Staffordshire Business School
Staffsbus
Networked The Next War!
Environmental degradation has featured widely of late in the news channels.
Following the scandal over auto-manufacturers ‘fixing’ of emission tests we have had widespread reporting on deterioration of air quality around our major cities associated with particulate concentrations associated with the large number of diesel powered vehicles we were all encouraged to purchase. Although diesel vehicles have certainly taken the brunt of adverse publicity – resulting in a very significant drop in purchase of both new and second-hand diesel-powered vehicles we must take note that their petrol-powered cousins are no angels. They might not emit harmful particulates, but they are very capable of emitting a noxious cocktail of other harmful agents which accumulate in the atmosphere with potential for adverse impact to health. Just this last week we have seen headlines posting the rise in incidence of lung cancer in non-smokers, overtaking other forms of the disease for the first time – where cigarette tobacco was always previously posted as a primary causal attribute. More recently we have also been inundated with the threat of plastic contamination. We are advised that of the c.15bn tonnes produced, mostly used in such as disposable products and packaging that despite our attempts to reduce consumption of plastic bags and our increasing attempt to sort and therefore recycle – we in fact learn that very little, perhaps as little as 5% is actually recycled due to contamination. Not all plastics are the same – there are over 50 different types. Capacity to recycle is still wholly insufficient. We still generate c.300 million tonnes/ annum where most ends in land-fill and the oceans. Plastic waste now appears to have infiltrated every corner of the planet from our beaches, where school children in the Scottish island are busily engaged in tidying up. One pupil produced a crisp packet of a vintage not used for c.20 years! We know the oceans have become increasingly contaminated with micro-size plastic fragments. They have infiltrated the food chain in which we place so much reliance as the world population increases. The arctic region has now been highlighted as contaminated as has the deepest reaches of the oceans.
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Digital Marketing Professional Diploma
Do you want to upgrade your digital marketing skills? The course is suitable for anyone with a passion for digital marketing, whether it’s your job or your hobby and because most of the course is delivered on-line you can study at a time that works for you. You will study a range of modules over a six-month period all for £1,560.
You will study: Search Engine Optimisation Pay Per Click Digital Display Advertising Email Marketing Social Media Marketing Mobile Marketing Analytics Strategy and Planning
Find out more here
Sarah Willingham Visit
Dragon’s Den star puts business students through their paces
As a lecturer, nothing gives you more pleasure than to see your students shine. On Monday 19 March I could not have been prouder of our students, as we welcomed honorary doctor of Staffordshire University, Sarah Willingham to the Business School, as one of the judges of our Willingham’s Winners competition. Sarah has a string of accolades for her contributions to business and in 2016 was named one of the Sunday Times 500 most influential people in Britain. She is probably best known for her appearance on Dragon’s Den, but there is nothing dragon-like about her – a “Stokie” born and bred, Sarah is down-to-earth, full of good advice and a business role model for students. Six teams were shortlisted to present their business ideas in the finals, pitching to a panel of four judges; Sarah Willingham, Ben Dyer from the Ryman National Enterprise Challenge, Mark Blackhurst CEO of DigitalNext and Professor Liz Boath from the School of Social Work, Allied and Public
Health. The panel commended all students on the professionalism of their pitches, giving constructive feedback to support student development. Following an enlightening conversation and Q&A session with Professor Rune By, Sarah announced the winners of the competition as Crafted. The winning team presented a business idea described by Sarah as “absolutely on trend”, with a flawless, professional pitch, offering a range of delicious cakes catering for the health and wellbeing needs of people with gluten intolerance. It is not often that undergraduates have the opportunity to gain the advice of such an influential panel of judges and despite nerves, I’m proud to say that all the finalist teams represented Staffordshire Business School superbly – they most definitely did shine. Angela Lawrence, Senior Lecturer Staffordshire Business School
Global interest in UK’s first Esports degree
Find out what over 1,000 employers want from graduates On Wednesday 21 Feb the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) revealed the outcome of their research with employers about what makes a 21st Century leader, and it makes great reading. The report highlights five abilities employers want in new managers: • • • • •
The UK’s first Esports degree has attracted applicants from as far afield as Russia, China and America, it has been revealed. Set to launch at Staffordshire University in September, the degree course focuses on the business side of Esports and builds on the University’s reputation as a leading institution for Computer Games degree courses. The trailblazing degree has received the backing of UK industry experts including British Esports Association, Ukie, The National University Esports League (NUEL), Fast Web Media and Codemasters who are part of a panel set up to advise on course modules. Rachel Gowers, Associate Dean for Recruitment in Staffordshire Business School, said: “It’s great to be at the forefront of what the industry is crying out for. The fact that the course clearly has international appeal is a huge bonus for all the students involved, it really will be a global course. We’ve received applications from Russia, Poland, China, Kazakhstan, Singapore, America, Bulgaria and Oman. We’ve also had fabulous attendance at our Open Days and parents have been just as excited as the potential students. Many have said they wish they could come too.”
