YOUR BUSINESS SPRING 2019 - 271

MARCH _ 2019

Apprenticeship programme
at Liverpool Business
School. "Our programmes
are popular with employers
and employees because
they can be personalised to
individuals and customised
to meet business needs," says
Anthony Sturgess, corporate
development director at
Liverpool Business School.
One Liverpool software
firm that's taking advantage
of the MBA programme -
one of three master's-level
Degree Apprenticeships
offered - is a great example
of how this opportunity
works for businesses.

The employer

Village Software prides itself
on its collaborative approach
to software development
and relies on its staff's
breadth of qualifications and
experience. When it came to
widening the skills of software
developer Mike Banner to
enable a transition into a
management role, Liverpool
Business School's MBA Degree
Apprenticeship programme
was the obvious option.

Nine months into his MBA,
Mike has gained a wealth
of knowledge and made
significant progress towards
his goals. The company's
commercial director, Sue
Roberts, says the company
is already seeing the
benefits of supporting him
through the programme.
"It has been useful
in providing a broader
perspective of all the different
aspects involved in managing a
business," says Sue. "Training
an employee through the
MBA Degree Apprenticeship
has helped create a
management bridge, improved
personal development and
renewed enthusiasm for
management in general."
Mike has been able to put
theory he has gained from
the MBA into practice in the
workplace. "He has encouraged
a greater focus on productivity
within the development
team and mentored new
recruits," says Sue. "He's also
had greater input in client
negotiations given the more
comprehensive nature of his
commercial and management

"TRAINING AN EMPLOYEE
THROUGH THE MBA DEGREE
APPRENTICESHIP HAS HELPED
CREATE A MANAGEMENT
BRIDGE, IMPROVED PERSONAL
DEVELOPMENT AND
RENEWED ENTHUSIASM FOR
MANAGEMENT IN GENERAL"
understanding. He has applied
himself to improving the
internal business processes
and consolidating the
existing technical knowledge
within the company."
Sue is certain that other
companies could benefit too.
"We'd certainly recommend
it," she says. "It worked
particularly well for us - being
a technical company, it is easy
to become constrained by only
offering technical training."

The employee

Mike Banner, a senior
developer at Village Software,
is already reaping the benefits
of the earn-while-you-learn
aspect of the programme after
less than a year on the course.
"Liverpool Business School
has offered countless support
sessions to assist with the
academic practice," says Mike.
"The lecturers are extremely
enthusiastic and passionate
about their subject areas,
which makes for an enjoyable
learning environment. I
particularly like the way
discussions among peers are
promoted widely, meaning
our experiences as a cohort are
just as valued as the theories
surrounding the subject areas."
It's this reciprocal learning
method, which allows Mike
to apply what he learns in

the lecture theatre to his
workplace and vice versa, that
he finds most valuable. "There
is a great opportunity for
networking and learning from
peers within my cohort. The
mixture of public-sector and
private-sector organisations
makes for excellent discussions
and new ways of thinking."
Over the past year, Mike
has been able to contribute
real solutions to improve
projects and change
management approaches
within his company. "I have a
keen interest in process and
performance improvement,
particularly around leadership
styles," he says. "As part
of my studies, I conducted
research into resistance to
change and implemented
a new way of working on a
project that proved successful.
I put new management
controls in place, guiding
the staff during the change.
The result was an engaged
project team, a successful
project and little resistance."
For more about the
Degree Apprenticeship
programme at Liverpool
Business School, call
0151 231 8080, email
degreeapprenticeships@
ljmu.ac.uk or visit
ljmu.ac.uk/LBS
http://ljmu.ac.uk/LBS
YOUR BUSINESS SPRING 2019

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