MBA STUDENTS CALLED ON FOR FRESH NEW IDEAS AS THE SOURCE ACADEMY CELEBRATES 20 YEARS

As it celebrates two decades of getting people into work, leading Sheffield training academy

Shivani Mudey, Simran Malik, Nilanjan B and Alankrith Shankar, who all hail from India, and Felix Timoty from Indonesia, have spent three months working on the marketing appraisal as part of their year-long Master of Business Administration (MBA) course.

The MBA programme, which has been running since 1995 and attracts students from all over the world, places experiential learning at its core. Over 100 live challenges set by local companies are worked on each year by MBA and other Masters students at the university.

The challenges allow students to test their skills and newly-acquired learning in the corporate world, while South Yorkshire businesses benefit from young minds being taught the latest business thinking.

Postgraduates Shivani, Simran, Nilanjan, Alankrith and Felix analysed all aspects of The Source’s marketing activities. Their evaluations and recommendations have now been presented to the management team at The Source.

CEO Tricia Smith said: “Our organisation has transformed the lives of over 10,000 people since launching in 2003, but keeping abreast of new ways to reach more learners and businesses is paramount to our future success.

“Our academy is all about harnessing and developing the skills of young people and we know first-hand what huge benefits businesses gain when they welcome in keen young minds and embrace their ideas.

“The Sheffield MBA’s Marketing Challenge was an unmissable opportunity for us to benefit in the same way, while also helping its students put what they have learned into practice. We are now looking closely at the new ideas and directions the students proposed.”

Project team leader Alankrith Shankar, an educational games designer from Mumbai, hopes an MBA qualification will boost his managerial prospects in the e-learning and game-based learning industry.

He commented: “The Source’s marketing strategy has to engage with two customer groups: learners and local businesses. We identified the challenges in engaging and attracting young audiences and hope our proposals help communicate the fantastic platform an apprenticeship programme via The Source offers to young people in South Yorkshire.”

Dr Sabrina Thornton, MBA Programme Director leading on the Marketing Consultancy Challenge, said: “The Sheffield MBA and the Sheffield University

Management School are in the global elite, thanks to our Triple Crown accreditation from AACSB, AMBA and EQUIS.

“Through our ‘Challenge’ modules, students work with companies in and around Sheffield on a particular issue and find possible solutions. Our MBA students have produced excellent work that helps organisations in their problem-solving and decision-making.”

Companies interested in working with Management School students should contact Rhoda Watson, Business Partnerships Manager, at rhoda.watson@ sheffield.ac.uk