skills.

SPECIAL REPORT | january 09

Schools in Newcastle have blazed a trail in recent months with imaginative science teaching to inspire their students and fire their interest in chemistry, biology and physics and this work is now being extended to primary schools.

Science teaching practice is changing with many science teachers now following an inquiry based curriculum, whereby teachers establish tasks and then support students to follow their own lines of inquiry, drawing on existing knowledge and taking advice from the teacher.

This is aimed at encouraging students to take responsibility for their learning and to

themed lessons and have established parent and student science clubs and have forged close relationships with businesses.

Newcastle Science City believes that STEM skills creates employees who can analyse, identify and solve problems, question why things are done in certain ways, and be enterprising, creative and innovative. It argues that not only will scientific businesses benefit from a generation of thinkers who are creative and able to think for themselves, studying, but that all companies would welcome the chance to employ such young people Karen Marshall added: “Businesses can encourage more young people to choose to

Searching for answers: clockwise from front, Alison Shaw, Nadia Tariq, Rubi Lawson and Lily Baker at Killhope Mine engage fully in the learning process.

Sacred Heart RC School students, for example, have been down Killhope Mine for a chemistry lesson to learn about extracting metals.

Other schools such as Walker Technology College, St Cuthberts RC School and Heaton Manor have also embraced Science City-

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study STEM subjects and follow STEM careers by promoting the benefits and wide range of STEM careers on offer, sending a clear message to students that studying a STEM subjects offers many opportunities as well as being likely to lead to a highly paid job.’’ n

EDUCATION AND BUSINESS

INTERVIEW

january 09

DON’T LOOK AT LEARNING AS AN ADD ON There is huge untapped potential in the workplace and Pauline Wonders is determined to help unlock it, as Peter Jackson reports Pauline Wonders is doing her dream job, bringing together the worlds of academia and business.

She heads up the University of Sunderland’s Centre for Flexible Learning, a new centre which works with all the university’s faculties to co-ordinate the flexible learning being offered to the corporate world.

And Pauline herself is familiar with that corporate world, having worked as an accountant for 20 years and latterly as the deputy director of finance at Newcastle’s RVI. “I took a decision about 10 years ago that life’s too short and when the Freeman and RVI merged I took the opportunity to do something different,’’ she says. “I’ve always wanted to teach but I’ve also always had a strong pull towards business, so now, having one foot in the business world and one in the academic world is the perfect fit for me.’’

The crux of her job is to work with business and corporate clients to ensure that the university addresses their needs and, in doing so, strengthens the regional and national economies.

She has a passionate belief that the university can be instrumental in helping employers realise the full potential of their employees.

“There are hundreds of thousands of people in work who - for a multitude of reasons – didn’t get a higher education when they left school but who have a huge amount to offer,’’ she says.

“There are so many people in work who don’t have that higher education qualification, because they don’t think they are worthy or

SPECIAL REPORT | january 09

don’t think it’s for them, or missed their opportunity, but the level of intelligence and knowledge in people in the workplace is absolutely astounding and we need to capture that.

“In the Centre for Flexible Learning we are about understanding what businesses need in terms of the skills and knowledge of the existing workforce and developing programmes to help individuals get higher education qualifications but also to provide a return on investment to the employer.’’

Pauline concedes that much good work is currently being done in terms of training, but employers should try to move to a philosophy of life-long learning, which makes their staff more reflective, will give them the confidence to work more creatively.

“If I could give businesses one piece of advice from the heart, it would be: don’t look at learning as an add-on. It’s not an add-on, it’s absolutely integral to your business and it shouldn’t be something you do as well as training; it should be instead of training, and it should never been seen as a nice little extra

because learning is crucial to development.’’

To ensure that businesses and staff get the most out of higher education and flexible learning, the university works closely with the employer to allow the employer to drive the assessment strategy.

“One thing I’m passionate about is that when I’m first working with a business we have to determine what their return on investment needs to be and what will the students bring back to the business?’’ says Pauline. “Is it increased sales, reduced costs, improved efficiency, improved productivity? That then gives you an idea of how you need to go about developing a programme.’’

The university offers a number of short courses to businesses, which can be accredited. It has, for example, been working with South Tyneside Council for two years and it has a short course on Leadership Management embedded in the council’s Leadership Academy.

The course is run every six months and runs for one day a month and at the end the students have earned 60 >>

One thing I’m passionate about is that when I’m first working with a business we have to determine what their return on investment needs to be and what will the students bring back to the business?

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INTERVIEW

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INTERVIEW

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undergraduate credits at Level 1.

It originated from a discussion with South Tyneside Council on precisely what it wanted its people to get from a personal development programme and how exactly it wanted them to have changed.

“There was a big element of them being able to manage a project,’’ she explains. “Also there was a big element of personal transformation and development in mindset and attitudes. We brought the whole thing together and came up with an assessment strategy.’’

The university has also introduced Master Classes, which are short bursts of learning, taking a half day or full day. It has provided a series of these classes on marketing and customer value for a local primary care trust.

“We ran it over one day to give some basic models and some idea of what marketing is and its techniques, we ran it as a facilitated workshop. We hope we can generate an appetite for something to follow from that, maybe a short course.’’

Over the coming months, the Centre for Flexible Learning plans to build up a full suite of Master Classes for businesses, drawing on the expertise of all the university’s faculties.

“The beauty of it is that it’s about us being flexible,’’ she says. “It allows people to take bite-size chunks of learning, so it’s more manageable and becomes almost invisible. It also allows people to study and learn at their own pace, choosing a pathway that’s right for them and right for the business.’’

However, for those individuals and businesses wanting a longer term programme, the University of Sunderland also offers bespoke corporate and work-based degrees and masters degrees. These are tailored specifically for individual businesses, such as BT, for which the university has been running a degree for two years.

“They came to us because they needed some high level knowledge and skills training in their sales force but there was nothing in higher education to develop those skills and only one academic text book on sales,’’ says Pauline.

But the university worked with BT to develop a foundation degree in Sales Account and Relationship Management and between 80 and 100 students do the course every year. It is

SPECIAL REPORT | JANUARY 09

delivered by the university’s staff at locations across the country and students also have access to web-based materials and tutors. Now the university is working with BT to develop a BA top-up course and a masters programme.

This is where Pauline really feels to be in her element.

“That’s something I get a real buzz out off, finding a skill area and working with the client to understand their competencies and see what they want their people to do, and then build a programme around it so they take ownership of it.’’

Similarly the university is launching a foundation degree course for the Fire and Rescue Service linked to their existing crew management training programme. The university has accredited that programme and has built additional learning around it to develop more strategic thinking and personal skills.

The university also offers businesses a consultancy service, such as where its Arts and Design School recently helped a local company design award winning packaging for its new gluten free cake product.

It also offers Knowledge Transfer Partnerships whereby a student, usually a graduate, will work for a business on a specific project for between six months and two years. Up to 60% of their salary will be funded by the Government and the business also gets half a day a week of an academic’s time to support and guide the student.

But, with economic hard times probably around the corner, will businesses invest to take advantage of the university’s knowledge and teaching skills? Pauline thinks so.

“I have not seen any impact of the credit crunch yet, but that’s not to say there won’t be, because training budgets are always the first thing to be cut. But there is a powerful argument that says if recruitment is going to be frozen, the astute business leader will be looking to develop and enhance the skills of existing staff. Really astute business people will look at how much his business spends on training and will replace some of that training with learning, which is more long term and likely to generate more return on investment.’’ ■

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Gateway to University Expertise The University of Sunderland has officially launched its new Business Gateway at the City Campus.

The Business Gateway provides organisations with access to specialist knowledge, people and facilities available at the university to assist regional employers to achieve their business goals.

Explaining the rationale behind setting up the Business Gateway, business development manager Vince Robson, above, said: “The new Business Gateway exemplifies the importance we continue to place on our engagement with employers and our communities.

“The university is a large institution, and the Business Gateway provides an accessible point of contact for those outside of the university to discuss their needs with trained professionals.”

To contact the Business Gateway telephone 0191 515 3555 or email businessgateway@sunderland.ac.uk

EDUCATION AND BUSINESS

EMPLOYER Training

W

ell trained, motivated staff drive up performance, improve retention and boost company profits. At South Tyneside College, we make it simpler than ever to gain business skills you or your employees need.

Whether it’s professional training, a short one day course, a tailor made programme or an Apprenticeship we have the variety of courses to meet your needs.

Why choose South Tyneside College for your training needs?

• Affordable quality – with some courses offered for FREE, why look elsewhere?

We've even got the capacity to offer subsidised training.

• Courses delivered by highly skilled and motivated staff with relevant work experience.

• Hundreds of courses to choose from – off the shelf or tailor made, we are sure to have the programme to match your needs.

• Courses designed with employers in mind.

We are committed to providing high quality, flexible and cost effective training solutions to business, both private and public sector.

If you are unsure about how we can help you, or just want to talk about your training needs telephone us on 0191 427 3696, visit www.stc.ac.uk/employers or email: cdu@stc.ac.uk.

promoting sustainable business growth...

County Durham Development Company promotes innovation and strategic investment on behalf of Durham County Council.

And we are the driving force behind the development of NETPark – the North East’s premier science & technology park.

If you’re interested in doing business in County Durham, it’s our business to help. To find out more about opportunities in County Durham, visit www.wherebusinessgrows.com or telephone: 0191 370 8680.

County Durham Development Company The Rivergreen Centre Aykley Heads Durham DH1 5TS Tel: 0191 370 8680 E-mail: enquiries@wherebusinessgrows.com

www.wherebusinessgrows.com

january 09

COMPANY PROFILE

REGENERATION THROUGH INNOVATION Like the rest of the North East, County Durham has had to overcome a fair number of economic challenges over recent decades, diversifying along the way There will be new trials ahead, but with a broader economic base, the County is better placed to face up to the unprecedented global situation.