She added: “The University will shortly be commencing work on a dedicated Esports lab which will be ready in the summer. We’ve been working with the industry to make sure it is top spec as well as having the right look and feel and we can’t wait to unveil it to the new students.” Applications to the Esports course have been strong and are mirrored by the University’s Computer Games degree courses which have grown significantly in recent years. The University are looking at another bumper year – with applications up 12 per cent on the same period last year. Dr Bobbie Fletcher, Associate Professor of Games Education, said: “There’s no denying that games are big business and parents and teachers no longer try to steer students away from degree courses as they are the generation that have grown up playing them. Plans to grow the UK as an Esports hub brings with it huge opportunities and we are well placed as a University to respond to that. Our work with industry offers up exciting opportunities and companies like Red Bull and gaming festival Insomnia have already offered work placements which will help equip our students with the skills they need.”
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Taking responsibility (60%) People management skills (55%) Honest & ethical (55%) Problem solving & critical analysis (52%) Collaboration & team-working (48%)
62% OF THE MANAGERS SURVEYED EXPECT NEW GRADUATE RECRUITS TO HAVE PROFESSIONAL MANAGEMENT SKILLS (CMI 2018) This is great news for Staffordshire Business School that is launching all new courses for 2018. The focus is moving away from knowledge towards skills; skills that are learnt from industry experts, developed in the classroom and practiced through active learning. By the time you are ‘let-loose’ on work placements in your second year, you can feel confident in your abilities to be an effective manager. The new modules can be found in all of our courses: BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance BA (Hons) Business Management BA (Hons) Event Management BA (Hons) Marketing Management
To find out more about our new courses visit us for an open day or if you’ve already applied (wise choice) come to our next offer holder day – you’ll be getting an invite soon.
Staffordshire Business School has recently won two international awards for its social media campaigns
Firstly, the Business School Blog has been ranked in the Top 20 for Business Education blogs. The blog features articles by both staff and students of the Business School. It is currently ranked 8th by Feedspot. For the second year, running the Business School twitter account @BusinessStaffs has won the Best Twitter Performance (Business School category) from Edurank. Professor Jon Fairburn has produced a Q&A blog on the Edurank site full of hints and tips for anyone involved in running a School social media campaign. Read more here.
Global Business Directions Conference 2018 More than 100 guests attended the Global Business Directions Conference on 1st February at Staffordshire University. The passionate team of the Business School organise this event each and every year to provide valuable learning experience to its students and play a pivotal role in connecting our city, our county and our region. The conference is part of the level 6 Global Business Directions module which seeks to develop in learners a critical appreciation of the challenges and opportunities faced by management and self-employed in an increasingly complex, dynamic and risky global business environment. Our annual conference is not structured around one specific field. This year again it offered a wide range of topics from several different areas of the business.
