Former FA Head shares career insights

from Pulse Issue 7

by Liverpool Hope University

Immersive learning brings business to life

Former FA Head shares sports industry insights

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

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

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

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

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

“I didn’t expect to get into university and I didn’t apply,” he said, during the session hosted by Hope alumnus and LLS founder Jordan Wright.

“If I had my way I’d have studied English Literature, but I went through clearing because I hadn’t applied initially. My A Levels were a lot better than I thought. In fact, when they arrived I thought they were someone else’s results at first. Although it wasn’t my first choice, Economics worked out well for me in the end.”

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

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

LESSON PROVES ABOVE PAR

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

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

Foundation students were taken on the field trip to learn more about customer segmentation, and the development of services and products for Millennials and Generation Z.

Paula Raper, Senior Professional Tutor in Human Resource Management, described how discovering more about how the Ghetto Golf business model would give real-world insight to the 50 students who attended. She said: “On the course, we have explored how businesses must respond to changing consumer demand and understand market segments etc. A lot of the evidence supports the view that Generation Z and Millennials want an activity, rather than to merely drink and socialise – something the Ghetto Golf model taps into.”

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

THURSDAY 25 TH JUNE 2020 LIVERPOOL HOPE UNIVERSITY

Excellent leadership can change lives. It is vital in times of change, experimentation and adversity.

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

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

Where are they now?

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

Kayleigh Burns, Business Management

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nicholas Otaegui, Business and Media Studies

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

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

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

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

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

The support you get from academics is second to none.

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

Jacob Sanderson, Business Management

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NEW FOR 2020: ECONOMICS

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

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

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

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

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

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

The final countdown

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Speaking about the experience, he said: “It has been a privilege to have had the opportunity to be part of the Young Enterprise team and sharing my experience of running a business. “Working with and getting to know the teams over a period of weeks, and watching them learn to work together and discover how best to deal with the many different challenges of taking a product or service to market is always immensely satisfying. I never fail to have a sense of real pride in their achievements: seeing them perform so well together at the final presentations is always a highlight.”

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

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

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

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

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

ABOUT US: LIVERPOOL HOPE BUSINESS SCHOOL

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

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

The School works closely with accreditation bodies and is a member of various professional networks. These include the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), the Chartered Association of Business Schools (CABS), the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and Professional Liverpool.