Making education accessible for all
As Global Banking School (GBS) makes the E2E Job Creation 100 list, we look at the secrets of its success
Global Banking School (GBS) was established in 2010 by Dr Vishwajeet Rana. It is now part of the Global Education (GEDU) Group, which has a presence in 12 countries and over 60,000 students across its portfolio of higher education institutions.
Dr Rana’s mission is to make education more accessible for all, regardless of location or economic situation, and ultimately change lives through education.
GBS now has over 30,000 students across London, Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds. It works in partnership with leading UK universities to deliver the highest quality undergraduate and postgraduate programmes across business and management, accounting and finance, health and social care, digital technologies and construction management.
On top of this, GBS offers unparalleled access and flexibility to its students, allowing them to fit their studies around their busy lives. Classes are taught during the week, on weekends and into the evening, meaning students will always be able to make their lectures and tutorials.
Most of its students are aged between 30 and 40, and a significant number of those students come from communities with low representation in higher education in the UK.
Many of them also have full-time jobs and families, so this approach to flexible learning allows them to gain the qualifications they need to take the next steps in their career, while also focusing on their personal lives.
With 10 campuses across the UK, GBS has a presence in a diverse range of communities.
This has allowed the organisation to focus on local recruitment across both its academic and business functions, which is a major factor in its growth.
Driving job creation
Each campus and office have been welcomed by the local community, as they drive job creation and economic activity.
GBS remains actively engaged with councils and governments at all levels, to understand how the business can adapt to better serve its communities and sustain this level of growth long into the future.
Entrepreneurial spirit is at the heart of GBS and is one of the major driving forces behind its UK employment. One of the other secrets to GBS’ success in recent years, is its Enterprise Hub. The hub empowers students to bring their business ideas to life with intensive one-to-one support from established mentors, while also allowing collaboration with like-minded students.
This has seen students launch multiple businesses and upscale existing enterprises. This entrepreneurial offering is critical when serving such a diverse student cohort.
Different goals
Having such a multicultural community of students - often at very different stages of their lives - means their goals and ambitions will vary considerably.
The Enterprise Hub allows those interested in starting their own business to express their creativity in a nurturing and supportive environment with collaboration at its core. This approach really is the heart and soul of GBS.
As both GBS and GEDU grow domestically and internationally, the goal now is simple: to continue changing lives through education.
There is no doubt that education can be transformative, and to ensure high-quality higher education is affordable and accessible to all is not just important, it’s critical.
To be recognised in the E2E Job Creation 100 list is a testament to the hard work of all staff and students across the campuses. This is still a young organisation, but it has made an enormous impact across the UK in a very short space of time. To see this continue will be a wonderful thing for all staff, students and local communities.