Speakers included Wendy Dean (Managing Director of Strategi Solutions Group), Daniel Horton (Technical manager, Parker Software), Chris Perkins (Head of World of Wedgwood), Jeremy Spiller (Senior Trainer and Consultant, DMI), Richard Stone (Owner, Stone Junction) and Steve Sands (CISO/DPO, Synectics Solutions).
Though it was quite a long day, the lecture room was crowded even at 4pm, when the last talk ended. The participants had really earned their certificate, which was signed by Vish Maheshwari, Head of Department – Business, Management and Marketing, whose patronage helped us to create some unique value in our students learning journey.
Iceland Residential 2018
Staffordshire Business School lecturers Paul Dobson and Carol Southall took the Level 5 Tourism and Event Management students to Reykjavik for 4 days as part of their Tourism and Events Service Operations Management module. The students visited the Blue Lagoon, took a trip to see the Northern Lights and a city tour. They also attended a presentation by María Björk Gunnarsdóttir at Promote Iceland’s head office in Reykjavik, exploring the exponential growth in tourism in Iceland over the past 10 years and the marketing campaigns undertaken to facilitate this growth. Additionally, both events and tourism students were tasked with analysing Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre, following a fascinating tour and presentation by Edda Austmann, Harpa’s Marketing Manager.
Having fun in Hanoi! Ryan Gowan: 23 November, 2017
Ryan Gowan is an International student in his third year of a BA (Hons) Accounting & Finance degree at Staffordshire University. He is currently studying at British University Vietnam (International partner) located in Hanoi. Since the last edition of Networked, Ryan has been blogging about his experiences in and around Hanoi and the BUV. Here are some of his highlights:
Welcome to the Jungle
Hanoi Hotspots
BUV: The Student’s Community
“Before the first week of University started, all students were required to attend ZEN Resort & Camping with the focus being on team building exercises. The weekend gave many students the opportunity to meet new people and make early University memories whilst in a beautiful jungle setting in what appeared to be the middle of nowhere!
“We visited all the main tourist hotspots as well as both Vietnamese street food places and slightly more expensive restaurants with dazzling views to get a real ‘taste’ for the culture.
“British University Vietnam has so many opportunities for its students to feel a part of something through clubs, societies and volunteering events. Although the University is small in terms of student population, it is huge in terms of community spirit. The BBGV fun run, champion dash, teacher’s day and the BBQ at the new Ecopark campus have all been events the students could get involved with and this is only two months in to the semester!
The weekend wasn’t all about the teambuilding exercises though as we were given free time to go for a swim or like myself, explore outside of the campsite around the hills on a mini adventure. A group of students I met a little earlier in the day kindly invited me to go for a hike around the hills and lake close by.”
Hoan Kiem Lake was the first famous place I visited which I had come to learn about through online travel guides. They said the lake was physically and symbolically the centre of the capital and it soon became apparent why. Ngoc Son Temple (Hanoi’s most visited temple) is situated on Jade Island in the middle of Hoan Kiem Lake, connected by the instantly recognisable Huc Bridge which is a charming red-painted wooden bridge of a classical Vietnamese design.
If the clubs and societies are too much of a commitment to the students, there are plenty of one-off events throughout the year. All clubs and events are not only designed for the students to have fun but can also develop future skills necessary for after University. Communication, team work, initiative, etc. are all skills that can be created and nurtured ready for the world of work soon upon the students.”
Also, in the Hoan Kiem District not far from the Lake is Hanoi Opera House which is one of the finest examples of colonial architecture in Vietnam. Even if Opera is not quite your thing, this building is still worth a visit, especially at night to see the outside lit up.”
View Ryans blog in full here >
Open Day (Stoke)
There’s no better way to get a feel for what we’re all about than coming along to an open day. You can explore our campus and see our impressive facilities.
More details here >
16 MAY PG Event 4pm - 7pm
We will also be running a PG Virtual Event at the same time for those who cannot attend in person.
