Innovative Solutions - Embedding Enterprise in Project Management in Hertfordshire Business School

Abstract

Employers increasingly demand future‑fit, work‑ready graduates with strong technical, strategic, and practical capabilities. In response, higher education institutions must move beyond traditional pedagogical models and embed employability‑focused, work‑integrated learning within the curriculum. This study presents an innovative, practice‑based pedagogical approach that integrates enterprise learning within a postgraduate Project Management programme. The approach is designed to bridge the gap between academic theory and professional practice for a diverse international student cohort. The research explores the strategies for embedding work‑related learning activities that enhance skills development and graduate employability. Grounded in Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory and Taber’s Action Research framework, the approach engages students in live, client‑based applied research projects. Students work independently with real organisations to address complex project management challenges, applying theory across the project lifecycle. Enterprise learning is embedded through structured industry engagement including networking events, hackathons, client collaboration and staged assessments aligned with the initiation, planning, execution and closure phases of project delivery. The study evaluates the impact of these experiential learning techniques on student learning and skills development through a qualitative two‑phase research design. Phase 1 involved documentary analysis of student feedback from university surveys. Using thematic analysis, initial findings indicated increased student engagement, enhanced employability skills and greater confidence in applying theory to real‑world contexts. Phase 2 is currently underway and employs semi‑structured interviews and focus groups with students and alumni to generate deeper insights. Collectively, the initial findings provide evidence‑based, transferable insights to support the scalable adoption of enterprise‑embedded experiential learning across higher education programmes