Durham County Council has been at the forefront of driving economic regeneration and developing this more robust economy, a commitment also embraced by its business support arm, County Durham Development Company (CDDC). Encouraging innovation and strategic investment in the County, CDDC is playing a central role in shaping the County’s future economic profile.

A key part of that future economic well-being is NETPark, the North East Technology Park at Sedgefield - one of the UK’s fastest growing science, engineering and technology parks.

As CDDC’s managing director Stewart Watkins says: “We recognise that driving innovation and harnessing the region’s intellectual power is crucial to growth and prosperity. The North East is putting in place the necessary infrastructure and NETPark is an essential part of making sure that the region reaps the benefits of knowledge-based investment.”

NETPark’s strengths include an extremely high quality environment, access to some of the world’s most advanced prototyping facilities and laboratories at the €14m Printable

EDUCATION AND BUSINESS

NETPark: Where business and science combine Electronics Technology Centre (PETEC), land available for easy expansion to encourage companies to stay and, crucially, links to world class research in all five universities throughout the region.

Stewart Watkins adds: “The vision for NETPark was to create the ideal environment in which science, technology and engineering could

flourish – a unique combination of university research centres, spin-out businesses and hightech companies, co-located with knowledgebased business support at the NETPark Incubator which we manage.

“A location where cutting-edge research could be commercialised and bright ideas turned into marketable products and services.

“The support of the universities and the way in which they have encouraged spin-out companies to come to NETPark has been an important factor in the science and technology park’s impressive record of success. And the kind of tailored support we provide at the Incubator to early stage technology companies helps them to manage their transition to trading.”

NETPark’s focus on the physical sciences and the world class design, development and prototyping facilities available at PETEC have already made an impact in an undertaking that exemplifies collaboration between universities and business.

Bringing together Durham University and Zumtobel (the parent company of Thorn Lighting) the TOPLESS project also involves Sumation™, a leading centre of P-OLED materials expertise which is itself a joint venture between Sumimoto Chemical and Cambridge Display Technology.

The project is developing flexible printed electronics that within a decade will be printed like wallpaper, transforming the environmental impact of lighting and reducing energy costs.

This is what NETPark is all about - the application of science, building on the world class research strengths of our universities by uniting discoveries with new techniques and processes. Encouraging the kind of investment in innovation which will see the County better equipped to face the economic future. n

The support of the universities and the way in which they’ve encouraged spinout companies to come to NETPark has been an important factor in its impressive record of success

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SPECIAL REPORT |january 09

GRADUATES

JANUARY 09

GRADUATES ARE YOUR FUTURE The Graduates for Business (GfB) service at Entrust exists to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) successfully recruit the right graduates, matched to business needs. Dan Brophy, Chief Executive, Entrust, urges businesses to think twice before closing graduate recruitment programmes GfB’s tips for successful graduate recruitment Approach GfB for advice and support Be clear about what you are looking for Be honest and manage the expectations of graduates Offer sufficient support and direction in the early stages Think about the long term – what skills will your business need postrecession?

Carefully structure the graduate role to provide variety of learning opportunities Evaluate work and progress regularly using appraisals

SPECIAL REPORT | JANUARY 09

For many of the region’s recent graduates, this will be their first experience of recession and, while where’s no doubt that it will be something they remember, it could also be their chance to shine.

The small and medium enterprises, SME, market accounts for half of Europe’s jobs and growth. Each year, more than 300,000 students graduate from a total of 168 higher education institutions in the UK. This is a market packed with mutual potential for the businesses and the graduates who may benefit from new positions.

Businesses should think twice before closing graduate recruitment programmes.

He explains that for many businesses facing recession, the economic climate is one where managing with less is a reality, but graduates could be part of this process and cutting graduate recruitment entirely could be a dangerous move.

New ways of thinking and doing business are crucial to surviving the economic downturn across all sectors.,’’ says Dan. “Graduates with new skills and fresh ideas could be the catalysts for successful change in your business. A new graduate recruit who is responsive to change and will develop with your business may help you to secure a future

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in a tough climate. This added value alone is not enough, recruiting graduates also makes financial sense and is a cost effective way to recruit expertise.

While it is very important to react to the market, it is also important not to overreact.

The market will change and by shutting down graduate recruitment, businesses may create skills gaps that prove costly to fill in the future, teams and ideas may start to stagnate and businesses could lose the edge over competitors who are continuing to recruit.

The recession is a time when change can mean opportunity, not least for graduate recruitment. The services we offer at Entrust can help your business to survive.

The Graduates for Business (GfB) service at Entrust is there to help SMEs successfully recruit the right graduates, matched to business needs.

The GfB service, delivered by Entrust, has successfully placed over 1500 graduates with SMEs since it began. Entrust recognises that successful graduate recruitment requires a significant investment of human and financial resources. These resources may be scarce in current times but GfB can help. By providing hands-on support the service can reduce recruitment costs, provide day-to-day guidance

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JANUARY 09

through the process and may even be able to offer a subsidy towards the graduate’s salary for an eligible SME. GfB also helps businesses to tap into more than 500 registered graduates with local, national and international skill-sets depending on business requirements.

Given the recession, graduates are increasingly recognising the benefits of working with SMEs over larger corporates and multinationals; they see opportunities to build their CVs, have real responsibility, develop their potential and enhance their skills base. GfB can support all of this; in fact, the service has seen a 30% rise in graduate registrations since 2007.

Dan adds: Graduate recruitment does not mean you have to design and run a specific programme, a bespoke approach on a graduate by graduate basis may be more suitable and GfB can work with you to develop this.

While all the businesses involved have their own stories, the common theme is that GfB is effective and delivers results. The message is that graduate recruitment is too important to ignore or stop. Even in recession, graduates can boost businesses and be vital team members who can ensure that the future is brighter than it may seem right now. ■

New ways of thinking and doing business are crucial to surviving the economic downturn across all sectors

EDUCATION AND BUSINESS

GRADUATES

GfB is a magnet for graduate talent: l-r, Justin Turner, Managing Director, Carrot Media, Yvonne Gill, Senior Placement Officer, Entrust and Chris Barber, Technical Director, Carrot Media

Entrust attracts top graduates Newcastle based Carrot Media, a digital media agency specialising in graphic design, web design and marketing strategies, first worked with Entrust in 2005 to recruit a Lead Developer and last year revisited GfB to support their recruitment for a Graduate Web Developer. One year on, Chris Barber is proving to be an excellent match for the company and is beginning to realise a fantastic opportunity and the benefits of a role which can develop as he does.

Back in January 2008, Chris, a Newcastle University graduate, originally from Bradford, was interviewed and offered the position with Carrot Media. He settled in well, with support from Entrust, and quickly became an asset to the company but, after just six months was tempted by an irresistible offer from a London based firm and took the decision to move away. Shortly after this and following the loss of several other team members Carrot Media needed to react.

Justin Turner, Managing Director, Carrot Media commented: “It was very difficult

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being in a position where we lost Chris to a much bigger London based firm which, in terms of remuneration and benefits, we could not compete with. When several other members of our small team also left, we urgently needed to recruit. It was at this point that I took a decision to re-approach Chris.

Thankfully he accepted the new offer and role as Technical Director and has returned to Carrot Media and the North East.

“Entrust was extremely supportive and helped Chris to be integrated into the team. Their advisors were an excellent point of reference and had a structured approach which worked well. The financial support was another obvious benefit, improving cash flow and helping us to attract a top quality graduate without expensive recruitment costs.“ Now settled into his new and challenging role, Chris Barber reflects: “Looking back it’s obvious that GfB really matched me with the right company from the start. It was a very different feel to a usual graduate placement and now I have a really amazing opportunity with lots of responsibility and a chance to develop the role as I gain experience.”

SPECIAL REPORT |JANUARY 09

INTERVIEW

january 09

Personalised

SPECIAL REPORT | january 09

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EDUCATION AND BUSINESS

JANUARY 09

INTERVIEW

APPROACH Dr Bill Snaith is a passionate advocate of working hand-in-hand with organisations to develop learning that makes a real difference, as Peter Jackson reports

“Interaction not intervention’’ is how Dr Bill Snaith sums up his approach to working with the public and private sector on management and organisational development.

Dr Snaith, head of Durham University Business School’s Management Development Centre, explains: “Intervention is providing education or consultancy to an organisation without knowing them – getting in and getting out.

Whereas interaction is spending time learning about a client and designing and delivering a bespoke offering that provides real-time benefits.”

“At the Management Development Centre we pride ourselves on delivering personalised courses for our clients. We design the content, the materials and the delivery to suit the client, and use the organisation’s data to make exercises real. Participants benefit personally, and the organisation improves immediately.

We can also deliver programmes on the client’s premises if required.’’

The Management Development Centre, MDC, is part of Durham University Business School, one of the oldest and best regarded business schools in the UK. MDC’s role within the School is to design and deliver management development programmes to meet the needs of client organisations in the public and private sectors.

The emphasis is on practicality, on delivering courses that have real and immediate relevance to an organisation’s concrete needs.

The centre is staffed by people like Dr Bill

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Snaith who have enjoyed a successful career in business and management before moving to the business school.

“Everybody in our team has got strong industry experience,’’ he says. “We only recruit people who have had extensive experience out there - so we are certainly not academics sitting in an ivory tower.’’

The centre also has an approved list of experienced specialist associates working in the private sector which it can bring in to deliver certain specialist topics.

The programmes MDC delivers can be accredited or non-accredited, depending on the requirements of the client, and MDC also runs open programmes for individuals from organisations not wanting a bespoke solution.

