A Newcastle University student from Thailand has been putting her business skills into practice after taking on a project with community interest company Tell Us North.
The MBA consultancy project forms part of a long-standing relationship between Tell Us North and Newcastle University, with the organisation regularly working with students and academic staff to share its experience of the voluntary and community sector.
The student, Chareeya Likhitwatthanakij (known as Mild), is an MBA student with a background in business. She was given a brief for the project designed to explore the skills and expertise already within the Tell Us North team and identify opportunities to develop these into training services for community groups, members of the public and businesses.
Over the course of the project, she interviewed members of the Tell Us North team and carried out an online survey and desk-based market research with stakeholders.
She also explored what potential customers would be willing to pay for, helping Tell Us North identify potential income for future training programmes.
Jen Simpson, Head of Engagement, Recruitment and Marketing at Newcastle University, said:
“We are delighted to see students such as Mild gaining practical experience through working with organisations in the community and voluntary sector.
“Opportunities like this allow our students to apply the knowledge and skills they develop through their studies to real-world challenges, while bringing fresh thinking and new perspectives to the organisations they work with.
“It is particularly encouraging to see the strong relationship that has developed between Newcastle University and Tell Us North and the positive impact this collaboration is having for everyone involved.”
For Tell Us North, the project has provided valuable capacity to investigate an area of commercial development which could otherwise have remained on the organisation’s “to-do” list.
Courtney Peel, Chief Operating Officer of Tell Us North, said:
“We have had a positive relationship with Newcastle University for a number of years. Having Mild join us has taken that relationship a step further. She has done an enormous amount of work for us and approached the project in a professional way.
“She has spoken to our staff about their skills and knowledge, carried out interviews and surveys, and looked at what training opportunities we could potentially take to community groups, businesses and the wider public.
“She has also asked some important questions about what people would actually be prepared to pay for, which is helping us shape the commercial direction we want to take.
“For us, it has given us the capacity to look properly at something we have been interested in developing for some time but simply haven’t had the time to do because of the demands of our day-to-day work.
“For Mild, it has given her the opportunity to work on a genuine business project, ask questions, analyse information and make recommendations. I think the experience will stand her in very good stead when she moves into the business community.”
Avish Johnson, of Tell Us North, said:
“This is exactly the kind of relationship we want to build with Newcastle University. It is a genuine two-way partnership where everybody benefits.
“Mild came into the project with a fresh perspective and wasn’t afraid to ask difficult or challenging questions. That has been valuable for us because sometimes, when you are busy delivering your day-to-day work, you don’t have the time or opportunity to step back and look at what else you could be doing.
“The quality of her work has been excellent. She has listened to our staff, gathered evidence, and turned all that information into something we can use.
“We now have a much clearer idea of the training opportunities we could develop, who they might be for and affordability considerations. That is a significant piece of work for a relatively small organisation like ours.
“It has also been great to see Mild developing her own confidence and professional skills during the project. She has been a real asset to the team.”
Mild was delighted to have helped the team:
“This has been a fantastic opportunity to take what I have learned through my MBA and apply it to a real organisation and a genuine business challenge.
“Working with Tell Us North has given me the chance to speak directly with staff, understand their skills and experience, carry out research and then turn that information into practical recommendations.
“What I particularly enjoyed was that I wasn’t simply observing how the organisation works – I was given the opportunity to ask questions, challenge ideas and contribute that could have a lasting benefit.
“Coming to Newcastle from Thailand and studying at Newcastle University has already been a hugely rewarding experience, and this project has added another dimension to that. It has given me valuable insight into the UK community and voluntary sector and, importantly, experience that I can take forward into my future career.”
Tell Us North works across the health and wellbeing sector, specialising in community engagement, including managing Healthwatch Newcastle and Healthwatch Gateshead.
The partnership with Newcastle University demonstrates how collaboration between higher education and the community sector can deliver benefits on both sides – giving students valuable real-world experience while providing organisations such as Tell Us North with new skills, ideas and additional capacity.
Newcastle University describes its MBA programme as combining practical, real-world application with the development of leadership, critical-thinking and communication skills, making projects such as this an opportunity for students to apply their learning in a genuine organisational environment.
ENDS
Photo: L to R Mild, Courtney Peel and Avish Jonson (TUN) with Newcastle University’s Jen Simpson (Steve Brock Photography)
PR keith@highlightspr.co.uk 07814 397951