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Learning by doing
United Kingdom university students to open, run campus branch
In the spirit of British author Samuel Butler’s quote “Don’t learn to do, but learn in doing,” students enrolled in the University of Sheffield’s Management School will open and run an Enterprise rental branch on campus, gaining credit toward their academic coursework while doing so.
Part of the university’s Companies on Campus initiative, the program empowers students to learn through hands-on business experience. For Enterprise, the unique venture provides business growth and recruitment opportunities.
East Midlands/South Yorkshire Group Business Manager Danny Glynn has seen the collaboration raise Enterprise’s profile in the university community for offering rental cars as well as careers.
“This initiative lets university students gain some real-world knowledge, skills and experience before entering the business environment,” says Danny. “At the same time, Enterprise gains keen insight into what graduates look for in management careers and business training.”
The 2007-2008 academic year marks the second of three for this project, through which classes of about 25 students have worked to create operational and marketing plans for this business. The fully functioning, student-run rental operation should open in spring 2008.
In the project’s first year, students explored several areas: feasibility studies for an on-campus branch; the cultural impact the branch would have on Enterprise and the university; a customer analysis; market research; plus operational and marketing plans.
Currently, students are building upon that work by determining logistics, operations and human resources needs for the satellite branch. They plan to locate it in a university building that serves as a teaching and business space geared toward students, postgraduates, recent graduates and academics.
The university’s Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) chapter – a global nonprofit organization working to create economic opportunities in communities – also has contributed to this partnership.
The university – one of the leading in the U.K. – educates more than 24,000 students and employs a staff of 6,000. The Enterprise course is led by senior lecturer Luke Pittaway, Ph.D., who specializes in entrepreneurial behavior and learning research. He also directs the university’s enterprise education via the Management School’s Centre for Regional Economic and Enterprise Development.
“We wanted to create a way for management students to practically apply business theory rather than just sit and listen to classroom lectures,” says Luke. “Students are taking on leadership roles, working within dynamic group environments and learning how to be small business owners.”
Students also have leveraged this experience in landing jobs after graduation, says Hayley Walton, a management student who completed her coursework in 2007 and now works as a marketing consultant for Customer Plus, a customer service consulting firm. “The Enterprise module has given me a valued insight into the working world,” says Hayley. “I have gained knowledge that I know I will use in my future career.”
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