The department consists of three experienced teachers;
Miss Heather Forrester, Head of Department
Mr Adam Mace
Mr Simon Woodhouse

Each of the staff work closely together in creating resources, sharing good practice whilst delivering a vast range of examination based courses.
The department is equipped with its own suite of rooms with full Information Technology capacity.

As an object subject in year 10 the following two year business course will be offered from September 2009:
GCSE Applied Business (Double Award)
AQA (syllabus 4136)

At Key Stage 5 business continues to be a popular option for many existing and new students of the subject.
The current course is:
GCE Business Studies
AQA (syllabus 2130)

Economics is also available and has proved to be a valuable complement to the curriculum.
The current course is
GCE Economics
AQA (syllabus2140)

 A one year Level 2 qualification is also available within the Sixth Form. The current course is:
OCR National Business
OCR (syllabus 6329)

As a department enterprise activities are an integral part of our activities. Students in year 10 have the opportunity to set up a small business and complete the Sawtry Business Scheme. Young Enterprise is a popular and well established component of the Sixth Form enrichment programme.
The department also has well developed local and national business links and are keen to explore further opportunities in this area.

If you would like any more information on any of the courses or for further information then please contact the department at the college.
E mail address: hf@sawtrycc.org.uk

More information also available form examination boards:
www.aqa.org.uk
www.ocr.org.uk

 

Business Studies CAREERS

Business Studies

Business studies courses give you a broad overview of how the commercial world operates. They usually cover the whole range of functions to give a firm foundation which can be applied in any sector or industry. As well as developing the essential transferable or ‘soft’ skills that employers demand, you build technical knowledge and skills and have the opportunity to specialise through options or a dissertation.
The strengths cultivated through business studies include:

• understanding organisational behaviour and structure;
• critical thinking and analytical skills, alongside familiarity with evaluative techniques;
• a creative problem-solving approach and sound, logical decision-making skills;
• effective and persuasive written and oral communication skills;
• numeracy and the ability to research, interpret and use business and financial data and information;
• self-reliance, initiative and the ability to manage time, projects and resources;
• appreciation of the causes and effects of economic and other external changes.

These attributes are much sought after by employers, since they build commercial awareness and allow employees to start contributing to the organisation quickly.
The course structure and design of assignments also boost employability, with presentations, group work, independent projects and business simulation activities giving ample opportunity for development.
The skills developed on your courses as well as through your other activities, such as paid work, volunteering, family responsibilities, sport, membership of societies, leadership roles, etc. Will help lead to a variety of successful careers.  
In 2009, over 55% of business studies graduates were in full-time paid employment, suggesting this broad course of study is vocationally relevant.
Former Business Studies students are found in almost every employment sector but around 23% typically enter employment in commercial, industrial and public sector management. Commercial roles exist in all types of industry, including:

• retail;
• distribution;
• hospitality and leisure;
• financial institutions;
• sales;
• marketing;
• production management.

Around 20% of business studies students enter employment in business and finance professional roles. Relevant opportunities include those in:

• professional services (chartered accountancy, business consultancy, law and tax);
• finance (banking, city markets, insurance);
• major industrial and manufacturing organisations.

Significant numbers of business students also head for the media sector and take up administrative positions.

Jobs directly related to Business Studies

• Management consultant - advises client businesses on getting value for money, maximising growth or improving performance.
• Systems analyst - examines a business activity to help decide whether new IT solutions will improve productivity.
• Chartered accountant - provides accountancy, audit/assurance, tax and business advisory services to external or internal clients.
• Chartered management accountant - analyses business performance and provides financial information to set policy and help organisations plan future development.
• Insurance underwriter - decides whether to accept insurance cover applications and sets terms by assessing risk factors to determine likelihood of a claim.
• Logistics and distribution manager - manages the supply, movement, distribution and/or storage of goods and materials.
• Investment banker (corporate finance) - provides investment and advisory services to client companies, institutions and governments.

 

Jobs where your Business Studies would be useful

• Marketing executive - develops product brands using marketing and promotional campaigns. The fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) field covers high-volume, low-value goods with high public visibility and a short life span, such as food, drink, confectionery, toiletries and household goods.
• Human resources officer - develops, advises on and implements policies for the effective deployment of an organisation’s human resources (HR). The work may involve recruitment and selection, training and development, employee relations and discipline, pay and conditions, departmental restructuring and diversity.
• Advertising account executive - works for an advertising agency that serves outside clients, acts as a link between client and agency and coordinates the client’s campaigns.
• Retail merchandiser - responsible for retail product planning and works closely with buying teams to forecast trends, plan stock levels and monitor performance.
• Banker - provides financial services to individual and business customers including: bank accounts, cash handling, cheque clearing, credit and debit cards, loans and mortgages, foreign currency, and insurance products.
• Sales executive - maximises sales of a company’s goods or services in designated markets at home or overseas. Opportunities include those in FMCG, consumer durables (e.g. clothing, footwear, domestic equipment, toys) and in specialist industrial supply.

