Industry Involvement

This innovative Diploma delivery model has been designed in partnership with business to ensure that learners are able to "touch the reality" of what they are learning.  The Diploma Partnership has placed contributions from the public, private and third sectors at the heart of delivery and as a 'business-led' model, learning is focussed on project assignments.

HEALTHTEC

A group of 7 students from the BAF Diploma have volunteered to work closely with HealthTec to discuss how they can become involved.  They have agreed to help with the following:

• Hospitality and catering
• Transportation and parking
• Marketing the event to the general public, targeting the local community and hospital staff
• Press releases for TV, radio and press across the peninsula
• Approaching celebrities who may live or be working in the area at the time of the launch
• Design of promotional flyers
• Recruiting and coordinating volunteers for the launch day
• Timetable of events, to include a VIP reception followed by opening to the general public

In addition to the above, one of the above students has subsequently arranged a regular work placement for himself at HealthTec, to help on reception,  This has nothing to do with the launch event, but inevitably will help the students to maintain communication during the preparations, and will further their understanding of HealthTec's work. 

The students have been working will a range of local business people to gain an understanding of the challenges faced by businesses.  They have drawn upon this information to produce initial business ideas as part of the 'Make Your Mark' Challenge set by the national organisers of Enterprise Week.

The winning BAF team went on to be awarded 'The Make Your Mark' Award at the Herald Youth Awards and went through to the regional heat of the national 'Make Your Mark' Competition.

The winning idea, judged by Jackie Young - Plymouth City Council, Elaine Budd - PRENSUS Limited and City College Plymouth lectures was 'Plymouth Pedalz'.  The judges felt that the winning team interpreted the brief effectively and identified a niche market currently not being exploited in the city - great work!

The brief was as follows:

The Make Your Mark Challenge 2009 is to

Let local inspiration lead you to a ‘cool’ creation

Your challenge is to come up with a new and innovative business idea that takes its inspiration from something local. Your business can be a product or a service – as long as it’s a ‘cool’ creation and makes money.

Your Business:

Local inspiration

Use your local area as the spark for your business idea, for example:

a famous local person

a local place or local resource

local talent

local history

local culture

‘Cool’ creation

A ‘cool creation’ is a profitable business that minimises its impact on the environment. Green businesses are essential to the future of the UK economy and our planet so we want you to consider the carbon footprint of your business and think of innovative ideas to reduce it.

To make your idea a low-carbon one you will need to consider how products or services are produced and transported. Can you reuse and recycle in your business? Is your idea sustainable? Does it use resources which will be exhausted?

How can you reduce the carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) produced by your business?

Getting started

Starting is often the hardest part, so here are some tips for creating new ideas:

What’s missing in your location?

What winds you up? Can you find a solution to an everyday problem?

What do you love about where you live?

Can you turn a passion into something profitable?

Download the winning presentation!

Plymouth Pedalz.pdf

Examples of some of the future projects that have been developed are as follows: