University gets down to business

10:17am Tuesday 13th May 2008

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THE York St John Business School, part of the university's faculty of business and communication, was being launched today.

It means small and medium-sized businesses in York and North and East Yorkshire will get the advantages of the region's first business school Guest speaker at the opening was Len Cruddas, chief executive of the York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce and an honorary Fellow of York St John University.

He believes in the "compelling need" for a business school, given the range and extent of new business developments which will take place in and around York.

"We have the prospect of York Central, new businesses on the site of British Sugar and other business developments. But what we are not yet sure of is where the managing directors who will run these businesses will come from."

He stressed the only way the UK could compete with China and India and other countries where labour was cheaper was through skills and innovation "and this school will address that need."

It will offer advice and signposting - guiding firms towards necessary funding, helping to put together tenders and developing training.

The school is part of The Northern Leadership Academy, funded by Yorkshire Forward, the regional development agency, which brings together ten universities in a collaboration.

Its mission is to focus on leadership as a key skill that can be improved by all individuals and organisations.

Initiatives include seminars, workshops and mentoring schemes together with an online leadership portal.

Rebecca Hodgson, York St John Business School's first point of contact, said: "We aim to encourage external contact with the business community. We are not doing MBAs.

"We are more interested in consultancy and offering training, working closely with local small and medium-sized ventures."