“When you see the sign saying ‘University’, you immediately think of academics and qualifications, but I would challenge those thoughts; what MDC is about is meeting your practical organisation’s development needs,’’ says Dr Snaith. “Of course the benefit of Durham is a very high reputation for teaching quality and world class research into many of the issues that concern business today. So we can accredit your programme if you want us to, and up to the level of a Masters Degree.’’

One client for which MDC has run a highly successful non-accredited course is Faulkner Browns Architects, based in Killingworth with more than 120 staff. Faulkner Browns Architects is one of the leading architects firms in the country which puts a heavy emphasis on the quality of its design and delivery. >>

SPECIAL REPORT |JANUARY 09

INTERVIEW

january 09

They will end up with not only a change in their own management style but also, if teams in their organisation are not performing as well as they might be, a recommendation as to how they could change that To achieve this, it recruits the best architecture graduates and, to ensure that it gives them the best possible career development, the firm enlisted the help of MDC to design and deliver a project management development programme.

“With my staff I sat down with Faulkner Browns Architects to design a programme around what they needed. They didn’t want qualifications, they just needed clear outputs of their staff development,’’ says Dr Snaith.

“The programme, of five two-day modules culminates in a further one-day event where the participants make a presentation to the partners on what they have learnt, what they have applied and what they will do differently in the future.’’

So far the MDC has run two programmes for Faulkner Brown with 11 staff on each programme and, they were so successful, a third is now planned for 2009.

The international surface materials manufacturer Formica, on the other hand, opted for an accredited course.

The MDC ran a strategy event for the company’s European directors and a result of that was a decision to develop the key managers of the future, who would operate throughout Europe with a common management approach, common reporting methods and a common culture.

To achieve this, the company put 18 of its European managers on a purposely designed practical Masters Degree programme with MDC. The MA, which was delivered in the UK, Spain, France and the Netherlands, was designed around Formica’s systems and structures, and used its data for real exercises.

SPECIAL REPORT | january 09

He explains: “For example, rather than use irrelevant case studies or some standard format accounts, we met with the European financial director who gave us confidential access to the company’s accounting formats and materials so that we could build them into the teaching on the programme. We got the group of students then to critique them against best practice, to say what was good about them and what improvements they would recommend to benefit Formica.’’

This meant that not only could the students relate the theory of what they were being taught to practical examples they were in everyday contact with, but, from the very beginning of the course, they were able to suggest improvements to the company, essentially acting as internal consultants.

“This is the strength of our personalised approach,’’ he says. “Formica’s managers will graduate at Durham Cathedral on January 15, effectively with MAs in Formica.’’

He argues that one of the benefits of accreditation is that it can make the student take the learning process more seriously, as it eliminates the danger of a course being seen as a `two-day jolly’. It also makes it easier for the employer to persuade the student of the benefits of learning and development, and can be an effective way for an employer to reward and retain an employee.

He is proud of Durham University having been so innovative in its learning and teaching approach and to accredit this practical approach to a Masters. In common with all the MDC courses, there are no exams. Participants are assessed on the basis of their work-based assignments which always involve the practical application of their learning to their own

26

workplace with the aim of developing their business.

A course might, for example, include a two-day module on people management and the participants will be asked to write about the theory they have learnt: they have to define a team, and say what they understand about the development of a team. But, most importantly, they will also have to talk about teams in their own organisation, how they are designed, whether they are gathered in one location and what is the difference between teams in theory and teams in their organisation.

“They will end up with not only a change in their own management style but also, if teams in their organisation are not performing as well as they might be, they at the very least produce recommendations as to how they could change that, and at most hopefully report actual improvements made,’’ he says.

“The best participants in our programmes can actually produce new ideas, new theories, by taking the best of existing theories and mixing with best practice. One of the Formica assessments was said by the external examiner to be of publishable quality and yet it was practical enough for the company to implement it.’’

MDC prides itself on developing its programme’s participants personally and offering significant guidance on their assignments while still very much challenging them.

“These participants are clients, we know each one of them, we work with them, we know their role in their organisation and we give them very detailed feedback. Our programmes are true management development programmes, even for a Masters Degree.’’

And this reflects the MDC philosophy he laid down at the beginning of our interview: interaction not intervention, working in close partnership with clients to understand their organisation and their needs and so achieve together the desired result.

As Dr Snaith says: “If you have an idea or have a need then talk to us and together we can probably find a solution. We are not going to sell you a product, we are going to help you design a desirable future, or help solve your problems by working closely with you.’’ n

EDUCATION AND BUSINESS

makers of business leaders

Durham Business School Management Development Centre Durham Business School’s innovative approach to the regional, national and international business community is delivered by the activities of the Management Development Centre (MDC).

In-company Programmes You may need a bespoke programme to suit your organisation’s needs. Below is a list of some of the companies who have benefited from this approach, in the UK and overseas: • • • • • • • • •

Formica Faulkner Brown Architects Halifax Bank of Scotland NHS Plus Tarmac Umniah Telecoms (Jordan) Gibtelecom (Gibraltar) Gibraltar Health Authority Morris and Spottiswood

When choosing a bespoke programme, we work closely with you in your environment to further understand your needs.

We design bespoke solutions, projects and interventions that will improve both employee and organisational performance, utilising European funding - wherever applicable - to support our client organisations.

We work with organisations of all sizes and have designed programmes for industries as diverse as banking, architecture, laminate manufacture, health and telecoms

Consultancy and Coaching are also available.

Open Programmes Below are just a few of the practical programmes that MDC can offer you, all of which can be tailored to suit your needs.

Accredited • Executive Masters in Enterprise Management • Executive Masters in Leadership & Management • Strategic Management & Leadership • Professional Development Programme • IOD Company Direction Programme Short Courses • Strategic Implementation • Dynamic Financial Management • Finance for Managers • Managing the Whole Customer Relationship • Enhancing Your Leadership Approach • The Leader as a Coach • The Leader as a Team Builder.

Further Information To find out how your organisation can benefit please contact Vicky Welsh, Programme Manager, or visit our website for further details of particular programmes.

Tel: + 44 (0) 191 334 5548 Email: vicky.welsh@durham.ac.uk Web: www.dur.ac.uk/dbs/mdc/

TRAIN TO GAIN

JANUARY 09

SUPPORT FOR BUSINESSES IN THE NORTH EAST There is increased training help for businesses in hard economic times as Chris Roberts, regional director LSC North East explains

A helping hand: Chris Roberts head of LSC North East

SPECIAL REPORT | JANUARY 09

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The world is changing at a rapid pace. The way that we now play, work, shop and live is almost unrecognisable to how it was even 10 years ago. Perhaps one of the greatest changes is in the world of work. Computers and the internet and the overall pace of new technology have transformed the workplace and both employers and their workers have had to adapt the way they work.

The coming months will see more change and some difficult times ahead for employers. With job losses being announced on what seems like a weekly basis, economists are predicting a gloomy outlook.

Support is available, though, to help businesses cope with the economic situation.

Skills Secretary John Denham announced in October that over the next two years £350m would be made available through the Learning and Skills Council’s (LSC) Train to Gain service

EDUCATION AND BUSINESS

JANUARY 09

to help small employers train their workers in ways that will benefit them during the current economic downturn.

During these difficult times, it is crucial for employers to make updating the skills of their workforce a priority because having a skilled workforce will enable companies to take full advantage of any opportunities that may arise when the economic situation improves. It has been proved time and time again that training increases productivity and motivation among workers and helps businesses succeed.”

The Government is making the support of businesses one of its top priorities. The October announcement around the Train to Gain ‘new flexibilities’ has the potential to help more than 61,000 SMEs in the North East.

The Train to Gain service, which has been available to employers for more than two years, ensures that flexible, responsive training is delivered to meet employers’ needs through an independent brokerage service, supplied

by Business Link, which offers impartial advice to match training needs to local learning providers. A core element of Train to Gain is the access to appropriate funding of qualifications from Skills for Life right through to higher education.

The recent announcement described a raft of new flexibilities to make Train to Gain more employer responsive and better suited to meet individual employer needs. From January 2009: All Level 2 qualifications (equivalent to five good GCSEs) will be fully funded for all, Level 3 qualifications (equivalent to two A Levels) will be fully funded for all employees 19 to 25.

Level 3 qualifications will be co-funded for all employees over 25; a contribution from the employer may be required.

Providers have the discretion to agree the amount of funding contributed by employer.

Funding allowed for stand-alone training

More support: Secretary of State John Denham modules – ‘bite sized chunks’ in businesscritical areas, such as Business Improvement Techniques, team working, customer service and risk management.

Employer/employee will not have to commit to a programme of learning that will lead to the acquisition of a full qualification to access these units.

Leadership and Management programme will be extended to employers with two to 249 employees.

Alongside the additional support being made available through Train to Gain to help businesses during these difficult times, key government agencies within the region are working together to coordinate other support and identify any gaps.

Currently, a multi million pound package of support is available via Business Link on behalf of the LSC to help employers shedding staff and employees facing redundancy, preparing them for the labour market and the transition into alternative employment.

The increasing support on offer is vital to those employers and individuals facing the prospect of redundancy during the current economic downturn

EDUCATION AND BUSINESS

TRAIN TO GAIN

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Secretary of State John Denham also announced in October that more support would be made available for people facing redundancy and help for the first time for those recently made redundant and wanting to upskill. The detail of this is still to be confirmed but should be available around April.

The increasing support on offer is vital to those employers and individuals facing the prospect of redundancy during the current economic downturn.

The proactive work currently taking place by the LSC and its partner agencies in the region reflects how critical skills development is for the success of individuals, employers and the North East as a whole.

We are working hard to develop and deliver packages of support for employees and individuals so that they can acquire new skills and secure new opportunities. The North East has always adapted well to change and been ready to take on any new challenges thrown its way, and I believe this next challenge will be no different. ■ The North East has always performed well in relation to Train to Gain and is currently the best performing region in the country for achievements. We are also a close second in relation to the number of learners starting Train to Gain funded training. Since Train to Gain began in the region in April 2006, more than 40,000 learners have accessed the service and around 6,500 employers have engaged with the service.

