The University of the West of Scotland School of Business and Creative Industries (SBCI) has been awarded the Small Business Charter in recognition of its commitment to supporting small businesses, student entrepreneurship, and the local economy.
SBCI has a demonstrable history of creating strong connections with the SME community – as part of the curriculum, students work closely with local SMEs on a range of live projects, with businesses benefitting from the knowledge pool and skillset the students provide.
Like a number of schools, SBCI is engaged in impactful Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) activities. The school was engaged in Scotland’s first international KTP.
The growth of the KTP portfolio at UWS has been transformational for the school and has helped stimulate its research culture., which has been beneficial to both businesses and the local economy. Many SMEs reported an increase in annual turnover, leading to an increase in hiring capacity which has led to employment opportunities for the local community.
SBCI also has a clear commitment to enterprise education, experiential learning, and the student experience. The school’s approach to teaching, learning and curriculum design demonstrates this. The work undertaken by the Enterprise Team, and its associated outcomes, including providing placement opportunities within SMEs and the development of CPD unit has been recognised in securing awards on both a national and international scale.
The Small Business Charter Award is a national accreditation, assessed by small business leaders, to recognise business schools which demonstrate excellence in supporting small businesses, student enterprise, and the local economy. The University of the West of Scotland School of Business and Creative Industries will hold the award for three years. There are now 55 business schools that hold the SBC Award in the UK and Ireland.
Professor Dominic Elliott, Dean of the UWS School of Business and Creative Industries, said:
“The Small Business Charter Award recognises our commitment to excellence. I’m delighted that our curricular enterprise education and our KTP capabilities and achievements have been acknowledged in this way. It is a reflection on our commitment to creating an environment where business and enterprise are embedded in everything we do and support our vision to “become the business school of choice for the communities we serve”.”
Anne Kiem OBE, Executive Director of the Small Business Charter, and Chief Executive of the Chartered Association of Business Schools said:
“We are delighted that the University of the West of Scotland School of Business and Creative Industries have joined the Small Business Charter’s network of nationally accredited business schools. This award demonstrates their commendable approach to student enterprise, impactful research, and SME engagement, and we look forward to working closely with them in the future.”