More details here > M10786
16 JUNE
Research with Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Enterprise Partnership
Success for CIM students Staffordshire University student Sarah Whitfield writes about her success on the CIM Level 4 Certificate in Professional Marketing and how it has inspired her to continue studying with Staffordshire University. “The CIM Level 4 Certificate in Professional Marketing is ideal for anyone who is considering a career in marketing, or who may have plenty of experience working within a marketing role but may lack any formal qualifications. The teaching style delivered by Vicky Gilbert is very relaxed and catered to adult learners looking to further their knowledge. Due to this delivery, my fellow students quickly became people I’d consider friends, which made the classroom environment all the more enjoyable. We have open discussions about relevant marketing news and frequently engage in brainstorming activities on the board. It’s great to be surrounded by a group of like-minded individuals all of whom are looking to progress. It’s not been all about learning either. Our group is filled with individuals from very different walks of life and industries. This has allowed us to utilize the course as a networking event, introducing us to people and companies we may never have come into contact with without doing this course.
I particularly enjoy that the course content is structured, so at no point do I feel as though the work is unmanageable. Like most people on this course I also have a full-time job and hobbies to contend with, so for me being able to juggle these equally is paramount to my sanity! I found the run-up to the exam quite relaxing, because everything had been covered in our sessions and we were granted access to past-papers which really helped me to learn what to expect. The only thing left to do was to read through everything. It definitely worked for us though, as we managed to get outstanding marks all around, with everyone in the group being awarded a distinction - a rare enough phenomenon for an individual, let alone a whole class! I look forward to completing my Integrated Communications Module and Digital Marketing module and I will definitely go on to study my Level 6 at Staffs in September 2019. After this I’ll have a few more options to consider career-wise, which will hopefully result in me doing a job I truly love.” Sarah Whitfield, CIM student
While most people recognise the importance of regulation for protecting the public on issues such as food safety, there are also serious concerns on the effectiveness of regulation and the costs that poorly performing regulation places on businesses and the economy. To help address this concern, Professors David Williamson and Geoff Pugh have been awarded £22,500 to look at the effect of early compliance advice on hygiene standards to outlets providing prepared food to the public, to see if this provides better economic outcomes than traditional inspection and enforcement. The project builds upon the National initiative on ‘Better Business for All’ as part of the governments agenda for growth, and they will be working closely with the Regulation for Growth Group, local authorities and Staffordshire County Council trading standards, to investigate early intervention across the county. As this is the first such study it is expected that the findings will be of great interest, particularly to business bodies and those local and national agencies that have responsibility for improving regulatory and economic performance, and that it may also provide a baseline for a larger national study. Professor David Williamson
If you would like to find out more or get involved with the study please email Professor Geoff Pugh: g.t.pugh@staffs.ac.uk 01782 294092
New opportunities for workers over 50 People in the UK are living longer than ever before – a major achievement of modern science and healthcare. Older people make up a growing proportion of the population, and so make an increasing contribution to society. However, the UK is not making the most of the opportunities afforded by an ageing population. Too many people are forced out of work in later life by poor health or unwelcoming attitudes in the workplace. Too few people access the training they need to adapt to a changing labour market. Too many families face the choice between working and providing care for a loved one. Too few homes meet the needs of older people. At Staffordshire University we have a project to support over 50s who want some enterprise and skills training. This will help develop both the confidence, mind-set and skills in this area. It is worth remembering that people in their 40s and 50s are the most likely to start up a business. As the population ages, so will the UK workforce. The productivity and economic success of the UK is increasingly tied to that of older workers. Thus, learning and training becomes of even greater importance as the population ages. The proportion of the working age population aged between 50 and the state pension age (SPA) will increase to 35% in 2050 – an increase of approximately 8 million people. Encouraging older people to remain in work will help society to support growing numbers of dependents, while providing individuals with the financial and mental resources needed for longer periods of retirement. Population ageing and increased life expectancy changed traditional thinking about learning. Longer working lives and other changes to the labour market means workers need to be more adaptable than they were before. More broadly, evidence shows that life-long participation in learning can improve people’s health, cognition, wellbeing and resilience. The need to reduce the level of dependency in society means that learning, and any other tool for extending the period of time that people can live independently, is increasingly important.
