Love business and the planet this Valentine’s with week-long festival
University of Chester staff, students and partners are encouraging everyone to love business and sustainability this Valentine’s week with a free future-focused festival open to all.
Set to be kicked off in style by Chester Football Club players and coaches showing their skills and drills, the Festival of Professional Futures runs through the week from Monday February 13.
The Festival features business events for everyone, including sessions from digital skills and innovation to entrepreneurship, which are expected to be of particular interest to people from businesses and across professions; students and alumni.
Organised by the Cheshire and Warrington Business Growth Programme (BGP) team at the University of Chester, it celebrates the business support services provided by the University. All of the events take place at the University of Chester Business School at Queen’s Park, in Chester, CH4 7AD, apart from two online sessions for those unable to attend in person.
The Festival’s diverse programme of events offers ‘meet the expert’ sessions, business masterclasses and workshops, as well as networking events.
Among these are workshops on sustainability, marketing, net-zero and virtual reality, and the chance for representatives from businesses and other organisations to meet future recruits for placements and graduate roles. Students can meet future employers and come away with a wealth of professional skills.
Tree planting and volunteering in action will also be part of the activities.
Louise Goodman, Business Development Manager at the University said: “This collection of events brings together University of Chester staff, students and BGP businesses to support business and the community, networking and collaboration, innovation, entrepreneurship, digital transformation and the transition to net zero.
“We’re looking forward to seeing students, businesses and people from across the community getting set for the future in our week-long celebration of business growth support delivered through the University.”
The Festival includes the following events:
Monday February 13
- Employer in the Foyer - Enterprise Rent-A-Car - 11.30am
- Chester FC Skills and Drills Session - 1pm
- Student Enterprise and Business Showcase and Networking - 1.30pm
Tuesday February 14
- Hot Topics in International Trade - Ask the Expert (online event) - 12.30pm
- 'Think Beyond' Business Masterclass - Ask the Expert - 3pm
Wednesday February 15
- Work Based Learning Drop-in for Level 5 Students and Business Hosts - 10am
- Taster: Carbon Literacy, Climate Justice and Careers in Sustainability - 11am
- Chester Youth Climate Action Network Drop-in - 11am
- Wild Garden Clean Up Outdoor Volunteers Drop-in - 12pm
- Community Orchard Planting - 12.30pm
Thursday February 16
- Job Search and Interview Preparation - 10am
- Developing a CV for Maximum Impact - 10am
- Matching Graduate Skills to Employer Needs - 12pm
- The Value of Apprenticeships (online event) - 1pm
Friday February 17
- Taster: Creative Learning Through Lego Serious Play - 10.30am
- The Power of Social Media in Business - Ask the Expert - 12pm
- Virtual Reality for Business - 1.30pm
All of the events are free, and are open to everyone. To find out more and book a place on any of the sessions, please visit the Festival of Professional Futures Eventbrite Collection web pages at: https://bit.ly/professionalfutures2023.
Keep an eye on the Eventbrite listings for any updates and additions, including for the weekend of the Festival week.