Corporate relations: building a business network that serves a school

A school is not judged solely on the quality of its programmes. Its ability to maintain solid relationships with companies in its area determines the quality of internships, the professional integration of its students and, more broadly, its credibility with families and institutional partners alike. Building this network is not a matter of chance: it is methodical work, carried out over the long term.

Why corporate relations are a structuring issue for a school

Relationships between an institution and companies take shape at several levels:

• hosting students on internships or work-study (alternance) programmes;
• professionals contributing to teaching;
• participation in the design or updating of programmes;
• contribution to the final recruitment of graduates;
• involvement in the life of the institution (examination panels, events, supervised projects).

These relationships are not merely a service rendered to students: they also feed the institution's credibility and the relevance of its programmes with regard to the real needs of the labour market. A school whose programmes evolve in dialogue with the companies in its sector maintains a better match between what it teaches and what employers are actually looking for.

The most frequent mistakes in building a business network

An institution that addresses this subject late, or only occasionally, generally runs into the same difficulties:

• A relationship limited to finding internships. Reducing the link with companies to the mere collection of internship offers deprives the institution of a richer and more lasting relationship.
• No follow-up over time. A contact established one year without regular follow-up quickly fades away for lack of maintenance.
• Lack of internal coordination. When several people from the institution approach the same company without consultation, the school's professional image suffers.
• Lack of reciprocity. A lasting corporate relationship requires a real contribution from the institution to the company, and not merely a request.

The levers for building a lasting corporate relationship

Identifying the relevant companies for each programme

Not all companies in the area are of equal interest depending on the programmes delivered. Preliminary identification work, by sector of activity and by targeted occupation, makes it possible to focus on companies genuinely consistent with the career outcomes of the programmes.

Formalising the relationship beyond the internship

A mature corporate relationship can take several forms: a one-off contribution from a professional, participation in a thesis-defence panel, contribution to the development of a programme, recurring hosting of work-study students. Diversifying these forms of collaboration strengthens the relationship over time.

Appointing an identified contact person

Having a clearly identified contact person on the institution's side — a corporate relations officer or a programme leader — makes it easier to build a relationship of trust and avoids scattered approaches.

Maintaining the relationship over time

A business network is built over several years. Regular check-ins, communication about developments at the institution and feedback on the progress of students hosted on internships or work-study placements all help to consolidate the relationship. A company that sees the follow-up and progress of the students it has hosted is more willing to renew its collaboration with the institution the following year.

The role of local and professional networks

Beyond bilateral relationships with identified companies, an institution benefits from becoming part of existing professional and local networks: chambers of commerce, business clubs, sector-specific professional associations. These intermediaries make it possible to gradually widen the circle of contacts, beyond what a single institution can build in isolation. Active participation in the life of these networks — beyond mere membership — also strengthens the institution's visibility among local economic decision-makers.

What belonging to an education group brings

An institution that belongs to an education group can also benefit from corporate relationships built at a broader level, in addition to its own local network. Pooling contacts, prospecting methods and monitoring tools between institutions in the same group strengthens the reach of the network, without replacing the local roots specific to each institution.

BSG Group, as an education group that develops and supports schools, regards the relationship with companies as a structuring component of the value it brings to its institutions, in addition to their respective local roots.

This complementarity between the group network and local roots is particularly useful for a recently created institution or one in a development phase, which does not yet have a sufficient history of relationships to cover on its own all the needs of its programmes in terms of internships, work-study placements and professional contributors.

Measuring the strength of your business network

An institution can assess the maturity of its business network using a few simple indicators:

• the number of partner companies active over the last twelve months;
• the diversity of forms of collaboration (internships, guest contributions, panels, projects);
• the stability of relationships over time, beyond annual renewal;
• the involvement of alumni who have become employees of partner companies.

Regular monitoring of these elements makes it possible to identify the relationships to consolidate and those requiring a follow-up. This monitoring is best formalised in a tool shared within the institution, so that knowledge of the business network does not rest on a single person and remains accessible over time, including when the contact person changes.

How many partner companies should a school aim for?

There is no universal threshold: the objective is the relevance and strength of the relationships with regard to the programmes offered, rather than a number to be reached.

Are corporate relations solely the responsibility of the institution's management?

No. They often involve programme leaders, teachers and sometimes the students themselves, in an approach coordinated by an identified contact person.

Can a recently created institution build a solid business network quickly?

Building one takes time, but it can be accelerated with the support of an existing network, particularly when the institution belongs to an education group that already has established professional relationships.

To discuss building corporate relationships that serve your institution, contact BSG Group.