We therefore, need employers support a multigenerational workforce maximising the opportunities for older workers, and secondly we need to support older workers to take a new direction or for those unemployed return to working. This is where self-employment can offer a more flexible form of working, that may allow older people to stay in work for longer. Moreover, the age profile of self-employed people they tend to be older than employees are, with 43% of those recorded as self-employed are over the aged 50 compared to 27%, which are employees. Age UK says that older workers are more likely to have a higher chance of success with over 70 per cent of these businesses lasting over five years compared to only 28 per cent set up by younger entrepreneurs.
Here are a few questions to ask yourself: Do you have a hobby or interest in an area you could turn into a business? Do you want a better work-life balance? Are you unemployed, facing redundancy or looking for a change? Are you wondering how to set up a community interest company? The training will look at how to come up with a business idea in the first place. It will explore if it could be viable. In addition, once you know what you want to do we then guide you through the process of how to set it up. We can help you to identify who your customers will be and how to promote your product to them. The project is funded by the EU and includes partners from trade unions in Italy, and business organisations in Spain, Belgium and Portugal all working together to deliver a good training package and to help boost life-long learning and economic recovery. The training is free and if you are interested please contact Hazel Squire 01782 294985 or Jon Fairburn 01782 294094 at Staffordshire University.
Tourism and Events Students Make Their Mark! The FdA Visitor Attraction and Resort Management at Staffordshire Business School is the only one of its kind in the UK. We work with Alton Towers and Merlin Entertainments to offer students a total of 20 weeks paid placement experience on resort, as part of their course. In their first year on the FdA, students are given the opportunity to experience key areas across resort, such as rides, human resources, marketing, accommodation and retail, with a view to progressing to supervisory roles in their second year. Current students have really ‘made their mark’ on resort, with one first year student already offered an Assistant Manager position this summer and a further two being offered supervisory roles. These positions have been secured through the students’ commitment to networking on resort and engaging in opportunities offered outside the placement periods.
Harry Peek
Jack Sullivan
Harry Turley
The FDA Visitor Attraction and Resort Management has given me a great opportunity to gain a vast range of practical experience at one of the world’s leading theme park resorts. The combination of work placements and relevant engaging modules at Staffordshire University has allowed me to develop a well-rounded knowledge of the industry. The support to my development has been fantastic and has allowed me to step up to a Team Leader role during ‘Scarefest’ and then again to an Assistant Manager in Food and Beverage. I have been able to take part in a range of exciting events including the Resort Pantomime and the press launch of our new attraction ‘Wicker Man’.
My placements so far have consisted of working on the hotel front desk and in the conference centre where I got to meet guests from around the world and help them make the most out of their stay. I have thrown myself into helping prepare banqueting events, bar work and dinner services, showing that I can go the extra mile when presented the opportunity. In addition, I put myself forward for housekeeping to understand more about that aspect of the business and get first-hand experience on their daily operations.
I would say the best thing about the course is that it helps to be able to relate everything that we learn in class to the experiences we have at Alton towers and this helps me understand the work a lot more. Along with this getting the support from both the staff at the university and Alton Towers really boosts my confidence and encourages me to work harder.
The opportunity to work in a number of departments across the Resort including Marketing, Entertainments and Hotels, has enabled me to build a huge network of contacts around which will most certainly help me in building my future career. The FDA Visitor Attraction and Resort Management is the perfect choice for anyone wanting to build a career within the Tourism and Events industry.
The course has given me a broader understanding of the business and hospitality world and has helped me meet new people and build networks. The course has given me opportunities that have helped develop my skills and learn new competencies.