CONGRATULATIONS to our Office Manager Tracey Farrow on successfully completing her BA in Business Management with the Open University and achieving an Upper Second-class Honours (2:1) degree.
Tracey embarked on the degree in 2015 in a bid to do something more challenging after completing a number of other professional qualifications. She studied eight modules over six years gaining a thorough understanding of the world of business and the practical and strategic management tools needed to lead, develop and grow a business.
“I wanted to stretch myself a little bit and found that I really enjoyed learning about the different aspects of business. Although there were compulsory elements to the course such as Shaping Business Opportunities and Strategic Management, I was able to choose which other modules to study so could select those that I thought would be most interesting or relevant to my job,” explained Tracey.
Although much of the learning was delivered via online tutorials, the opportunity to go into the university to talk through the modules with tutors and other students was much missed when the Coronavirus Pandemic hit.
“Being able to discuss what we were being taught, ask questions and see things from someone else’s different perspective was invaluable. We were all from different walks of life with experience of different industries. It was interesting to learn from each other,” she explained.
Tracey has been with Grotech for some 20 years, starting out in Despatch before moving into Production Planning and Buying and then on to the managerial side of the business as Office Manager.
“The nature of our business in manufacturing such a wide range of goods means that I’m never bored,” said Tracey.
“The company has been supportive of my studies, helping to meet the cost and allowing me time out to complete projects especially towards the end when I had a 5,000-word dissertation to get done.”
In return Tracey says she now feels more confident in her role as a manager, able to communicate better with staff and hold her own when working alongside other managers.
“The degree was difficult to achieve especially while working full time also. The modules became progressively harder as I went along so it’s a big achievement to have successfully completed it and a huge confidence boost,” she said.
