TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS: Members of the recently formed Business Advisory Group pictured with staff of the
School of Business, Retail and Financial Services after their inaugural meeting on the Coleraine Campus

The University of Ulster’s School of Business, Retail and Financial Services has formed a new Business Advisory Group to build links to the business community in the north coast area.

"It is vital that our School meets the needs of all sectors of the business community," commented Barry Quinn, Head of School, "The Business Advisory Group is a formal way of making sure that the voice of local business is being heard."

The Business Advisory Group consists of key influencers selected from a wide range of private and public sector organisations who represent, not only their businesses, but also other important organisations involved in local economic development.

"The response to our invitations to join the Business Advisory Group has been excellent and we are delighted that so many busy people are willing to give of their time and expertise to help us mould the next generation of entrepreneurs,"

Carol Reid, Subject Director for Business Programmes added, "We have representatives from not only all the main sectors of industry, but also the Coleraine Borough Council, Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise Agency, Town Partnership, COLLAGE and Economic Development Group."

One of the primary roles of the group is to advise the School on the content of its new suite of degree programmes which are currently undergoing revalidation and will be unveiled next year.

"It’s difficult to ignore the views of local business representatives when they have won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise, the Business Commitment to the Borough Award or when they are Chairperson of the Enterprise Agency," added Chris McLean, Course Director of the part-time Management degree "During my period as President of the Coleraine Borough Chamber, I paid tribute to the wealth of business talent within the Borough and I am determined to harness that talent for the benefit of our students."

The inaugural meeting of the Business Advisory Group proved to be highly productive and a number of key priorities were identified and are currently being explored.

"The presentation from the School of Business was both interesting and informative and led to a lively discussion about matching the skills of graduates with the needs of business," said Ian Donaghey, Chairman of the Coleraine Town Partnership

" Having a Business Advisory Group at local level is an excellent idea and I’m looking forward to following up on some of our ideas at future meetings."

For further information, please contact:

Press Office Department of Communication and Development
Telephone: 028 9036 6178
Email: pressoffice@ulster.ac.uk