Business simulation event

The students were divided into small teams and tasked with running a business through a computer simulation, experiencing the ups and downs of commerce; competing against the other teams for the best profit-margin!

The purpose of the event was to offer students a taste of business management, providing them with knowledge and understanding to use at job interviews across a wide range of sectors, including law, banking, politics and publishing.

The day was led by Dr. Andrew Stainton from the School of Management and Kevin Chard, Head of Training at Blake Lapthorn and coordinated by Dr. Eleanor Quince, the School’s Employability Tutor. Kevin started the day by reinforcing the importance of business knowledge:

“understanding how a business operates can be a key differentiator in the graduate selection process; good commercial awareness will certainly be an advantage in the eyes of a potential employer”.

The students who participated were asked to comment on their understanding of business at the start of the day and at the end, after they had completed the simulation. Students highlighted the skills that they had gained during the day including team-working, networking, negotiating, problem-solving, time-management and commercial consciousness. They also reported a great improvement in their business awareness following the event:

“I gained an informed perspective on the pressures of managing a business … I would definitely recommend this course to others!”

The two winning teams, those who were deemed to have performed best, were given bottles of champagne, courtesy of Blake Lapthorn. A great day was had by all!