Northumbria students head for Newcastle Race Course to take a lead in the career stakes

Hundreds of first year students from Northumbria University’s Newcastle Business School have completed a challenging management course as part of an early drive to develop employability skills.

The event, entitled ‘Race Ahead of the Crowd: Developing your management capability’ was delivered at Newcastle Race Course by independent business services provider the BE Group. More than 800 undergraduates attended the sessions over the course of three afternoons. This inaugural event has been integrated into a key ‘Introduction to Management’ module within the business degree courses, and is designed to engage students at a very early stage – in only their second week of teaching. Students have the opportunity to gain first-hand experience to support their own development and ability to work in a team, whilst also enhancing their employability skills.

Nigel Coates, Director of Learning and Teaching at Newcastle Business School, said: “The personal development agenda is seen as critical to the students’ success both in terms of their programme of study, as well as their future career prospects. Working with an external team of management consultants like the BE Group is also an ideal introduction to the world of work. It enriches the learning experience and helps prepare the students for their future careers, rights from the start of their studies at Northumbria”

The training also works on broadening essential business skills and encourage self-improvement, with particular focus on personal development planning, interpersonal communication skills, critical thinking, problem solving, decision making, leadership, and career management.

“The overarching aim of the personal development agenda at Newcastle Business School is to create a graduate who can display distinctiveness in the employment market and be ready to make a real contribution from their first day in the job”, added Nigel.

Newcastle Business School has gained double accreditation in business and accounting from The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

For more information about what Northumbria Business School has to offer, please visit: www.northumbria.ac.uk/about-us/academic-departments/newcastle-business-school