The Train to Gain new flexibilities have the potential to have a massive impact here in the North East where there is an estimated 453,000 adults aged 19 to retirement not qualified to L2. This equates to 31% of the region’s adult population lacking a Level 2 qualification.

In addition, a further 327,000 adults in the region are qualified to Level 2 but not Level 3, with 40,000 of these aged 19 to 25, so therefore eligible for the training.

SPECIAL REPORT |JANUARY 09

BUSINESS

january 09

Looking at education’s business end Matthew Rippon, a partner at BHP Law gives an external perspective on the enterprise activities of the region’s universities More than 100 employers gathered at my university for the annual university jobs fair in 1990.

But, by the time I graduated the following year the economy had soured and just six attended the event.

Once again, economic conditions being what they now are, masses of students leaving their studies later this year face a heartbreaking and potentially fruitless search for employment.

Slow-downs always see spikes in the establishment of new businesses. Huge numbers of start-ups were created in the recessions of the early 1980’s and 1990’s, but those coming from academia into an employment wilderness were left to their own devices.

Fortunately, it’s not like that now. Our five universities (and many of our further education colleges) increasingly include enterprise in the curriculum and provide superb support for entrepreneurial academics and graduates alike.

Probably the highest profile of university enterprise programmes is the spinning out of businesses based on university-owned intellectual property. This is perhaps most effective in the old universities, playing on their strengths in research and which employ technology transfer officers to patrol the campus on the lookout for research that may be exploited commercially. Academics are employed and post-graduate students granted funding on the basis that advances they make are to be owned by the institution.

Occasionally, advances come to light that present significant commercial opportunities.

Often, an expensive period of product development follows, by a company formed by the academics, whose know-how is crucial to the success of the project. The university will get a minority stake and, in many cases,

SPECIAL REPORT | january 09

An expert’s view: Matthew Rippon venture capital or business angel investments also feature as minority shareholders.

Spin-out companies are high risk businesses but successful spin-outs produce massive returns. Arrow Therapeutics, spun out of Newcastle University in 1998 was sold to AstraZeneca nine years later for US$150 million.

Every spin-out requires the investment of considerable time and money. If, as a region, we produce a dozen spin-outs in a year, we will have had a bumper crop. On the other hand, each of the new universities will produce 20 plus businesses this year, which are, almost exclusively, businesses built around non-university IP; most are service-based but some, such as Chooba, a soft drinks company based at the University of Sunderland, are product businesses.

In fact, Sunderland was a trailblazer in this

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field. Now, where the other four universities have one incubator each, Sunderland has no less than three, one of which is dedicated to a single sector – commercial creative. And that’s not counting the National Glass Centre, home to Juo, Sunderland’s Blueprint champions of 2006.

While each of the new universities may be producing significant numbers of new ‘starts’, Cleveland College of Art & Design has been quietly producing world-class designers for years. Offering both higher and further education courses, the nature of the subject matter means that many of their graduates are naturally oriented to running their own businesses.

Live briefs from employers form part of the curriculum and the College has worked with Hallmark and Tiger Print. Marks & Spencer have also set live projects which led directly to work placements for successful students. In fact, one of M&S’ biggest ever selling greetings cards was produced by a Cleveland College graduate. The College also sends undergraduates studying textiles and surface design to Paris’ Indigo trade show as well as London’s New Designers show, where they manage their own stalls.

Lianne Hubbert, a tutor in BA (Hons) Textiles & Surface Design says: “In the past, many of our students needed to leave the area, but this is no longer the case. Now there is fantastic support available for business start up in the region. Combining this with better communication and rail links means textiles designers can have agents in London but the region can retain and support its talent.”

Roger Candy, who runs Enterprise Campus at Northumbria, sees the support given to Northumbria’s graduate businesses as a fundamental part of the university’s civic

EDUCATION AND BUSINESS

JANUARY 09

Rosie Willett Designs Rosie Willett started her business as an undergraduate back in 2003 but didn’t start working on it full time until graduating from Northumbria University with first class honours in Fashion & Marketing.

Rosie is a nationally renowned designer and manufacturer of bridal tiaras, which have featured on numerous television shows, including Carla’s marriage to Tony on Coronation Street in December. Her name is now mentioned in the same breath as wedding dress designers Jenny Packham, Stewart Parvin, Ritva Westenius and David Fielden.

Quite an achievement in such a short space of time and one that she admits would have been much more difficult without the support of the University, which has provided her with free workshops and a network of specialists on hand to provide advice. www.rosiewillettdesigns.co.uk

responsibilities. He is keen that the university is seen to be at the centre of a hive of business activity. The university, under his direction, gives extensive support and facilities to entrepreneurial graduates, academics and students. In fact, Northumbria will take in applicants from all over the region when the subject matter of the business in question plays to the traditional strengths of the university.

And Roger sees it as essential that the university works with local authorities and enterprise agencies in order to integrate with existing provision in the local community. He cites start-ups which have moved on from the Hatchery to the Gateshead International Business Centre and North Shields’ Saville Exchange. This is essential given the demand for space within the university’s facilities. After all, in less than five years since the inception of the enterprise programme at Northumbria,

EDUCATION AND BUSINESS

almost 200 businesses have been supported and for 2006/2007, the University made the nationwide top 10 for total businesses incubated during the year.

Meanwhile, at Newcastle University, attention typically focuses on the technology transfer work (whether into spin-outs or licensed to existing businesses) – and with good reason given the successes of the last decade. Gareth Trainer, who administers the enterprise programme, says: “It’s not that enterprise is necessarily a career option but that the knowledge and experience gained through participating in the programme is important whatever the chosen career option, be it enterprise, employment or research.”

The facilities offered at the university are limited to an open plan business centre but the university is looking at the possibility of providing further incubation facilities on campus.

Says Gareth: “For a technology business, the opportunity to start trading next door to some of the world’s leading academics in your field is a no-brainer”.

In 2007 Durham University launched a dedicated incubation facility administered by the Technology Transfer Office at the University’s Mountjoy Research Centre. The incubator is open to all businesses produced by the University, be they based on Universityowned IP or not.

Teesside now administers spin-outs, graduate and academic start-ups and curriculum matters through the Department of Academic Enterprise, and such is the success of the University’s activities, it was awarded the title National Business Incubation Champion 2008.

Eileen Wicks, who manages the Victoria Building and the provision of support to the businesses there, admits their aim is to encourage sustainable business start-ups.

“We want to stimulate an entrepreneurial mindset. After all, innovative thinking is what drives a business forward.”

And the reason for combining all the activities within one programme is simple.

“The fact that it’s open to graduates, students and staff of the University, as well as local businesses, means that participants get the benefit of exchanging ideas and experience with each other, as well as learning from the

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BUSINESS

business experts we bring on board,’’ says Eileen.

“The fact that we produce entrepreneurial graduates who go on to set up in business and make a name for themselves helps us to attract a greater number of talented students, graduates and staff – it’s a virtuous circle.”

And of course, talented academics bring investment, research funding and sponsorship, which means more, better facilities, which means more… well, you get the picture. ■ Matthew Rippon is a partner specialising in IP and commercialisation at BHP Law.

THAP Limited Tom Howsam and Adam Paxton met at secondary school and grew up just a few streets apart in Stockton. Attending different universities (Tom at Teesside, Adam at Bradford) they decided they would start their own business as web developers.

Eventually they took it on full time, backed only with a few thousand pounds they had managed to save and the support of the University of Teesside, and THAP was born.

THAP became one of the Victoria Building’s first generation, and has become one of the programme’s success stories. Now employing seven full time staff and based at Royal Middlehaven House, THAP delivered it’s first six figure project in December 2007 and the order book has been full ever since, despite managing to spin out their own project, Who Can Play, in the meantime. But it wasn’t easy.

“We worked seven days a week, all the hours we could find and did it all on a shoestring budget,” says Adam. “Without the low cost office space and support from the academic enterprise team I think we would have struggled to make it through the first two years.” www.thap.co.uk

SPECIAL REPORT |JANUARY 09

Creating the leaders of tomorrow, today

Regionally rooted, nationally

New Year’s resolution to make a career change?

Take the next step with Newcastle University Business School. We offer an Executive part-time and Full Time MBA, alongside a range of professional postgraduate qualifications to help you get ahead.

For further information, please visit our website at:

www.ncl.ac.uk/nubs/bq or contact a member of the team as per the listings overleaf.

influential, globally respected

MBA

JANUARY 09

BUSINESS AS USUAL

In turbulent economic times, the first reaction of many companies and individuals is to tighten financial belts, with the first casualty often being training and development budgets Contacts: Dr Andrew Simpson (Director of Executive Programmes) Tel: 0191 2430845 email: andrew.simpson@ncl.ac.uk Julie Campey (Programme Manager) Tel: 0191 2430824 email: julie.campey@ncl.ac.uk Kay Jones (Director of Marketing and Development) Tel: 0191 2430853 email: kay.jones@ncl.ac.uk Theo Cuthbertson and Jenny McRae (Recruitment and Communications Managers) Tel: 0191 2430865/0866 email: nubs@ncl.ac.uk

SPECIAL REPORT | JANUARY 09

But Dr Andrew Simpson, director of executive programmes at Newcastle University Business School argues now is t he time for both organisations and individuals to invest wisely.

He points out that studying an MBA qualification can often be the first step in providing both the organisation and individual with the managerial skills and entrepreneurial steer required to successfully pilot businesses through the financial downturn.

