B&FC graduates present work on project management to Parliament

Two B&FC graduates have been chosen to present their undergraduate research to top politicians in Parliament.

The news means that for the second year running former students from the College’s Project Management Centre of Excellence had the honour of sharing their findings with key decision-makers in Westminster.

BAE Systems workers Francesca McKenna, 23, and 24-year old Charlotte Bamber were invited to present at the annual Posters In Parliament competition which saw them use elements of their dissertations to demonstrate specific messages.

The competition was organised by University College London to showcase the best undergraduate research to politicians and to inspire others to undertake their own studies.

Andy Smith, from B&FC’s Project Management Centre of Excellence, said: “This was an excellent opportunity to show MPs that Blackpool and The Fylde College is producing individuals with the skills and knowledge to fuel the Northern Powerhouse.”

Francesca, from Ulverston, a project management graduate who works for BAE Systems in Barrow, designed her poster to explore whether a common project management language exists in practice. It also considered whether common terms were used with consistent meanings between different project sub-specialisms.

BSc Hons Project Management graduate Charlotte, from Fulwood, who works for BAE Systems at Warton, focused on the aspects of the sector which influence the choice of project management as a career path.

Andy added: “We work closely with BAE Systems to co-create bespoke programmes, work which saw us receive the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education last year.

“That our graduates are consistently being chosen to show their research in Parliament shows the standard of work our graduates produce.

“Working so closely with employers of the stature of BAE Systems, Rolls Royce and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office means B&FC produces graduates who are ready to immediately begin working in real-life scenarios within a wide range of industries.”

B&FC offers more than 60 degrees – including BSc Hons Project Management – accredited by long-standing partner Lancaster University, ranked in the top 10 of universities in the UK.