Notts businesses offered free consultancy by students

A company in Edwinstowe that provides counter-terrorism and security advice around the world, is ready for the next stage of its business development thanks to the advice of five Nottingham Trent University business students.

Students studying MSc Management at Nottingham Business School were given the opportunity to advise the company through a consultancy project run by the university as part of their studies.

SGW Safety & Security Ltd who work in the UK and Middle East, providing security surveys, planning and design to protect people and buildings from terrorism, approached the university when they found that their projects were hindered by lengthy paperwork.

The students were tasked with finding software that would allow employees to compile a location report, after the company found that the software they had been using was not fit for purpose and was slowing down progress.

Over six-weeks students, supervised by an academic, carried out market research and identified possible software that could work for the company’s needs – allowing staff extra time to use resources to search for investment and grow their business.

Simon Whitehouse, managing director at SGW Safety & Security Ltd said: “The students provided a service to a level of something I’d have expected from a seasoned professional research analyst in the industry.

“It was great to work with a local university and I was pleasantly surprised with the work they came back with, the students were fantastic right from day one, they worked in a timely way, and were clear about the information they needed.”

The students who worked with the company, which also provides consulting services for public authorities and some of the tallest buildings in the Middle East, came from a diverse range of countries, including Italy, China and India.

Serge Marescalco, MSc Management and Marketing student and leader of the project said: “The project really helped me to grasp the important skills I need when I graduate; my confidence and presentation skills have improved.

“I’d advise any student thinking of doing a masters course to consider a programme that offers real-world learning to this level, it was a great experience.”

Nottingham Business School is looking for more businesses from Nottinghamshire and the surrounding areas to act as real life case studies for student work – in exchange they will receive free consultancy from students over a number of weeks.

Angela Scott, Experiential Learning Coordinator at Nottingham Business School said: “This opportunity for businesses to work with our postgraduate students is something we’ve been running for over ten years.

“It gives our students a chance to put theory in to practice, and in the process offers free advice and fresh ways of thinking for businesses to consider – we want to continue that success for at least another ten years, so I invite local companies of any size, and in any sector to get involved.”

For more information on how to get involved, contact Angela Scott on 0115 848 3888 or via angela.scott@ntu.ac.uk