11:40am Monday 14th December 2009
By Nafeesa Shan
A DRIVE to stop the brightest students leaving Lancashire after university has been launched.
The joint project between the University of Central Lancashire and Lancashire County Council will see more businesses take on undergraduate students in a bid to help companies grow, while giving students practical work experience.
And as part of the project, students will be asked to go into some local schools with the aim of inspiring pupils to consider university as part of their career path.
The 'Home Grown Graduate Scheme' comes as education bosses in Lancashire, including Ian Clinton from Blackburn College and Martin Brown, head of Burnley’s University Centre, vowed to stop the ‘brain drain’ in the area.
They believe university centres will help keep students in the area and create a highly skilled workforce for the future.
So far 12 businesses have joined the scheme.
Another eight are being sought.
Dharma Kovvuri, acting dean of University of Central Lancashire's Lancashire Business School, said: “This project is a great way for companies in the Burnley region to secure the services of talented graduates to work on live company issues and is an excellent opportunity to build relationships between University of Central Lancashire and Burnley businesses.
“The businesses benefit from gaining a valuable resource on projects that will help support and grow their company. The students will gain valuable employability skills to enhance their employment prospects.”
Lancashire County Council's cabinet member for economic development, Coun Tim Ashton, said: “This project aims to put highly skilled university students with 20 high growth businesses.
"It has been shown that whilst we have first rate universities many of the students leave university and then the area taking vital skills with them.
“This project will engage businesses and students in showing you don't need to leave the area to work for high growth, specialised and exciting companies.”
© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk