MBRA Committee Member Virginia Monk, in charge of MRBA Skills, reports on how things are going with MRBA Skills.
“We’re delighted to have received our first batch of applications for our MRBA Skills bursary programme from a mix of interns, freelancers and agency employees. Following a review by the MRBA Trustees, we are delighted to confirm that five of the October – March applicants will be receiving a MRBA Skills bursary to study for the MRS Advanced Certificate. All five applicants are now in contact with their chosen Learning Provider to enrol on the course.
One of these first group of applicants is Alexandra Kuzmina, Research Consultant at Accelerator. She explains: “ I applied for the bursary because I believe the MRS Advanced Certificate in Market & Social Research Practice will help me fulfil the responsibilities of my current position in business to business market research. I also hope it will provide me with a broad grounding and understanding of the wider research landscape and give me more confidence in dealing with clients ensuring that the insights that I provide are of the highest quality possible. The qualification will also prepare me for the next step in my career which is Research Manager level.
“I currently work for a small research team and my current employer is unable to cover the costs for my study but is willing to provide the necessary study time as part of my professional development.
“The application process was relatively easy, and the team was very responsive. Some improvements could be made to the online submission form, for example allowing applicants to save their work and return to the application later. Also, it would be good to have more clarity around the various attachment requirements. It is too early for recommendations as I haven’t started my course yet, but overall MRBA Skills is a fantastic initiative to help early career researchers get where they want to be.”
We at MRBA Skills would like to thank the MRS as well as learning providers Research Academy and the Market Research Study Centre for promoting our bursary scheme. But we also need YOUR help spreading the word about MRBA Skills to young researchers and those new to our industry who might be interested in taking the MRS Advanced Certificate. You can do this by:
- Circulating our new MRBA Skills Info Sheet April 2019 Rev pdf. Please forward it to potential applicants within your organisations or people you know in our industry who may be interested in taking the MRS Advanced Certificate, but who may struggle to afford the fees.
- Add a link about mrba.org.uk/skills to your website so staff and other visitors to your site can find out more about it
And please remember: Potential applicants can apply for one of our bursaries at any time of the year.
