Bridging the gap between education and enterprise

Jul 10 2008 by Chris Knox, The Journal

Most business experts would agree that one of the most important qualities to any successful entrepreneur is the desire to learn. Christopher Knox looks at the role that one of the region’s universities is playing to help businesses sharpen their skills.

THE region’s universities are now shedding their reputation as the preserve of partying students and are now providing a range of courses and workshops for local entrepreneurs keen to brush up on their business skills.

One such course is Northumbria University’s Business Aware seminars which put entrepreneurs through their paces, covering a number of topics such as human resource management, IT, finance and sales and marketing.

One recent intake attended six seminars over six weeks, with speakers including Nicola Cook at County Durham-based business coaching firm Aurora Training and Philippa Clothier, director of Newcastle-based marketing firm Clothier Lacey.

For many who had not attended university, the seminars took them back to their school days. Mel Watson, owner of Tynemouth-based second hand car retailer TNS Cars, said: “It was a little daunting going to the lecture theatres, but once there I was extremely impressed by the facilities. We were given access to the university library and were treated like real students, which was great.

“Being a used car salesman I have a lot of experience in sales, but I still found that there was much to learn in this area. Running what is essentially a sales-led operation, you always need to be thinking of new techniques and sales strategies, and I am always keen to look at new ideas.”

While John Fenwick and Nicola Patterson of the university’s Business School supported the learning sessions, it was Angela McLean of Newcastle-based firm Fast Forward Now, which helps to bridge the gap between enterprise and education, which ran the course.

She said: “The programme has been a huge success and we are now hoping we can access additional funding to be able to run another seminar series next year as word has already spread throughout the business community and there are a number of people who are keen to participate next time round.”

Among other universities that are doing their bit to help support regional enterprise is Durham University.

Through its Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning, the university runs a number of courses including the Strategic Development Programme, which aims to assist owner-managers of small firms and Women Into the Network, a networking initiative which facilitates the development of female entrepreneurship.

Dinah Bennett, centre director, said: “Our courses are not just held at the university but can be held at individual business districts.”

For more reports on the links between business and education visit nebusiness.co.uk/features