28th April 2020

Staffordshire Business School has been retained the Small Business Charter following a successful reaccreditation. The school will now hold the award for a further three years, after it impressed assessors with evidence of development and excellence in its support for small businesses, student enterprise, and the local economy.

Staffordshire University is committed to working with and supporting SMEs to enhance regional economic growth. Its role in the area’s University Enterprise Zone enables the university to develop higher level skills within the regional market. Staffordshire Business School provides business related support to a range of enterprise initiatives across the whole University, and works closely with employers in the region through their higher and degree apprenticeships, and their compulsory student placement scheme. The School is also participating in the SBC’s Government-backed ‘Leading to Grow’ project.

The SBC assessors commented: “Staffordshire Business School is very well integrated into the University as a whole, which is fiercely focussed on developing businesses and the community in its immediate local area. The vocational apprenticeship programmes received very good feedback from the company owners interviewed, with all stating that they see clear progress in their staff’s ability to influence the future of their companies. There are a lot of good programmes both ongoing and incubating which show evidence that the University in general, with the Business School in support, is helping local SMEs and leaders to grow.”

Staffordshire Business School Associate Dean, Professor Vish Maheshwari, said, “This Award is testament to the support we give to students to achieve their ambitions and helping local businesses adapt to technological change and develop higher level skills. As a Civic University it’s important we do what we can to support economic growth in the region and that we are working with representative bodies and government agencies to promote Staffordshire as a great place to do business.”

Anne Kiem, Executive Director of the Small Business Charter, has congratulated the team at Staffordshire Business School. “Staffordshire has continued to demonstrate commitment to supporting enterprise and employability in students across the university. This is especially evident in their proactivity in ensuring all business students get work placements at level 5 or 6, which in turn is of great benefit to local small and medium-sized businesses.”

Find out more about the support Staffordshire Business School offers for local businesses, and get in touch with their team, here.