Belfast Met Launch New Belfast Business School

A new Belfast Business School has been launched by Belfast Met, alongside a £1.2m investment funded by the Department for the Economy to enhance the teaching and training facilities at the College's Springvale campus.

The launch of the School will result in the delivery of creative and innovative professional and vocational courses focused on future industry and business needs.

Speaking at the launch of the Belfast Business School, Marie-Thérèse McGivern, Principal and Chief Executive of Belfast Metropolitan College, said: "The launch of our Belfast Business School will firmly position Belfast Met at the heart of the economic debate and demonstrates our commitment to providing high quality professional courses to equip a modern workforce.

"As an award-winning College with a long track record of delivering high quality professional learning, we already offer a diverse range of business related courses. The Belfast Business School will continue to develop these and provide innovative lifelong learning programmes that are accessible, flexible and industry endorsed.

"Our ethos is simple, we want to support individuals and local businesses to help drive economic growth in Northern Ireland. We have listened to the needs of local business and matched our curriculum to future economic growth areas to ensure we provide individuals with the skills and knowledge required for an increasingly competitive marketplace. Today is about celebrating the work we have done and continue to do in ‘leading the city to work'."

Guest speaker, James D. Rooney, a co-founder of the Harvard Business School Alumni Angels of London added: "This is the right investment at the right time for Belfast's continued renaissance. Regardless of political boundaries the economy increasingly will be driven by ideas and innovation, and the Belfast Business School will better equip the local workforce to seize the moment and enable new partnerships with peer regions around the world."

With over 120 full and part-time staff members, including a growing number of experienced industry practitioners, the new Business School will offer full-time and part-time professional programmes aimed at providing individuals with the skills and knowledge required to drive economic growth in Northern Ireland.

As well as the College's current offer in professional programmes covering areas such as accounting and finance, business administration, human resource management, digital marketing and procurement, the Business School will also work in partnership with local businesses to deliver bespoke programmes aimed at upskilling and reskilling employees in areas including consulting, project management and leadership and management development.

Christine Brown, Head of the Belfast Business School commented: "The College has a very rich history and a proven pedigree when it comes to business-related and professional education. The challenge is to keep our offer relevant to today's marketplace, and to learner needs.

"We're about to start an ILM Level 7 Certificate in Leadership & Management which will provide learners with the skills and resources to innovate and optimise performance within their organisation. The course will be one of the first available at the Belfast Business School."

Marie-Thérèse McGivern continued: "The College, now in its 110th anniversary year, has a long and proud history of delivering business education and we firmly believe that the establishment of the Belfast Business School provides us with a platform to ensure the College continues to work with local business at the highest level to produce a highly skilled talent pool and workforce."

"Our challenge now is to develop the Belfast Business School brand and ensure we deliver on our promise of top quality technical and professional education that meets industry demand."

(MH)