Student employability skills development & experiential learning
Carefully designed simulations with learning outcomes mapped against employment skills - such as those used in the UBC - are an effective way of developing enterprise, entrepreneurship and employability skills.
Independent research shows:
The UBC is designed around Learning Dynamics business simulations as a competitive experiential learning challenge to develop employability skills required in the workplace:
- Analytical skills
- Commercial awareness
- Influencing skills
- Leadership
- Planning and organising
- Time-management
- Team-working
- A results-driven approach
- Financial awareness
- Innovation in problem-solving
- Managing the customer relationship
The Universities Business Challenge is particularly effective in developing these skills. In addition, a research study conducted in conjunction with Canterbury Christ Church University’s Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, the findings were that the UBC also develops the following outcomes:
- promotes social learning
- develops enterprise skills and competencies
- encourages an entrepreneurial mindset
- helped participants develop their enterprise and entrepreneurial skills
- and provides an employability learning experience that cannot be achieved in class
Quick Overview
Why?
- Learning Dynamics simulations designed into the UBC helps to develop the workplace skills employers are looking for via experiential learning
- Students build their profile and add something significant to their CV
- Each team member is presented with a certificate of participation which can be added to your co-curricular record as evidence of employability skills development
- Opportunity to meet leading graduate employers
- Top three teams win cash prizes
Who?
- Open to all UK undergraduates from any faculty – preferably penultimate year students, but they can be from any year
- Students participate in teams of up to 5 members
What?
- Students compete and run a series of realistic, simulated businesses:
- Round 1 – run on-line over the internet for 6 weeks
- Round 2 – live one-day regional Semi-Finals
- Round 3 – live one-day Grand Final
When?
- The 3 round format starts the last week in October and ends the last week in March the following year
Time commitment?
- In Round 1, two hours a week for the first two weeks while you are familiarising yourself with the simulation. One hour per week thereafter. Round 1 runs for 6 weeks
Learning Outcomes?
- The learning outcomes which result from participation are mapped against the skills employers are looking for in their graduate intake
- 83% of participants agree they their employability skills improved through participating in the UBC
Resources needed?
- Computer, internet access and printer
Team registration process?
- Team registration is open from April to October (until advertised closing date) via this website
- Register the number of teams you want to enter
- Then nominate team leaders as early in the new academic year as possible
- Team member names only required upon commencement of the UBC
Team participation process in Round 1?
- Registered teams are sent logins to the simulation website
- All resources are available on the website
- UBC provides a team helpdesk
- All team decisions are uploaded on-line
- Results are displayed on-line each week
UBC management team support?
- The UBC team is here to make the registration and participation process as simple and beneficial as possible
Team support?
- Teams find lecturer or educator support beneficial in terms of team dynamics and decision making
- Guidance and resources are provided to educators by the UBC team
Round 2 Semi-Finals:
- Approximately 25% of teams go through to the Round 2 one-day live semi-finals
- These are held in February to March at regional venues throughout the UK
- They are hosted by our Employer Partners
Round 3 Grand Final:
- The top 10 teams go through to the Round 3 Grand Final run live over one day in the third week of March hosted by the lead Employer Partner
View participating universities
