Imagine if you asked for help and 80 professionally-trained, highly motivated volunteers showed up. That’s what happened when Dan Taylor, president & CEO of the Greater Peterborough Area Economic Development Corporation (GPA EDC) approached Trent University about the need for research that would form the foundation of community profiles for the region’s future economic growth. Instead of receiving one intern, students from Trent University’s fourth-year business course in strategic management volunteered to undertake the massive project.
“I don’t think any community has tried anything like this before,” said Dr. Tom Phillips, professor in Trent’s Business Administration program, who, along with Dr. Bruce Ahlstrand, co-coordinated the course. In total, more than 80 students were involved. The project was divided into 13 sub-projects: one for each of the eight townships in Peterborough County, two focussed on the City of Peterborough, and three on sectors for potential development, namely tourism, aerospace and aviation, and the water sector. "In effect we became CEOs of a research bureau, and each of the groups was a little research group that would report back to us. We dealt with them in a very business-like way. They had milestones they had to establish at the beginning and they had to meet those milestones,” explained Professor Phillips.
In addition to this hands-on experience in the practical business skills of time management, goal-setting, teamwork, research and reporting, students got to engage their more creative side. “They had to do some hard work to get the data together, but then it really did inspire them to make some pretty bold propositions about how to grow these communities,” observed Prof. Phillips. “It's the only project like this that I'm aware of where a group of students contributed their perspective without bounds - there were no boundaries on what they could recommend or what approach they would take to give a fresh set of eyes and provide feedback to the community.”
And the results? “The students were really ambitious about the future of the community. Each of them saw this internal strength to generate economic growth within the community instead of expecting growth to come from elsewhere.”
Chantelle Held, rural development officer at the GPA EDC is enthusiastic about the project and its results: “We were extremely happy to work with Trent University on this project. Community partnerships such as this are always a great opportunity for everyone involved. We strive to participate in collaborative projects regularly,” says Ms. Held. “This undertaking offerred a unique learning experience to the students and to our staff, as well as produced a tangible finished product for each community in the region to use when marketing their community to potential investors, tourists and residents.”
The project is a win-win both for the region and for the students, affirmed Prof. Phillips. "Students get to see the business profile of quite a typical non-densely populated urban area, and that may be new to a lot of students - particularly international students. They are here to learn about municipal government structures, and what the business environments are like in smaller communities so it gives them exposure to the realities of the Canadian economy and business, which is a lot of small businesses in small communities. It opens up a new view to what the business community is in Canada.”
Even for local students like Jonathan Jones, who was part of the group working on the strategic plan for Havelock Belmont Methune, the project was an opportunity to see their community in a new light. “Being a Peterborough native it was a great experience to learn about a community that I often travel through, to connect with my local community and to apply what I have learned in the Business Administration program at Trent University,” asserted Mr. Jones. For Mr. Jones, who will be graduating in June and then heading to Hong Kong for a Justin Chiu summer internship through Trent’s Business Administration Field-Based Study program, the opportunity to work in a practical setting has given him confidence to face his new challenge overseas. “It’s one thing to learn something in a classroom setting and something different to apply it in the real world. This experience will be of great assistance in my future work.”
How does a community like Peterborough attract and retain talented, creative and ambitious people who can contribute to the economy? Ask the B.B.A. students at Trent.
Posted on Tuesday, May 1, 2012.