To enhance its longstanding relationship with the Niagara community, the Goodman School of Business at Brock University is making community services more accessible through the establishment of Goodman Group.

The move will bring together programming for Niagara businesses, students and the broader Brock community, providing them direct access to a full range of learning and development services offered by the School’s faculty, staff and students. It will serve as a hub for the community, while also providing students with real-world, experiential learning opportunities.

“This is a very exciting chapter for the Goodman School of Business,” said Dean Andrew Gaudes. “All the projects will engage students, faculty and the community in a matter that provides a rich experience for all parties involved.

“We are putting our best researchers into practice in supporting and developing our community, while applying what we advocate when it comes to engaging our students in experiential learning.”

Goodman Group will offer:

• Consulting Services (formerly known as Goodman MBA Consulting)
• Executive Development
• Professional Development (formerly the Centre for Innovation, Management and Enterprise Education)
• Venture Development (formerly BioLinc)

Although the formation of Goodman Group is new, the School has an established track record of providing these supports to local businesses, said Goodman Group Director Abdul Rahimi.

“Creating Goodman Group allows us to offer the community greater flexibility,” he said. “Depending on the client’s need, we can easily direct them to the business support that aligns with their goals and resources.”

Since 2012, local entrepreneurs have been turning to Goodman’s Venture Development (BioLinc) for programming and support to help build their skills and businesses. The School’s rich history in providing consulting services goes back even further to the 1980s.

Over the last three years alone, Goodman has provided professional development training to more than 875 community members through programs such as its NextGen Municipal Leadership program, and the Professional Leadership Development Certificate, which runs in collaboration with the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce (GNCC).

Mishka Balsom, President and CEO of the GNCC, said the most pressing challenge facing Ontario’s businesses today is the availability of skilled talent.

“Brock University and the Goodman School of Business are truly ahead of the curve when it comes to creating the talent we need to prosper,” she said. “Creating the Goodman Group is the logical next step in their quest to support and nurture Niagara’s businesses, and shows Brock University’s continued commitment to excellence and to supporting our community.”

For more information on Goodman Group’s programs and services visit brocku.ca/goodman-group/