Going for growth. Management students work with a Hampshire manufacturer
Second year students have been challenged to work on a growth plan for a successful Hampshire manufacturing business as part of their degree programmes at the Management School
Working in teams, the undergraduates researched and draw up development plans for precision engineering company Benham Manufacturing in the New Forest. They wrote a group essay and presented their findings to lecturers and company Managing Director Paul Benham.
The winning team was Arabella Chesney, Georgia Ingram, Millicent Eyres and Harriet Dempsey. “We enjoyed putting management theory into practice, researching the manufacturing sector and making suggestions for future development,” says Arabella. They won the £250 first prize; two runner-up groups also received cheques.
Paul Benham says he was impressed by their work. “The students understood our requirements and went beyond mere observation to learn more about the engineering industry and come up with realistic recommendations,” he says.
Senior Fellow in Strategy Graham Manville organised the module and competition. “As always, we were pleased how students rose to the challenge of working with a real-life organisation,” he comments. “These opportunities are important to support them to gain the essential employability skills they will need after graduating.”