Business graduates at University Courses Burnley earn top marks in industry projects

Zulaikha Tahseen and Rowan Sweet have now graduated from UCB – which has its base at the heart of Burnley College’s £100 million town centre campus – with a BA (Hons) in Business Management, awarded by Buckinghamshire New University.

As part of their degree programme, the full-time UCB students had to spend three months carrying out consultancy work for a local business.

Zulaikha worked with leading engineering employer Hycrome Aerospace Ltd, scoring an impressive 94% on her project, while Rowan received 87% for his work with international furniture manufacturer The Senator Group.

Zulaikha explored the threat of cyber-attacks for Hycrome, based in Burnley, producing a plan to advise them on data recovery and network protection.

She said: “Working in industry on a real-life project really brought my degree studies to life and was an invaluable experience. It was rewarding to present my solutions to managers at Hycrome and make recommendations, knowing I was making a real contribution to the business.”

For Rowan, his consultancy for Senator, which has a base in Altham, meant providing logistical solutions for transporting furniture into central London.

He said: “London aims to have a fully electric transport network by 2030, which potentially causes difficulties for any business wanting to deliver within the M25. I evaluated the pros and cons of warehousing in the M25 belt and came up with several solutions and recommendations.

"It was a great opportunity to be given this genuine case study. This issue isn’t going to go away and I’m proud I was able to start a dialogue and know that it will be progressed further.”

Paul Stackhouse, business lecturer at UCB, said: “At UCB we pride ourselves on our strong links with employers and the fact our courses are very much industry-led. Zulaikha and Rowan are outstanding graduates who took advantage of every opportunity to develop and apply their learning, gaining vital industry experience and forging strong relationships with local businesses along the way.

“I have no doubt that both will become industry leaders and will influence the future prosperity of the local, regional and national business landscape.”

Graduation marks the end of an era for 21-year-old Zulaikha as she has been a learner at the Burnley College Campus for five years.

The former Unity College pupil, from Burnley, is now studying for a Masters qualification at the University of Bradford alongside qualifications with the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

Meanwhile Rowan (48), from Padiham, is continuing his studies at UCB with a PGCE and aims to teach Business and Management. With a career background in network marketing, he is keen to share his vocation with the next generation of students.

Dean of UCB Emma Hurst said: “Congratulations to both Zulaikha and Rowan on their excellent achievements on their business consultancy work. They should be very proud of their outstanding work and the strong relationships they have forged with two of our area’s leading companies.

"I’m sure both Hycrome and Senator, in turn, have benefitted from the consultancy work, too - it is a win-win for all concerned."