The Open University has welcomed business minister Mark Prisk’s call to business schools to tailor their MBA courses for mid-sized businesses.
In a recent interview Mr Prisk, pictured, said he was keen to encourage more business schools to train the next generation of family business leaders as part of the Government’s attempts to improve the performance of the private sector.
The Department for Business plans to work with these schools to improve the family business content of their MBA courses – which have traditionally appealed to high-flying individuals often working their way up the career ladder in large multinational companies.
This comes on the back of research showing Britain's 10,000 mid-sized businesses, many of which are family run, tend to be weaker than their professionally run piers.
The Open University which already boasts more than 21,000 MBA alumni whose careers and businesses are now flourishing. Assistant director in the South West Meriel Lee said: “I was pleased to hear that the Government recognises the value an MBA can bring to a business. Our MBA students work in businesses of all sizes and an MBA is not exclusive to large corporates – many of our students have started-up their own businesses prompted by the knowledge, confidence and skills they have learned along the way.
“An MBA gives professionals a complete set of tools they can implement in their careers and businesses from day one.”
The OU is holding a series of free information sessions across the UK with the South West event on March 8 at The Open University in the South West, 4 Portwall Lane, Bristol, BS1 6ND, between 4.30pm-7pm.
MBA tutors will be on-hand to give their insight into the value and benefits of an OU MBA and answer questions.
To book a place visit www.openuniversity.co.uk/mbaevents. For further information please contact Anna Rea at: a.rea@open.ac.uk