The need to produce high calibre graduates with a business-centric approach and a wealth of transferable know-how has never been more important. Hosting the longest running MBA in the region, Newcastle University Business School emphasises teaching excellence, practical employer engagement and the application of business theory into practice. The programme has been accredited by the Association of MBA’s since 1988 and sits within the top 100 Business schools as

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categorised by the Economist Intelligence Unit.

The programme has two modes of delivery: a 12-month full time programme and a 24-month executive programme, both of which are aligned to the school’s strategic objectives to be regionally rooted, nationally influential and globally respected.

The full time MBA programme is designed for individuals taking a career break and who may want to refresh and update their skills in an intensive, vibrant and multicultural learning environment. It also provides an excellent opportunity for organisations to invest in key staff during a sabbatical.

Andrew says: “Many of our full time students come to us from around the globe, bringing with them a plethora of international experience. Live case studies are then used to supplement this experience, culminating in a practical management consultancy module which has been built into the programme structure.”

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JANUARY 09

The management consultancy module provides the opportunity for students to engage with local businesses in assisting them to find solutions to, for example, a significant change-management problem.

Recently, a marketing project was commissioned by Ringtons.

Simon Smith, managing director of Ringtons says “I think it is an excellent idea for companies like Ringtons, which have been doing the same thing successfully for a long time, to get a fresh external perspective as there is always a tendency not to be able to see the wood for the trees.”

Andrew says: “We actively encourage our students to go out and complete projects with businesses where they can make a real difference. It benefits both parties involved as students gain the opportunity to put their learning into practice and the organisation benefits from the high calibre work which our qualified students produce.”

The major differentiator of the executive programme from its full time counterpart is as straightforward as method of delivery. The executive programme is designed to meet the needs of working professionals who are looking to combine their MBA degree with a professional career, while maintaining some balance within their home life. The programme is built around three-day teaching blocks, which are scheduled at seven points through each of the two years of study.

“This mode of delivery has proven desirable from both an individual and organisational perspective,’’ says Andrew. “For the individual, it means they can focus for three intensive days on the programme, while, for the organisation, it is much easier to adapt to set blocks of time, rather than short weekly - and often disruptive - sessions. The convenience, which the blocks bring is further enhanced by two entry points for the programme in October and January. The relevance of this programme, combined with its flexibility has led to more than 85% of our executive MBA students being sponsored by their organisations.”

As with the full time MBA, the executive students are also encouraged to work with local organisations.

EDUCATION AND BUSINESS

MBA

Programme launches Arts, Business and Creativity – A Masters degree designed to bridge the gap between creative experience and management expertise, in response to the growing recognition that entrepreneurial education is vital for creative graduates looking to set up or maintain commercial businesses in this highly competitive sector. This programme has been developed specifically for individuals working within the creative industries and is intended to provide entrepreneurial education tailored to meet the needs of employees and the self-employed. The programme will be especially relevant for those wishing to turn their artistic and creative talents to a viable freelance career or business startup, or for those involved in developing and growing enterprises (including not for profit organisations), within the sector. The degree has been developed in conjunction with industry practitioners, providing an opportunity for students to engage in practical business focussed projects.

The programme can be studied on a full (12 months) or part time (24 months) basis and comprises a number of different stages; Certificate, Diploma and Masters.

In terms of entry requirements candidates should normally hold an upper-second class honours degree or international equivalent in any subject which provides a basis for

As the majority of the executive students are based within the North East, their management consultancy trips are outside the UK. Companies which have benefited from the practical skills and experience the Newcastle MBA class can bring include: Thomson Financial in New York, Apple Computers in Cork and a wide range of SME’s in Warsaw.

Links to local and regional business do not just begin and end with the School’s MBA programmes. A range of postgraduate programmes including Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship, E-Business and

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involvement in the creative industries. This would include, but is not restricted to fine art; music; creative writing; design; media studies; business studies and management studies.

Applicants should also have relevant work experience in the creative industries gained on a full-time, part-time or voluntary basis.

If you would like an opportunity to discuss the programme, or are interested in supporting a member of your team to undertake their studies with us, please contact a member of the Programme team by email on: nubs@ncl.ac.uk or telephone 0191 243 0866 Other programmes which have recently been added to the postgraduate portfolio include: MSc Operations Management and Logistics and MSc Operations Management, Logistics and Accounting – aimed at managers operating in a variety of sectors including health, manufacturing; transportation; engineering; purchasing and education. This degree is designed to give students a thorough grounding in operations and supply chain management.

Strategic Planning and Investment – Designed to prepare students for senior financial and managerial positions within organisations, by providing a strong foundation of financial knowledge, analytical skills and an appreciation of managerial decision making.

Information Systems and International Financial Analysis aim to engage with the needs of employers on a regional, national and international scale. For example the Human Resources Management programme invites business in the north east to take part in an annual student placement programme. This placement scheme provides an opportunity for employers to utilise the skills of the Schools HR students in managing a project which will be of benefit to the organisation. ■

SPECIAL REPORT |JANUARY 09

TRAIN TO GAIN

january 09

Preparing your business for the economic upturn

Apprentices add value: Bill Oldfield preaches great benefits This may include retraining, refreshing existing skills and building up new skills for your employees. Newcastle College can help you achieve this with no cost to your business, through our fully funded Train to Gain programmes.

BNS Telecom are one of the many companies that have taken the chance to upskill their staff and get ready for the brighter days ahead using Train to Gain funding. Based in Northumberland with over 250 members of

SPECIAL REPORT | january 09

staff, BNS supply, install and maintain traditional telephony systems for over 25,000 businesses across the UK. Garry Moat, Chairman of BNS Telecom, said, “We have a number of employees who have signed up to an NVQ programme in customer service and team leading. The company made the decision to support competence based qualifications as this approach helps us to develop and equip our employees with skills which are relevant to our business.

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“Employees have an opportunity to put into place industry best practice and increase their skill levels in their current role, hopefully resulting in greater productivity, performance and competitiveness.”

We can also help you grow your business.

Apprenticeships help you to continue to grow and develop without the huge costs normally associated with recruitment. With salaries starting from £80 a week, it’s a great solution for businesses looking for additional support and skills.

Bill Oldfield, Director of Oldfields Restaurants believes there is a great advantage in employing apprentices in his business, “We see a tremendous value in employing apprentices and the benefits they add to our business. In terms of recruitment it means you can train someone in your way of doing things. They can be moulded into understanding the standards and culture that are unique to us.”

Ray Wilkinson, HR Manager, Mears Group Building Contractors has seen increased productivity and staff morale since employing apprentices.

‘Since Mears Newcastle opened it’s office in 2005 we have recruited apprentices each year, most of whom have attended Newcastle College’s excellent facilities. We believe that the benefits of this policy have included higher morale and continuously updated construction skills and best practice.’

Alan Coulson, Engineering Manager, Hartlepool Borough Council, argues that apprentices can even help companies address skills shortages and become the Civil Engineering workforce of the future.

‘With the skills shortage in civil engineering, apprentices are key to addressing that by training them up in the skills needed for the future….it is a great way to manage succession routes within your business’. n

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MKT_414

It’s easy to be pessimistic in the current climate, but when the market starts to pick up again, you want your business to be ready.

Which is why now is a fantastic time to take advantage of training opportunities as Julie Armstrong of Newcastle College explains

Get ahead of the competition

Whether you’re in human resources, training or have a commercial interest in improving the skills and motivation of your staff then Newcastle College can meet your organisational training and development needs.

We can provide you with: • Entry level training up to Foundation Degree qualifications • Sector specific training tailored to your needs • Train to Gain fully funded training • Work based Apprenticeship programmes We serve a wide range of sectors, these include: Business and Management, Construction, Health and Care, Engineering, IT, Retail, Hospitality, Tourism and many more….

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For further information or to arrange a meeting with a training adviser speak to our dedicated business contact team on 0191 200 4000 or email enquiries@ncl-coll.ac.uk

APPRENTICESHIPS

january 09

North East businesses benefit from Apprenticeships Businesses which employ apprentices know it improves performance: an experience other firms should learn from

Fun learning: Vic Reeves with Chris Roberts, Regional Director, LSC North East, with apprentice Nic Clark, of Cramlington, Northumberland, at Aston Workshop, Beamish.

It has been revealed that Sir Alan Sugar is to be the new face of apprenticeships. Sir Alan, who is a well known advocate of apprentices through the popular TV programme The Apprentice, will be fronting a new national advertising campaign beginning in February.

This will coincide with the country’s second national Apprenticeship Week, beginning February.23.

The aim of the campaign is to promote the business benefits of the Learning and Skills Council, LSC, funded Apprenticeship programme and encourage more businesses to take on apprentices.

Apprenticeships have changed over the years.

The programme has had different names and funding mechanisms, but the popularity of the programme with individuals wanting to go down the Apprenticeship route has remained consistent.

Apprenticeships are now available for people

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of all ages and in the North East there are more individuals choosing an Apprenticeship than ever. The number of people starting an LSC North East funded Apprenticeship programme has risen by 29% over the past three years from 11,190 to 14,410.

The government is pushing the Apprenticeship programme and wants to make it easier for employers to take on apprentices. More funding has been made available year-on-year and in 2007-08, in the North East region, just

over £48m was invested in Apprenticeships.

By 2020 the Government is committed to ensuring that there are 400,000 Apprenticeships in England, with 250,000 starts and 190,000 completions. It wants to see a genuine step-change in Apprenticeships, in the numbers of those applying, the quality of the training they receive and in the range of sectors and businesses offering Apprenticeships and seeking apprentices.

As part of this commitment, the Government is establishing the country’s first ever dedicated Apprenticeship service, known as NAS, the National Apprenticeship Service.

It will work closely with colleges and training providers delivering Apprenticeships, as well as with key stakeholders and with employers themselves.