 

Economics

Economics provides you with a wide array of both subject-specific and transferable skills. All these skills are highly sought after by employers.

• Communication: presenting findings and explaining complex data to a wide range of audiences in a concise and easily understood manner as well as being confident in group discussions and the preparation of written technical and non-technical materials.
• Numeracy: handling complex data presented in a numerical form, using this data to draw conclusions and make recommendations as well as applying mathematical and statistical analysis methods to the data.
• Problem solving: extracting relevant information, drawing conclusions and making logical recommendations whilst considering the wider social and political influences.
• Computing: using specialised software to analyse data, presenting findings using appropriate IT methods and producing visual presentation to inform and shape decisions.
• Time management: completing specific tasks within designated time frames.
• Analytical skills: analysing research methods, methodologies, data, conclusions and recommendations, critically evaluating government policy and assessing performance against home and global economies.

Qualifications in economics provide you with the ability to apply economic principles and models to a wide range of issues whilst understanding the wider driving forces shaping social policy.

Jobs directly related to Economics

• Economist - provides specialist advice based on the application of economic theory and knowledge. Through studying data and statistics along with considerable research, economists are able to forecast future trends and make recommendations.
• Industry economist - generally employed by large transnational corporations, an industry economist undertakes research that leads to the collection, analysis, interpretation and reporting of statistical data.
• Agricultural economist - offers advice on trends directly related to agriculture and rural considerations. Agricultural economists also advise farmers on improving their businesses.

Jobs where Economics would be useful

• Financial risk analyst - identifies and analyses potential risks threatening the economic wellbeing of organisations. Financial risk analysts are responsible for predicting change, forecasting costs and predicting future trends. This role would allow economics graduates to use theories and models of economics as well as their advanced skills in statistical analysis.
• Credit analyst - undertakes risk assessment analysis surrounding monetary lending proposals. This role would utilise the strong decision making, analytical and numeracy skills that economic graduates possess.
• Chartered accountant, Chartered certified accountant and Chartered public finance accountant - employed within private practice, industry, commerce and the public sector, accountants in these roles deal with financial reporting and providing a wide range of accounting services. They utilise the statistical analysis and numeracy skills, as well as the decision making and reporting data skills, of economics graduates.
• Actuarial consultant - uses statistical and mathematical knowledge to make long-term financial forecasts. This information is used by both financial and governmental bodies to inform policy, solve current financial difficulties and aid future planning. Utilising the underpinning economic knowledge and excellent numeracy skills, this role would be suitable for an economics graduate.
• Statistician - working in a wide range of sectors, statisticians are concerned with managing and designing collections of statistical data, analysis and interpretation of results and the subsequent presentation of findings. This role is suited to economics graduates because of its high focus on analysis and numeracy.
• Civil Service fast streamer - an accelerated development programme preparing exceptional graduates for high-level positions within the civil service. Graduates can specialise depending on their interest, although the economist and statistician routes may be of particular interest to economics graduates.

In 2008, destinations information collected six months after graduation showed that just over half of all economics graduates were in full-time employment and over a quarter were undertaking further study either as a full-time option or by combining work with study. Only 5.8% of economics graduates were assumed unemployed.
Economics places emphasis on numerical and problem solving skills. This is reflected in the destinations of economics students, who were in full-time employment, with almost half entering professions which fall within the category of business, finance and associate professions. A further 14% of economics graduates went into commercial, industrial and public sector management and 7% went on to become numerical clerks and cashiers.

Where are the jobs?

Economists are employed in a variety of settings in both the public and private sectors. The largest employer of economists is the Civil Service through the Government Economic Service (GES). The Bank of England also provides vacancies through the Analyst Career Training (ACT) Program (see Bank of England Jobs).
Economics graduates also find employment in the following areas:

• other government departments and think tanks;
• banks (high street and city);
• insurance and accountancy firms.

The following sectors are also typical areas of employment for economics graduates:

• Government and public administration: As well as the Civil Service, this sector includes every government department and local government council in the UK.
• Banking, investment and insurance: Covers a wide range of employers including investment and commercial banks, building societies, broking firms, independent financial advisers, insurance and reinsurance companies
• Accountancy and business services: Covers firms that provide advice and accounting services to clients in both the public and private sectors and as well as accountants employed in-house in an organisation.