Photo caption: Pictured (from left to right): University of Canterbury (UC) Assistant Vice-Chancellor Engagement Brett Berquist, Business Canterbury (BC) Chief Executive Leeann Watson, UC Vice-Chancellor Professor Cheryl de la Rey, UC Business School Executive Dean Professor Paul Ballantine, and BC Customer Experience and Partnership Manager Kathryn Peat.
Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (UC) is the second largest employer in Waitaha Canterbury; over half of the region’s NCEA-qualified students choose to study at UC; and one in two UC graduates who remain in New Zealand join the workforce in or around Ōtautahi Christchurch. Business Canterbury aims to work more closely with the community, including strengthening its partnership with UC.
“The University of Canterbury does an amazing job of sharing their research and their expertise, and the impact of that plays out right across our community,” says Leeann Watson, Chief Executive of Business Canterbury. “In return, the information that comes from our business community is fed back to the University, so graduates come out with the right skills and the right attributes.”
With the goal of nurturing local talent and driving economic growth, Business Canterbury (Canterbury’s Chamber of Commerce) has carefully chosen UC – which has served Waitaha Canterbury for over 150 years – as a strategic partner. 95% of UC graduates are in employment or further study six months after finishing their degree, and half of them join the local workforce. UC is a significant driver of economic growth.
“We welcome the opportunity to work more closely with Business Canterbury as we prepare our graduates for the rapidly changing world of work, and drive our economy forward,” says UC Amokapua | Assistant Vice-Chancellor Engagement Brett Berquist.
In line with its commitment to lifelong learning and community engagement, UC offers local professional development opportunities tailored to meet the needs of Canterbury's workforce. These initiatives provide professionals with the skills and knowledge necessary to thrive in today's competitive landscape.
The UC Business School, renowned for its excellence in fostering business leaders, has a long and deep relationship with the Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce. Under the new strategic partnership, this will now expand across various faculties and departments within UC. The impact of this collaboration can extend across many industries that help Canterbury thrive. Through strategic alignment and mutual support, UC and Business Canterbury aim to drive innovation, foster entrepreneurship, and cultivate a resilient workforce.
UC Business School’s Executive Dean, Professor Paul Ballantine looks forward to continuing to build the strategic partnership to benefit our people and region.
“As well as providing work-ready graduates, UC Business School offers professional development and strategic leadership courses aimed at helping organisations and businesses fulfil their potential, with relevant courses taught by experts, designed for a complex world,” Professor Ballantine says.
Echoing this sentiment, UC Engineering Executive Dean Professor Saurabh Sinha says the importance of engagement in engineering cannot be understated.
“UC’s mantra is tangata tū, tangata ora – we want to support our community to make a difference and this desire drives our university, including the engineering faculty,” Professor Sinha says. “For our students studying towards careers in engineering leadership especially, they learn to apply integrated engineering and commercial knowledge in a technical environment. We look forward to forging a closer relationship with Business Canterbury to help our graduates empower local industry to engineer a brighter future.”
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 - Quality Education.