NAS will drive forward the Government’s ambition for a renaissance in Apprenticeships, aiming for a growth in the number of employers offering Apprenticeships and providing sufficient opportunities to enable one in every five young people to take up an Apprenticeship place. It will provide an end-to-end service for Apprenticeships that includes: Employer Services; Learner Services; and a web-based vacancy matching system.

The new web-based Apprenticeship Vacancy Matching Service (AVMS) will help individuals to search through live vacancies and it will

The programmes are developed by employers for employers, they provide employers with expertise that’s specific to them

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EDUCATION AND BUSINESS

JANUARY 09

help employers, and their training providers, to advertise their vacancies to a wide range of interested applicants.

The service went live in December. A new regional team, based in the LSC’s regional office, is working closely with providers to upload their information and employer vacancies. The system will be available to the public mid January.

Chris Roberts, regional director, LSC North East, said: “The Apprenticeship programme has always been a success here in the North East and it is easy to see why: Apprenticeships are a great way to improve the productivity, loyalty and quality of staff through on the job, structured learning.

“Research has shown that Apprenticeships bring real business benefits.

Workforce development can be the first thing to fall during difficult economic times but I want to urge employers to continue with training their workers, and taking on an apprentice is one of the ways they can do this.

A trained workforce will mean employers are better prepared for the upturn in the economy when it comes.

“Apprenticeships offer training tailored to meet business needs. Because the programmes are developed by employers for employers, they provide employers with expertise that’s specific to them. Because

APPRENTICESHIPS

Research recently conducted on behalf of the LSC (Populus.

February 2008) to launch the first National Apprenticeship Week revealed: • 77% of employers believe Apprenticeships make them more competitive; • 80% of employers believe that their involvement with Apprenticeships has contributed to higher productivity; • 80% feel that Apprenticeships reduce staff turnover; • 83% of employers rely on their Apprenticeships programme to provide the skilled workers that they need for the future; • 88% of employers believe their Apprenticeships have led to a more motivated and satisfied workforce ; • More than three-quarters of respondents expect Apprenticeships to play a bigger part in

apprentices receive relevant training, they have an immediate impact and make a real and meaningful contribution to the business.”

Apprenticeships have an added advantage for employers in that they also offer cost effective Mr Roberts added: “Everyone living and working in the North East wants the region to

their recruitment policy in the future; • Two-thirds of respondents believe that their Apprenticeship programme helps them fill vacancies more quickly, while 88% believe that Apprenticeships lead to a more motivated and satisfied workforce ; • 59% report that training apprentices is more cost-effective than hiring skilled staff; • 59% believe that Apprenticeships lead to lower overall training costs; • 53% feel that they reduce the cost of recruitment; • In terms of the return on investment linked to Apprenticeships, 41% say that their apprentices make a valuable contribution to the business during their training period, while a further third report that apprentices add value within their first few weeks and even from day one; • 57% report a high proportion of their apprentices going on to management positions within the company.

perform well. There’s a huge body of evidence to suggest that companies which invest in training and skills do better than those that don’t. I believe that the Apprenticeship programme will grow over the years and be a key route for both individuals and employers to achieve individual and business success.” ■

“ I remember coming towards the end of my degree in Computer Games Programming, looking at all my job options and thinking, I’m not ready to slow down yet. I felt that I had many skills which I would not get to use if I just went into employment, so I decided to set up in business. Now I have the business all I see is new opportunities.”

Jeremiah Alexander, Ideonic, former University of Teesside student

Entrepreneurship is a great option for ambitious graduates. Jeremiah’s enthusiasm and drive found a natural outlet when he started his own business. If he can do it, maybe you can do it too? Read more about Jeremiah and the stories of many other graduates at www.ifwecanyoucan.co.uk

EDUCATION AND BUSINESS

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SPECIAL REPORT |JANUARY 09

INTERVIEW

JANUARY 09

SERIOUS ABOUT BUSINESS

Working with business is no new bolt-on for the University of Teesside but has always been core to its philosophy, as Director of Academic Enterprise Laura Woods explains to Peter Jackson

SPECIAL REPORT | JANUARY 09

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JANUARY 09

Laura Woods’ job is to promote and support the university’s engagement with business, a job neither she nor the university takes lightly.

“We take our relationship with business seriously because we are really committed to becoming the premier business-facing university in the country,’’ she says. “This is a major agenda for us.

“The university’s origins lie in Constantine College set up by a local shipping magnate in 1930 to work with business, so we have always had that remit in our DNA. We are from the region and have always had a strong mission to work with businesses in Tees Valley and the wider North East.’’

Even more emphasis has been put on this role over the past 10 years, so that it now stands alongside teaching and research as one of the university’s three key areas of activity and, indeed, is seen as fundamental to the success of both teaching and research.

For the past decade the university has played a direct part in building the region’s economy; not least through its Business Incubation Centre, which has seen some 125 businesses established.

In addition, its academics deliver consultancy to businesses and support graduates employed through Knowledge Transfer Partnerships.

These are government supported schemes whereby a graduate works with a company on a strategic project while being mentored by an academic on the project for half a day a week.

“Knowledge Transfer Partnerships can benefit a wide range of organisations,’’ explains Laura. “The combination of business focus, graduate talent and academic know-how and experience is unique, and can really make a difference to the bottom line.’’

Whether it is in Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, consultancies or workforce development, she argues vehemently that the university can be a rich resource for organisations, both in the public and private sectors.

“From a business point of view, the two things we have really got to offer are our knowledge and expertise and our people. And it’s a two-way process: working with business means we keep our teaching and research up to date and relevant, and give our own students the business-ready skills they need >>

EDUCATION AND BUSINESS

INTERVIEW

Our School of Science and Technology works very closely with the companies in the Tees Valley to make sure that what we are delivering through our degree programmes meets the needs of companies looking to recruit, and we also work very closely together on the design and development of programmes for the existing work forces We have an obligation to business and to act like a business explains University of Teesside vice chancellor Professor Graham Henderson Along with the Queen’s Campus of Durham University in Stockton, we are the only provider of higher education in the south of the region. So we feel a major obligation to provide employers with the higher skills they need to take their business forward.

For many years we have tried to make what we offer as flexible and as responsive as possible and we are getting much better at engaging with employers to identify their needs and in developing bespoke programmes to help them and also to try to help them through finding sources of funding.

In 1992, when we achieved university status we had 2,000 part time students out of a total of 8,000. We now have 25,000 students, of whom 15,000 are part time, so that’s a 700% increase in 15 years and most of those part time students are in employment.

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A lot of this work relates to the public sector and we do a huge amount of professional development for the health sector. But we now also do a lot of leadership training across a number of areas, moving into key areas of the private sector, and we have started to do much more through intermediaries such as the North East Chamber of Commerce or the Engineering and Construction Industry Training Board.

We recognise that, in order to work with businesses effectively, it’s important we behave like a business, which is why we have appointed account managers to interface with clients and look after their needs.

We are also putting a lot of effort into staff development to make sure our staff understand the difference between traditional programmes and the kind of programmes required by people in the workplace, and how they can use people’s work experience as part of the learning environment.

We have a major role to play. If we are not going to provide the higher skills for the south of the region, who else is going to do it? We take that responsibility very seriously.

SPECIAL REPORT |JANUARY 09

INTERVIEW

january 09

to be effective in work.

“We also have a number of facilities on campus to support business, including a nanotechnology clean room, a high-spec environmental chamber, and state-of-the-art broadcast quality sound and high-definition video production facilities.’’

One blue-chip business to take advantage of the university’s offer is North East Company of the Year Wellstream, with which it has built a relationship over a number of years.

It is currently running two Knowledge Transfer Partnerships with the company and seconded a member of staff to work directly at its Tyneside base for nearly two years, helping to develop a “total integrated enterprise management approach’’ to the way the company runs its business.

Similarly, the Teesside Business School is running a major accredited programme with the North East Chamber of Commerce, a Foundation Degree in Management and Leadership which is now into its eighth cohort of students.

“This is delivered exactly how the NECC members want it to be delivered,’’ says Laura.

“For example, through block learning on the campus, in the workplace, and through open learning.’’

The University of Teesside is a leader in three major sectors – digital, process industries and health - and in these it represents an exceptional resource for the North East.

In the digital arena, it is a key partner, with Middlesbrough Council - and with the support of OneNorthEast - in the Digital City project.

This was set up to establish a fast growing cluster of digital businesses in Tees Valley and the university was able to give the project a head start by bringing to the table its huge expertise in computing, gaming, animation, web design and all things digital.

The Institute of Digital Innovation was built on campus to house the university element of Digital City. This provides business and R&D accommodation along with laboratories for `digital fellows’, designated talented graduates, who are supported, over a period of months, to develop their business ideas.

“The fellowships are the primary route for establishing digital businesses,’’ says Laura.

“We have our research and development labs

SPECIAL REPORT | january 09

We have our research and development labs and we have our D Lab, which is a major design, research and development unit

in the Institute, including dlab, a major design research and development unit. We have a construction research and development unit in there and the building hosts a wide range of business events and activities.’’

The construction research and development unit works with major construction companies, including project and cost management consultancy Faithful+Gould, with whom the university has a Knowledge Transfer Partnership, applying computer games technologies to building planning and design.

The process industry’s needs are being addressed by the university working with leading chemical companies on technical research and development and through

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work force development. The National Skills Academy for the Process Industry is based on the campus.

Says Laura: “Our School of Science and Technology works very closely with the companies in the Tees Valley to make sure that what we are delivering through our degree programmes meets the needs of companies looking to recruit and we also work very closely together on the design and development of programmes for the existing work forces.’’

In the health sector, the university’s School of Health is hugely influential, with some 8,000 students studying programmes allied to medicine, training to become, among other things, nurses, dental technicians, radiographers and physiotherapists. The School works entirely through engagement with employers and the health profession. All its programmes and research and development are employer led.

The university has just started, for example, a training programme for paramedics of two health trusts in the region, which is an accredited programme run for about 200 students.

So the University of Teesside covers a vast range of business activities, but, wherever it operates with business, it ensures that its offer is tailored specifically to that organisation’s needs, with total flexibility in content, format and time and place of delivery.

Laura explains that businesses interested in working with the University, or finding out more about what it has to offer, should first contact the Department of Academic Enterprise (01642 384580; email enterprise@tees.ac.uk).

“We will then make sure that they’re put in touch with the people who can best help them. We take an account management approach to manage the relationship in an effective and businesslike way.

“We are serious about our relationship with business, because we can see how important it is to the region and, as a university, we have a real responsibility not only to transfer our knowledge to business, but also to work with businesses to make our teaching and research so much more relevant and useful - it’s a nobrainer really.’’ n

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ENTREPRENEURS

ENTERPRISING STUDENTS MEET LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS Enterprise education is moving up the agenda for Hartlepool College of Further Education Over the last three years, Hartlepool College of Further Education has embraced Enterprise Education initiative and this year, its enterprise activities extend to engaging with local entrepreneurs.

“If you ask students who entrepreneurs are, they will reel off the same old tried and tested people: Sir Alan Sugar, Sir Richard Branson and any of the Dragons’ Den panel,’’ said Darren Hankey, enterprise coordinator at Hartlepool College of Further Education. “As a result, many students think that being an entrepreneur is inaccessible and only for the rich. We want to give them a different view: entrepreneurs are just normal people from normal backgrounds.’’

A group of budding entrepreneurs were taken to Kiss Cut Technology on the Camperdown Industrial Estate, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, to meet its proprietor, Ged Hastie.

Kiss Cut is a new patented transfer paper.

Designed for inkjet printing the Kiss Cut process is unique in that only the image area is actually transferred to the garment leaving zero polymer overprint. As well as giving the students an overview of the business and a tour of the facilities, Mr Hastie provided a valuable insight into how the business was created.

He told the students: “I really didn’t want to work for the main local employer, the DSS, and one of the key traits of being an entrepreneur is being able to network. We pride ourselves on being at the cutting edge of ink technology and it’s through a team of highly qualified chemists, engineers and production staff that we are at the forefront of the digital printing revolution.’’

As well as engaging with local entrepreneurs, students at Hartlepool College of Further

Education will set up their own enterprise projects.

“Already this year, we’ve helped to set-up a fruit and veg stall which has diversified into making smoothies,’’ said Darren Hankey. “In addition, some beauty students will be setting up a nail bar and other groups will offer alcohol-free cocktails and a chocolate fountain at the college’s Christmas Fayre.’’

“Hartlepool College’s approach to enterprise education is a sound one,’’ said Mr Hastie.

“Not only do students come up with their own enterprise projects, but getting them to meet entrepreneurs will hopefully have a positive impact. I was very glad to help out and hopefully I’ve just met some entrepreneurs of the future.’ ■ www.hartlepoolfe.ac.uk www.kisscutpaper.com

“ The more you can learn and the more knowledge you gain, the more you can put into your own work. We have confidence in the fact that Urban Digger will succeed because it’s something that people want - a great networking tool for people to share their experiences and advise others on the best, non-touristy, places to visit.”

Sarah Taylor, Urban Digger, former Northumbria University student

People with an appetite for knowledge make brilliant entrepreneurs. Sarah is turning her fascination with gathering and sharing information into a successful internet business. If she can do it, maybe you can do it too? Read more about Sarah and the stories of many other graduates at www.ifwecanyoucan.co.uk

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INTERVIEW

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INTERVIEW

A Partnership Approach Professor Andrew Wathey, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of Northumbria University, describes the vital contribution Northumbria University makes in working with business, reports BQ Since its inception, Northumbria University has played a key role in the economic activity of the North East region and has acted as a partner for North East business. Over the past two decades, the North East economy has seen huge change, with the demise of traditional, heavy industries giving way to a knowledge-based economy. Northumbria has been instrumental in this phase of repositioning and regeneration and is in a strong position to help businesses through the economic downturn.

Adopting a partnership approach, Northumbria uses its expertise and research strengths to help companies find solutions to problems while offering flexible, innovative learning and training to ensure the continued supply of appropriately-skilled people.

Northumbria runs a major programme of partnerships to help business access academic expertise easily. Schemes such as Knowledge Transfer Partnerships and Collaborative Innovation Partnerships allow businesses to tap into the expertise of universities which, in turn, helps them to improve their competitiveness and productivity. The schemes are renowned for helping firms to increase their turnover and find new markets at very little cost. Each partnership employs an Associate – a recently qualified graduate, supervised by an experienced academic – to work on a project which is core to the strategic development of the business. The partnerships are part-funded by a government grant, which helps support the cost of employment, equipment, training and travel.

As well as providing practical, research-based

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solutions for companies, the schemes also offer recently-qualified graduates the opportunity to gain work-based knowledge and many go on to further study as a direct result of such programmes – ensuring the vital flow of skilled staff for employers. In recognition of the value of these schemes, government funding for them doubled this year.

Another flagship project run by the University’s School of Design is the innovative Ideas-Lab. This project works with regional businesses to help them develop, exploit and protect their know-how. It offers a range of specialist expertise to help firms discover new opportunities they may have overlooked that can reveal additional commercial value. The collaboration originally came about as a result of a collaboration innovation partnership run by the University, law firm Ward Hadaway and the regional development agency OneNorthEast. It has now teamed up with NetPark – the Sedgefield-based science park – through its internet arm NetPark-Net in an arrangement that enables companies to access a range of benefits no matter where they are based. Such benefits include a network of the

best expertise in the region, tailored business advice, a knowledge bank and virtual office facility. Since its launch, the demand for Ideas-Lab has exceeded all expectations. Now the team is working with a number of companies to maximise the value of their innovations and to give them a real competitive edge. The team is also currently working with NaREC – the North East’s Centre of Excellence for new and renewable energy – to develop patented wind turbine blade testing technology.

Providing training for staff is also a key area in which Northumbria offers support to businesses. Since its foundation, Northumbria has aligned its programmes very closely to the needs of professions and employers. As a university, we have gained an enormous amount of experience in understanding the needs of employers and providing flexible staff training.

One area which has grown significantly in recent years and one which we think will become increasingly important in the future is work-related training. Currently the University works with more than 1,000 staff from North East companies. As a university, we >>

Since its foundation Northumbria has aligned its programmes very closely to the needs of professions and employees

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SPECIAL REPORT |january 09

INTERVIEW

JANUARY 09

New build: Northumbria’s City Campus East

One graduate, who has been rewarded with a permanent job at the company as a result of the scheme, developed a scheduling system which could save Nissan a massive £600,000 per year

are committed to, not only individuals, but also the organisations, who apply the vocational nature of our teaching.

Through the development of a Work-Based Learning Framework we can offer programmes of study suitable to a particular organisation’s needs. This framework is ideally suited to organisations seeking to develop their workforce and who are looking also to benefit from accessing the knowledge base, expertise and facilities of Northumbria University.

Work-related learning can have a huge impact on a business, as learners are expected to apply their new knowledge and skills to their workplace. Experience demonstrates that this very often results in effecting real change and improvement in work practices.

One excellent example of this is the Newcastle Business School which has developed excellent links with a number of the world’s premier businesses through its Corporate Management

SPECIAL REPORT | JANUARY 09

and Development Centre. The reputation and high calibre of the programmes run by the Business School, which is based in the new and award-winning City Campus East, has seen a huge rise in the corporate development activity over the past year.

For the last ten years the School has worked closely with steel producer Severstal, one of the largest companies in Russia, which has almost 200,000 staff. The University has designed specialist programmes for Severstal, including an in-house MBA programme, which has so far seen more than 100 executives graduate, and a further 50 are currently studying.

The Executive Development Centre is also working in partnership with NHS organisations in the region, developing leaders as coaches and senior leaders and senior leaders’ commissioning expertise. The Executive Coaching Service, run by the Centre, focuses

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upon CEOs and Directors in the public, private and third sectors in the region.

Distance learning is another innovative method of teaching which is regarded by employers as being of real value as it allows staff to gain additional qualifications without taking time from work. Northumbria Law School is one of the key players in this arena with many courses offered on this basis. It runs the LLB (Hons) Open Learning programme where learning is developed through study materials delivered over the Internet. The degree is structured flexibly, allowing students to spread their study over four, five or six years. As well as allowing people the flexibility of studying without giving up their current job, courses delivered by distance learning tend to be well respected by employers as they demonstrate a high level of self-motivation and commitment. In addition, a wide range of postgraduate distance learning LLM programmes are available in fields such as employment law, information rights law, commercial law and medical law.

Student placements are another key method of offering business support to companies.

Recently two Northumbria graduates completed a two-year work placement with Washington-based car manufacturer Nissan, as an integral part of their BA (Hons) Corporate Management degree course at Newcastle Business School. One graduate, who has been rewarded with a permanent job at the company as a result of the scheme, developed a scheduling system which could save Nissan a massive £600,000 per year.

The above examples are an important snapshot of the work going on both within the University and out in the business community to help companies maximise the potential of their ideas and their staff. By working with business, Northumbria University is playing a pivotal role in ensuring the successful transfer of knowledge and the deployment of that knowledge is to the best advantage in regional firms. By working with employers we are also ensuring we produce skilled and appropriately trained graduates with the necessary skills to enter the workplace and make an immediate, positive impact. ■

EDUCATION AND BUSINESS

JANUARY 09

INTERVIEW

City of Sunderland College sees its mission as embracing the whole community, as vice principal Stuart Laverick explains to Peter Jackson >>

EDUCATION AND BUSINESS

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MISSION TO SERVE ALL SPECIAL REPORT |JANUARY 09

INTERVIEW

january 09

You have to get up pretty early in the morning to catch Stuart Laverick out – or at least to catch him at his desk for an interview.

