Business brains focus on county issues
High-flying students from Warwick Business School are focussing their brainpower on some of Warwickshire County Council’s most challenging issues.
A total of 14 MSc students will be working their way through how the council manages demand for customer access, the future shape of the school meals service and how to change the way the authority works with people receiving council services.
Altogether ten projects have been identified in this unique programme of collaboration, which organisers hope will strengthen the links that already exist between the council and Warwick University.
Council managers have designed the projects and will be working closely with their student placements between now and September, when the results will be unveiled.
The student partnership was officially launched this week at a ceremony in Shire Hall, Warwick.
Cabinet member Cllr Alan Cockburn, offered a warm welcome to the students and academics, saying: “We are indeed fortunate to have such a seat of learning and expertise in our midst, and we see tremendous benefits in working together - for us and for the people of Warwickshire.”
Professor of Operational Research Ruth Davies responded on behalf of the university, welcoming the collaboration and looking forward to “a long and fruitful association”.
Following the launch the students spent the rest of the morning on a specially arranged induction programme before returning to the university.
Yavuz Agca, from Turkey, is one of two students working on a project looking at the future development of the county council’s website.
He said: “It’s really interesting for us to get involved in these issues and learn more about how local government functions. I hope we can bring an original and rigorous perspective to all the projects and deliver something of value to the council.”