Partner Article

Leeds Met partners with Lancashire economic development company

Leeds Metropolitan University has announced a new pioneering partnership for students with a economic development company in Lancashire.

The partnership will see the University’s School of Built Environment and Engineering work with Regenerate Pennine Lancashire.

It will give students within the school access to a range of work experience placements, graduate traineeships and real-life projects to prepare them for their careers.

The alliance was established at an event at Regenerate’s offices at the Globe Centre, Accrington, where Dr Andrew Platten, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Environment and Technology at Leeds Metropolitan University, and Steven Cochrane, Director at Regenerate and also a Masters graduate of Leeds Met, signed an official memorandum of understanding.

Dr Platten commented: “The new partnership will provide placement opportunities for our students in the School of Built Environment and Engineering to work on the innovative regeneration projects located across Pennine Lancashire and postgraduate research opportunities including work experience opportunities.

“This partnership provides experience of social, business and construction regeneration activities, underpinned by academic teaching, whilst it improves opportunities for our students during and after their studies, providing an invaluable opportunity to develop their career progression.”

Steven Cochrane added: “The partnership will provide us with invaluable access to research conducted by Leeds Metropolitan University.

“Our aim is to find out more about the social and economic factors that affect Pennine Lancashire, which will inform and influence future regeneration projects for the benefit of the area.

“In return, we aim to provide live case studies, work experience and placement opportunities to students from the University to help support these projects.

“Students are due to begin work on projects through the new partnership, initially looking at options for energy conservation and improvement of Blackburn’s Old Town Hall.”

Additionally, the partnership will see members of Regenerate assisting Leeds Met academics in delivering planning and housing policy course modules by inputting their first-hand experience of specialist areas.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .