Apprentice Challenge: LSST Evaluation Report Analysis

This report presents an evaluation of the London School of Science and Technology (LSST), undertaken as part of the Apprentice Challenge. The report begins with an introduction to apprenticeships and an overview of LSST, followed by an examination of current trends in the UK higher education sector. A detailed SWOT analysis of LSST is then provided, identifying its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The report also explores potential growth opportunities for LSST, including exporting, acquisitions, joint ventures, and online sales. Furthermore, it offers recommendations for LSST's expansion and introduces a new online coaching service. A marketing communication plan is developed, including target market identification, communication strategies, and pricing and promotion considerations for the new service. The report concludes with a summary of key findings and recommendations, supported by relevant references.

THE APRENTICE CHALLENGE (LSST)
Group Members:
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2.Yy
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AN EVALUATION OF LONDON
SCHOOL OF SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY

INTRODUCTION
An apprenticeship is system of training a new generation of practitioners of a trade or
profession with on-the-job training as well as with some accompanying study like classroom
work and reading. In addition to this, Apprenticeships can also enable practitioners for
gaining license to practice in a regular profession. London School of science and technology
was founded in 2003 by Professor Syed zaidi who is an IT consultant.

CURRENT TRENDS IN THE UK HIGHER
EDUCATION SECTOR
Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. It is also
known as post-secondary education, tertiary education or third-level. In addition to
this, higher education of formal learning is which occurs after completion of
secondary education. Key facts and figures about United Kingdom higher education,
from number of undergraduate as well as postgraduate students along with
contribution of universities in UK economy are as follows :-
 Higher education institutions (2017-18) – there were 164 high education
institutions within 2017-18 in United Kingdom (Higher education in numbers,
2019).

Cont...
 Students numbers in UK higher education (2017-19) – In UK, 2.34 million
students are studying at higher education institutions data of these are as follows :-
 Full time: 1.84 million
 Part time: 0.5 million
 Undergraduate: 1.77 million
 Postgraduate: 0.57 million (HESA Student record, 2018)

Cont...
Graduate Employees – Approx. 90% of graduate in 2016-17 were working or further study in six
months of leaving university. In 2018, More than £10,000 was salary of English domiciled
graduate in comparison of median non-graduate salary (Higher Education Leavers Statistics:
UK, 2018).
 Income and expenditure (2017-18) – Total income for respective sector was £38.2 billion as
well this income was generated through several sources such as :-
 Funding body grants - £5.1 billion and tuition fees as well as education contracts: £18.9 billion
(What is the income of HE providers?, 2018).

Cont...
Current trends in UK higher education system – There are several trends within UK
higher education system explanation of these are as follows :-
 Online education has become an accepted opinion for individual now a days. As
people are getting enrolled for online courses such practices has been founded
more in last some years. There is increasing cost of higher education in which
online programs are not just offerings increased flexibility but also major reduction
in cost.

SWOT ANALYSIS OF LSST
London School of science and technology was founded in 2003 by Professor Syed zaidi
who is an IT consultant. It is located at Alperton House, First Floor Bridgewater Road,
Wembley Middlesex, HA0 1EH. Courses offering by them are undergraduate of subjects
Business, Health, management, computing and IT. There are approx. 201 to 500 staff
members working within London School of Science and technology.

STRENGTHS
London School of Science and technology have highly skilled staff members and they
take major steps for development of students is one major strength. Along with this,
LSST is providing placement facilities to the students as well as focus on students
success. A wide range of academic program held within London School of Science and
Technology, many with national accreditation. Moreover, LSST have strong as well as
established partnership within community it is establish.

WEEKNESSES
Along with strength London School of Science and Technology have some weakness
also such as declining enrolment because of modification within demographics,
increasing competition as well as due to some programs also which lack in clear career
alignment. In addition to this, lower than expected student success outcomes, retention,
completion as well as including student learning. Moreover, lack of brand and strategic
marketing as well as communication strategy, also inadequate resources for facilities,
equipment, recruitment and retention of quality staff.

OPPORTUNITIES
There are several opportunities for London School of Science and Technology such as
increasing interest of public in educational value as well as transparent pricing. In
addition to this, expanding partnerships and engagement opportunities within our
communities. Along with this, London School of Science and Technology have
opportunity to expand business at global level. It will help in development of economy
by rising literacy rate as well as also in generating revenue.

