businessdynamics

What is businessdynamics?

businessdynamics is a business education and enterprise charity that aims to bring business to life for young people. Volunteers from companies introduce students, aged 14-19 years, to the opportunities and challenges of business as well as improving their key skills in preparation for the world of work. This is done through a variety of programmes.

businessdynamics was founded in 1977 by 3i, Europe's leading venture capital company, as a non-profit making trust, and was called Understanding Industry until March 2001. Today it is supported by many of the top companies in Britain as well as government, as part of the drive to encourage young people to understand and get more involved in business.

One in three school and college leavers believe their education has not prepared them for the world of work. businessdynamics programmes aim to address this by bringing volunteers from local business into the classroom.

businessdynamics offers two basic programme formats with variants.

1.The core programme is the two-day Business Awareness Programme which was developed for post-16 students but which has since been adapted for other age groups. It includes elements of business, enterprise and key skills. It includes project work, and students gain confidence and a sense of achievement from the project and presentation. The programme can be adapted to a one-day event and tailored to meet a school’s individual needs.

The cost is £250 per class of up to 30 students.

Variants of the core programme include the ebusiness Programme and a Design Awareness Programme. Other variants have been associated with Film and Media. Obviously, the key skills element can be elevated to the principal component.

This Programme has been adapted to launch the Welsh Baccalaureate Team Enterprise Activity and has been delivered to 500 students so far with a further 400 due this academic year.

2.The stand alone Key Skills Programme is a one-day programme which has been successfully delivered to post-16 students. Activities are designed to encourage students to use the key skills both in groups and as individuals. The Reporting Back session is very important. It is supervised and led by the appropriate teacher and it requires students to review their use of key skills during the day and to identify strengths and weaknesses. Forms and booklets are provided to help the students and these records can be used by the school to monitor the development of the student.

Costs

The cost of the programme is normally £250 per two classes of up to 30 students.

Whilst the activities encourage the use of key skills, they also include elements of business and enterprise. The format has been adapted to have an ‘Enterprise’ theme and has been delivered to 150 students on a carousel basis.

Both Programme formats can be tailored to meet the needs of a particular school or group of schools. The Key Skills Programme has been delivered alongside a Careers Wales delivery of ‘Prototoy’ over two days at Whitchurch High School.

More notes on businessdynamics products.

·Business Awareness Programme

·The Project

·Key Skills Programme

A two-day Business Awareness Programme which sets out to increase students’ awareness of business and to encourage the use of Key Skills. It also promotes leadership, organisation and planning.

All Business Awareness Programmes and variants can be adapted to the one-day format.

Representatives from business are invited to deliver interactive seminars on a variety subjects. It was initially developed for Years 12 and 13 but has been successfully delivered to Year 10 and Year 11 students. The Programme has also been well received by students with learning difficulties at a number of schools. It normally costs £250 per class of up to 30 students.

A typical programme might be:
Day 1
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Personal Skills
1.2 Marketing
1.3 Design in Business
1.4 Project Work

Day 2
1.5 Teambuilding
1.6 Enterprise or Presentation Skills
1.7 Project Work
1.8 Presentations
1.9 Conclusion

The Project is of an entrepreneurial nature and asks students (in teams) to develop a business idea, which is imaginative but also commercial. They must then make a presentation of their mini-business plan telling the audience what their product is, who will buy it, why they will buy it, where they will sell it etc. Project work is intensive. It requires teams to be well led, to be organised, and to make effective use of their time. It encourages good business practices, which are discussed and practised throughout the Programme.

It also provides the opportunityfor students to use their presentation skills.

Variations are offered on the standard Programme by including a theme e.g. Design, which is offered in conjunction with UWIC and which is useful for D&T students.

The most topical variant is the eBusiness Programme which follows the same format as the standard programme but asks the students to develop an internet business.

It includes sessions on:

Day 1
2.0 Introduction
2.1 Business Planning
2.2 eMarketing
2.3 Web-Site Design
2.4 Project Work

Day 2
2.5 Finance
2.6 Management
2.7 Project Work
2.8 Project Rehearsals
2.9 Project Presentations
2.10 Presentation of Certificates

It is an intensive two-day Programme that students enjoy. A major plus point is that it provides a rare opportunity for IT students, Business Studies students and other students to learn skills from each other.

businessdynamics also supply a one-day Key Skills Programme for Years 10 and 11. It provides three seminars designed to demonstrate Key Skills and students are asked to summarise their experience at the end of the day. This Programme has also been delivered to Year 8 students and to Years 12 & 13 students. Each activity can be tailored to the needs of the school and they will have a relationship to business or enterprise depending upon the theme for the programme.

It normally costs £250 per two classes of up to 30 students.

Day 1
3.0 Introduction
3.1 Teambuilding
3.2 Communication
3.3 Problem Solving
3.4 Reporting Back
3.5 Summary and Presentation

The programme formats offer considerable flexibility and can easily be adapted to meet the particular needs of a school or college.

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