College launches new academy with local Barnsley businesses

Barnsley College has officially launched The Chamber and Brook Academy. Bringing together Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber of Commerce and Brook Corporate Developments Ltd, the academy aims to provide students with hands-on business skills while developing new opportunities for businesses.

The academy is nestled within the Business classrooms at the College’s Old Mill Lane campus, the Chamber and Brook Academy has been designed to provide students with a dedicated space where they can learn about business, finance and funding and explore different areas of business. In addition, it will provide students with a range of opportunities to develop their skills, including the chance to work on real projects from local businesses and widen their knowledge of real-world business situations.

Brook Corporate Developments Ltd. is a business improvement consultancy, based at The Business Village, Barnsley. It offers support for businesses to help staff growth and business development. Brook has seen the benefits of partnership working, being an active member of Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber of Commerce for over 10 years.

Dom Brook, Director at Brook Corporate Developments Ltd., said: “We have been a member of The Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber of Commerce for several years, and we have collaborated on various projects. When the opportunity arose to work with Barnsley College to set up an academy we jumped at the chance.

“Combining the business skills we have, and the large network Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber has, we can transfer this knowledge to students and create new opportunities within the future workforce.

“We work with Barnsley College to develop the curriculum by integrating real life situations into schemes of work. If there is a certain topic that the students are working on, we, or the Chamber, will deliver a masterclass on specific topics to aid their business skills. It is not about teaching the students something they already know, it is about putting the skills they have learnt into practice.”

The partnership between Barnsley College and The Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber allows students to learn from experts in their field as well as get hands-on experience by working with local companies. In addition to this, students will be able to network with employers through connections made through their collaborations with both organisations.

Andrew Denniff, Chief Executive at Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber of Commerce, added: “We have been working with Barnsley College to bring businesses and College students together. We have over 1,100 businesses in our network and our aim is to build bridges between students and the business community. We have brought in specific businesses like Brook Corporate Developments Ltd. to help develop and strengthen these business links.

“The aim of developing Academies within the College is to create an environment where both businesses and students can benefit from each other’s strengths, with businesses gaining access to talented students and students gaining experience in real-world environments that will help them succeed in their future careers.”

Barnsley College’s Director of Business Development, Helen Weatherston, commented: “We are very excited about this partnership and what it means for both our students and the local community. We have worked with Brook Corporate Developments Ltd. and Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber for many years now, so we are delighted to be strengthening our partnership with them by launching this academy.”

Barnsley College has a dedicated Business Development team which aims to help businesses identify and develop the best people, at the right level, with the right experience for their organisation. The College has a range of apprenticeships and professional training solutions that can be tailored to your exact requirements and will support your organisation to be productive and profitable.