1 May 2013 13:47

MP Eric Ollerenshaw visited Lancaster University with members of the city’s business community to find out how the higher education institution is supporting regional firms.

Mr Ollerenshaw, MP for Lancaster and Fleetwood, attended the event at the University, which was geared at highlighting initiatives through Unite With Business and other collaborative projects.

Head of Careers Mark Diggle opened the event before Enterprise Team Manager Jon Powell outlined all available support.

Recent Graduate Sharon Crane, a former Unite With Business project participant, spoke about her experience which was a catalyst for her career and led to a job in engineering. Sharon graduated from Lancaster with an M.Eng. (Hons) in Mechanical Engineering.

The Unite With Business project provides paid placement opportunities for students and graduates to work and engage with local businesses on operational or strategic projects. The project is part financed by the European Regional Development Fund.

This supports the business to enter new markets, develop new products or services and provide growth in the economy. To date the University has helped more than 160 SMEs through the project.

Business and Placement Advisor Daniel Knowles, who organised the event, said: “It all went very well. It was really busy and resulted in significant interest in placements and some strong leads. It also provided a great networking opportunity all round.”

Any local businesses interested in recruiting a student or graduate for a placement can register their interest by sending an email to unite@lancaster.ac.uk.