Zara thrilled with £20k Lidl bursary

A Coleraine woman has been given the ultimate boost to university life thanks to a newly launched bursary initiative by Lidl Northern Ireland.

Zara Davis, who has just begun her second year of a Business Management degree at Ulster University Business School in Coleraine will have three years of her university fees paid, receive a monthly retainer fee, avail of part-time paid work, benefit from a guaranteed paid placement year and enjoy graduate job opportunities at the end of her course.

Valued at £20k each, six highly sought after bursaries were allocated following an application, recruitment and interview process which was open to over 200 first year students in the Business and Enterprise Department of the Ulster University Business School based at Coleraine.

Dr Karise Hutchinson, Head of Business and Enterprise Department, explains: “We are incredibly proud of this new partnership with Lidl which secures long-term industrial experience throughout our business programmes.

“This is a unique opportunity for our students to engage closely with a market leading multi-national organisation throughout every stage of their degree in terms of training, experience and mentoring from key senior staff at Lidl over a three year period. Our students are the business leaders of tomorrow and this generous commitment from Lidl provides a valuable kick start and investment in assuring the future careers of the lucky recipients.”

Paul Gibson, Sales Operation Executive, Lidl Northern Ireland, added: “We’re always looking to the future and identifying the best talent is an important part of this process. These six young students really stood out during the recruitment phase and we were impressed by their drive, energy and confidence.

“We’re thrilled to be able to provide each student with a comprehensive package which covers everything from financial support and access to their own mentor, from Lidl’s management team, to valuable work experience within the retail sector. Hopefully this bursary initiative will go a long way towards providing each person with the support they need during their time at university and we’re looking forward to working closely with them over the next few years.”