THREATS
There are several threats for London School of Science and Technology is regional as
well as online competition for students. Reducing family buying power and high rate of
unmet financial requirement. Furthermore, it is also threat for LSST i.e., Higher
education’s current role in society is less valued while expectations are rising.
Thus, above mention are strength, weakness, opportunity and threats of London
School of Science and Technology. It is important for them to analyse these factors in
effective manner as it have wide impact on working of LSST. As strength and weakness
are internal factors whereas, opportunity and threats are external factors.

GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES
London School of Science and technology have growth opportunity as they can expand
their institution at global level. Explanation of growth opportunities are as follows :-
 Exporting – This is one of the easiest way to enter within international market as
well most of business firm use this method for their international expansion.
 Acquisition – It is the market entry mode in that an business firm gains control of
another company by purchasing its stock, exchanging the stock for its own, or, in the
case of a private firm, paying the owners a purchase price.
 Joint Venture – It is also type of entry mode within that two business combine their
resources for selling products and services at global level.

Cont...
 Online Sales – Numerous companies use this to enter foreign market indirectly
by targeting foreign customers through internet. Same as exporting, business
firms retain their physical operations within their native nations, but ship products
overseas. One advantage of online sale mode is that it is relatively cheap and only
entailing cost of website as well as marketing. The downside is that it is often less
effective than establishing a physical presence in the foreign market.

RECOMMENDATION
From entire discussion it has been recommended to London School of Science and
Technology :-
 When LSST is expanding their business within other nation it is essential for them
to analyse market and factors involved within that particular sector in effective
manner. Because it may have negative as well as positive both impact on working
of London School of Science and technology.

New product or service for LSST
London School of science and technology is coming up with online coaching classes.
This will be growth opportunity for LSST as they can serve such people who go for
attending classes and want to study. Along with this, it also help in taking better place
within market area as people easily get attract towards such services.

Develop A Marketing Communication Plan for
Any Products Or Service Developed For LSST
Identify Target market- Target market is related to specific as well as well-defined
consumer segment within the business's serviceable market in that business firm wants to
sell their products and services as well as direct its marketing efforts to. In addition to
this, defining specific target market eases as it is related to marketing decision making
procedure as marketers get knowledge about most profitable set of customers.
Multi-segment marketing
Concentrated marketing
Micro-targeting

Cont....
Communication strategy on how to reach their target market- Communication is
related to exchange of information within sender and receiver. There is several
communication strategy which work as blueprints for company that how they will
exchange information. It can be verbal, non-verbal and visual integration of these
strategies together result in seeing success by London School of Science and
technology.
 Verbal communication strategy
 Non-verbal communication strategy
 Visual communication strategies

Cont....
Price and promotion- As London School of Science and Technology is providing
online classes for approaching their customers in effective manner. There will be
some price on that particular online session which will be taken by LSST is £50 for
per online session. In addition to this, London School of Science and Technology
will not doing any such promotion technique. As they are attracting number of
students through their websites as well as by pasting pamphlets in campus.

CONCLUSION
After going through entire decision it has been summarised that, An apprenticeship is
system of training a new generation of practitioners of a trade or profession with on-the-
job training as well as with some accompanying study like classroom work and reading.
In addition to this, Apprenticeships can also enable practitioners for gaining license to
practice in a regular profession.

REFERENCES
 Singh, M. K. M., 2019. International graduate students’ academic writing practices
in Malaysia: Challenges and solutions. Journal of International Students, 2015
Vol. 5 (1). 5(1). pp.12-22.
 King, E. G. and Nibbelink, N., 2019. Challenges of Boundary Crossing in
Graduate Training for Coupled Human-Natural Systems Research. In
Collaboration Across Boundaries for Social-Ecological Systems Science (pp. 227-
264). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
 Rakhshandehroo, M. and Ivanova, P., 2019. International student satisfaction at
English-medium graduate programs in Japan. Higher Education, pp.1-16.

Cont....
 What is the income of HE providers?. 2018. [Online]. Available through: <
https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/finances/income>.
 Higher Education Leavers Statistics: UK, 2016/17 – Summary. 2018. [Online].
Available through: <
https://www.hesa.ac.uk/news/28-06-2018/sfr250-higher-education-leaver-statistics>.