Innovation Boosts Walsall Businesses

Local businesses are currently gaining a much needed boost from Walsall College students, who are conducting work for them through The Innovation Experience.

This exciting new project is funded through the Working Neighbourhoods Fund by Walsall Council, to help and support local businesses innovate and young people to access unique work placement opportunities.

The project aims to bring students and employers together from across the borough to enhance skills development and organisational effectiveness. Students aged 18-21 will be given the opportunity to develop a solution to a specific challenge or issue that a company faces which will ultimately help the organisation grow.

Work undertaken by students may include product or service development, marketing solutions, IT development or social/environmental interventions. Each project lasts approximately 8 weeks and students are fully supported by an innovation trainer/mentor.

The first project is now complete and students formally presented their business solution to Walsall Business Parks on Friday 1st October.

Students were tasked with creating a website that will provide a comprehensive directory which will then act as a common promotional outlet for all the businesses located on the business parks, as well as providing information to the public and the business owners. Not only did the students have to present designs for a website, but they also had to work with the requirements of their client to create the functional elements of the website.

West Midlands Police are also extremely keen to support the project, as it will potentially enable incidents on the business parks to be reported directly to them.

HND Computing student and member of the group working on the project, Gerald Mukwakami (19) said: “The Innovation Experience has provided me with good background knowledge of business and has definitely prepared me for the world of work. After completing my qualification at Walsall College, I plan to top up to degree level and eventually want to go on to set up my own company”.

Enterprise and Innovation Manager for Walsall College, Carolyn Chapman-Lees, said: “This programme offers relevant and practical in-company experience to students in any area of study; they simply need to be able to bring fresh ideas and solutions to current business activities. The current project has been extremely successful, with students creating innovative solutions that really work for Walsall Business Parks.

“The exciting aspect of this programme is that it is open to other young people across the borough, even if they are not students at Walsall College. This is a whole borough approach which aims to develop enterprising and innovatory thinking amongst our young people, whilst also helping local companies develop and grow.

“In this current financial climate, we are encouraging more local businesses to get on board with The Innovation Experience project and take advantage of this opportunity to access fresh, innovative ideas that will help them take their businesses forward.

If you think your business could benefit from The Innovation Experience, please contact Carolyn Chapman-Lees on cchapmanlees@walsallcollege.ac.uk or 01922 688654