Peter Young
Master of Business Administration MBA
1. Tell us about yourself
My name is Peter Young. For the past 20+ years I have worked in the IT networking field, either by teaching in further and higher education institutions or directly supporting IT networks in schools, local government and NHS trusts in the Northeast of England.
I am currently employed at County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, which is one of the largest integrated NHS organisations in the country. The trust provides both acute hospital services and community healthcare from community hospitals, clinics and patients' homes.
I completed the ARU MBA (top up) in 2021 and graduated in 2022.
2. What is your fondest memory of Anglia Ruskin University?
My fondest memory was being awarded my degree at the graduation ceremony in the Cambridge Corn Exchange. Due to the pandemic and the remote delivery of the course this was the first opportunity to visit ARU. I took advantage of the opportunity for a summer city break. I used the time to see the sites of Cambridge, catch up with family members who live in the area and visit the ARU campus.
3. What has been your favourite job?
My favourite job is the one I am most proud of. I was an IT network specialist for the NHS during the Covid-19 pandemic. During that time, hospitals underwent a transformation and expansion with wards re-opened and additional beds added to increase capacity. Clinics including chemotherapy were moved out of the main hospitals to refurbished areas of community hospitals in an to prevent the spread of Covid to the most vulnerable patients.
The work I undertook was to expand the IT network of the sites for moves and expansion, I worked to deploy new IT enabled life support equipment and power systems in Accident and Emergency departments to enable our clinical staff to work uninterrupted. Like many organisations during the pandemic the NHS began to enable office staff to work from home, this involved an expansion of the trusts remote access IT systems at short notice enabling non front-line staff to work productively at home whilst minimising risk of contracting the virus.
4. In one word, how would you describe Anglia Ruskin University?
Inspiring.
5. How did your time at ARU help you?
Studying the MBA increased my confidence. It enabled me to examine the organisational management of my employers. I learned to view my organisation at a higher, strategic level and improved my critical thinking skills.
6. What did you love about your chosen course?
When I was considering which provider to enrol with, I had several requirements, including the course needed to be 100% online, taught part-time with flexibility in the end date, awarded by a UK university with an established academic standing. Value for money was another important factor as was the impressive top 40 rating ARU achieved in the THE World University Ranking when I was applying. These were the attributes I loved about the course.
7. What advice would you give to current students as they’re preparing to graduate?
The advice I would give to current students would be to consider further study. Graduation is not the end of your education; it is a competitive jobs market and you should therefore consider professional, vocation or additional academic study to ensure you have the skills necessary to pursue your chosen career.
8. What do you know now that you wish you had known whilst studying?
Looking back to when I was studying for my bachelors degree in the 1990s, I would say the massive and transformational impact that information technology has had on the delivery of higher education courses. At that time, it would have been necessary to attend the library, compete an inter-library loan request for an academic paper and wait for two weeks for it to arrive, it now possible to get that with the click of a mouse. This led to the delivery of remote learning of entire degrees like the MBA I completed at ARU. If I’d known this when I initially started studying it would have affected when, what and how I studied.
9. Who was the biggest influence on your career?
Throughout my career I have met many inspirational lecturers, manager and mentors, but it was my own drive and determination that got me where I am and prompted me to study so I’m going to say myself!
10. What advice would you give your younger self?
I would advise my younger self to take to time to decide what you want to do in life, consider the options, plan what you need to do to achieve it and carry out the plan.
11. Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know.
I have been a student for a significant amount of time. When I started as a full time undergraduate, I studied sciences leading to a BSc (Hons). I was intent on pursuing a career in IT, so next I undertook a Masters conversion course in Computer Systems. I undertook an in-service PGCE when working as a further education lecturer. I started studying management part time leading to a foundation degree. With all this studying I have attended five graduation ceremonies, with the one at ARU being my favourite!
12. What’s next?
Since completing my MBA I have been promoted to a more senior position within the NHS, continuing my existing duties with additional responsibilities. I studied the MBA with the intention of it being my final degree and further study will be for professional development and to renew my IT professional qualifications.