23/09/08
The Enterprise Champions Network (ECN) project hosted its final Professional Development Workshop in early September on ‘Effective communication and networking with business and community organisations.' The workshop aimed to address ‘how to bridge the cultural gap between business and education to create relationships that lead to more effective ‘real and authentic’ learning experiences for students.’
Guest presenter, David Shearer, Managing Director of SARINZ – Search and Rescue Institute of New Zealand informed participants by imparting skills for networking and communicating successfully with business. He emphasised that both ‘business’ and ‘education’ are about people – and success in both cases rests on effective communication.
One teacher commented that, ‘David’s presentation was very useful - the most effective way to approach/methods to use. The elevator pitch exercise was useful also the scenarios.’
Another teacher reflected her impressions of liaison with the business community, ‘that their priority is often time and money - that business people require reciprocal value.’ School planning is timetable and curriculum driven whereas business is generally market and project driven.
Dave Shearer
Networking Group
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