The latest I could manage was 8-o-clock on a frosty morning, for Stuart, vice principal of City of Sunderland College, is at work by 7am, in order to be available for whatever the day may throw at him after 9am.

“Teams rightly have the expectation that if things crop up which require your attention, you should be available,’’ he says.

Given that the 45-year-old lives in York, he certainly needs to be a very early riser and dedicated.

And his dedication is as impressive as his background. Originally from East Durham, he was previously vice principal at East Durham College, after serving as an assistant principal in Rotherham and some years as a university lecturer in the East Midlands.

Also, for the past 16 years, despite the hours he dedicates to the day job, he has found time to produce the respected annual survey `Britain’s Most Admired Companies’ for Management Today magazine.

It’s good that he is so well qualified, as running City of Sunderland College is no small job.

With more than 4,500 16 to 19 year old students, another 6,000 adult learners, and an annual turnover of £45m, it is among the 20 largest colleges in the country.

It is located in various sites throughout the city, including the Shiney Row Skills and Vocational Centre where he is based.

“We have a dispersed approach because we have a policy that recognises that for a significant amount of students Sunderland has a distinct quadrant,’’ he says.

And, he adds, this is of a piece with the colleges determination to serve all sections of the community.

“A lot of our students come from families that have never gone into higher education. The level of qualifications we offer ranges from entry qualifications for students with learning difficulties, and we work with adults with learning difficulties, right up to foundation degrees and professional qualifications.

“We work on the adult literacy and numeracy agenda. We work with adults who are unemployed, first to get them ready for the interview stage and we get them through

SPECIAL REPORT | january 09

In the community: The college’s site at Shiney Row recruitment and then we work with companies to support them with further study, through apprenticeships or NVQs or professional qualifications.’’

“It’s something we are passionate about,’’ he says simply. “The one thing we are adamant about is that we are a large organisation and we must provide a service for all segments.’’

And one of the main ways in which the college serves the community is by supporting business.

The college does this with contact centres and

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other sectors. A major employer in Sunderland is the call centre sector and the college works closely with a number of companies, including npower.

“We have a good relationship with various awarding bodies and we have a good reputation for being proactive in developing qualifications with them relevant to businesses,’’ says Stuart. “For example, City & Guilds regularly come up and visit us and talk to us about developments. Also, with the NCFE awarding body, we have developed interesting products where we can accredit companies’ own in-house training as a qualification.’’

The college also puts heavy emphasis on developing apprenticeships to equip Sunderland’s workforce and to provide local businesses with the level of skills they need.

“We have been growing our apprenticeship provision which we see as crucial for young people and adults in the area and for the prosperity of the region. Businesses want and need quality apprenticeships, which are absolutely crucial to our economic well-being if the North East is going to flourish in the global economy.

“We would very much encourage businesses to get involved in apprenticeships. We have put in place a highly skilled apprenticeship team and we can get the right apprenticeships and match them up to business needs.’’

City of Sunderland College works in close partnership with Peterlee-based Event Cover which trains spectator safety stewards.

Stuart explains: “If you attend a major sporting event at say Twickenham or other major London venues, there’s a very good chance that the people doing the stewarding function will have been trained and received their qualifications and licence to practise through us. The London Olympics will create a great opportunity to develop that.

“This is just one example of how we do business, how we work closely with partners to deliver quality opportunities. We have some real strengths and we can work with partners where we complement each others’ strengths.’’

The college doesn’t only work with local organisations, but is increasingly negotiating national training contracts and is on the point

EDUCATION AND BUSINESS

JANUARY 09

Leadership and Management Case Studies npower The School provides project Management Training at 2 levels for npower which employs 2200 staff across five centres in the region.

Michelle Todd-Davison, npower learning centre resource manager, said: “npower is committed to investing in and developing our people. We offer an outstanding range of learning opportunities through our dedicated Training and Development team. We have found this to be fundamental in developing the skills of our employees and we also support them in gaining qualifications.

“Working in partnership with Sunderland School of Leadership & Management is part of that strategy and we are very aware that it understands the pressures and challenges that a business like ours faces. To that end its ability to be flexible and to provide bespoke training shows that it is listening to us and is responsive to our needs”.

Blyth Valley District Council The school has recently delivered a 15 week Introduction to Leadership & Management (University Certificate) programme that aims to introduce candidates to topics and

of finalising deals to provide training throughout the North of England with organisations in facilities management and food retail. These would be delivered in partnership with other colleges throughout the North. It would involve the provision of NVQ Level 2 and 3 qualifications in areas including retail, cleaning and security work.

He describes how the college has built up a network of providers throughout the country, so that it can provide a company with a wide range of training solutions while still allowing the business to deal only with the college as its preferred supplier.

In a global economy, however, City of Sunderland College is not only making contacts throughout the UK, but also

EDUCATION AND BUSINESS

concepts within these areas in a work based setting.

Candidates undertake a live work based project that will take learning in to the work place allowing for analysis and evaluation of work place dynamics such as communications, leadership, team and group working, cultural dynamics, the influences of structure, managing performance and managing conflict. Candidates undertook the course using Council facilities at their Cramlington offices and the programme has proved so popular that all candidates have now progressed to the Foundation Degree in Leadership & Management.

“This programme is helping to equip candidates with the skills they need to enhance their career during local government re-organisation. Having the programme on site was a big advantage as was having the support of the TUC and Unionlearn. Communication with college staff was excellent and students found the programme academically challenging but easy to understand and apply to the workplace”.

INTERVIEW

We have been growing our apprenticeship provision which we see as crucial for young people and adults in the area and for the prosperity of the region.

Businesses want and need quality apprenticeships

For further details contact Rob Whitton (Head of Sunderland School of Leadership & Management) on 0191 5116832 or via rob.whitton@citysun.ac.uk

internationally. In fact, as Stuart explains with a smile, I am interviewing him because the principal Angela O’Donoghue is on a business trip to Vietnam and Malaya, and he has recently been to Saudi Arabia.

He says: “We are determined to bring more international students into the city so that our students can experience other cultures. We will have Saudi Arabian students here doing IT next year. We will bring others in and this gets us thinking about our place in a global world.

Many will stay and it will allow our students to rub shoulders with people who come from more enterprising cultures.’’

But, for all its international ambitions, Stuart insists the college is determined to continue to serve its local community.

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“If you are a business, ask us to come to talk to you. We know what we do and what we can do well, and if we can’t do what you want, there’s a good chance we know someone who can do it for you and we will facilitate that.

“As a large, high quality provider we have a lot in our portfolio that will be relevant to you.

We will do a detailed organisation needs analysis with you for individuals in your business and then we would make sure we provided you with the right service.

“We place the right student with the right course. We look at the needs of an individual and a business and we fit the courses to them.

We will always contextualise and our courses will always be bespoke.’’ ■

SPECIAL REPORT |JANUARY 09

CONTACTS

january 09

Organisation

Department/School

Telephone

Website

Bishop Aukland College

Business Training Services

01325 379 600

www.bacoll.ac.uk

City of Sunderland College

Business Solutions

0191 511 6759

www.citysun.ac.uk

Cleveland College of Art & Design

Business Development

01429 422 000

www.ccad.ac.uk

Darlington College

Business First

01325 503 282

www.dcbusinessfirst.co.uk

Derwentside College

DTIU

01207 585 914

www.derwentside.ac.uk

Durham University Business School

Management Development Centre

0191 334 5548

www.durham.ac.uk/dbs/mdc

Gateshead College

Services to Business Team

0191 490 2258

www.gateshead.ac.uk

Hartlepool College

Business Development Centre

01429 404 005

www.hartlepool.ac.uk

Middlesbrough College

TS2 – Training Solutions

01642 333 322

www.mbro.ac.uk

New College Durham

Durham Training Solutions

0191 375 4333

www.newcollegedurham.co.uk

Newcastle College

Business Contact Team

0191 200 4000

www.newcastlecollege.co.uk/employers

Newcastle University Business School

Reception

0191 243 0770

www.ncl.ac.uk/nubs

Northumberland College

Advice Centre

0800 162 100

www.northumberland.ac.uk

Northumbria University

Switchboard

0191 232 6002

www.northumbria.ac.uk

Open University

Professional & Management Development

0191 477 6100

www.northumbria.ac.uk

Redcar & Cleveland College

Business Training Solutions

0164 251 3200

www.cleveland.ac.uk

South Tyneside College

Main Reception

0191 427 3500

www.stc.ac.uk

Stockton Riverside College

SRC Business Solutions

01642 865 577

www.stockton.ac.uk

University of Sunderland

Business Gateway

0191 515 3555

www.sunderland.ac.uk

University of Teesside

Business & Enterprise

01642 384 580

www.tees.ac.uk

Tyne Metropolitan College

Work Force Development

0191 229 5000

www.ntyneside.ac.uk

SPECIAL REPORT | january 09

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EDUCATION AND BUSINESS

www.northumbria.ac.uk

Supporting the Region Northumbria University is proud of its roots in the region and its engagement with local business. The University offers the region’s employers support through a range of activities that include: • Knowledge Training Partnerships; • Part-time and flexible study provision; • CPD and professionally accredited qualifications; • Coaching, mentoring and executive development; • Research, consultancy and commercialisation; • Placement students and exceptional graduates; • Graduate business start-ups.

If you think your organisation could benefit from further engagement with Northumbria University contact Tony Hackney, Commercial Director, or a member of the Northumbria Commercial Enterprises team: Tel: 0191 227 4148 Email: commercial@northumbria.ac.uk Web: www.northumbria.ac.uk/commercial