UNB will work to improve professional sales in region. ACOA has provided $1-million in funding for various projects. (Image: Tamara Steele)
Based on demand from industry, the University of New Brunswick is working to improve professional sales in Atlantic Canada.
The region is considered under-represented when it comes to professional sales expertise.
$1-million in funding from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency will support several professional sales initiatives at UNB Grand Hall where the announcement was made on Thursday morning.
Dr. Shelley Rinehart, director of the MBA program at UNB, said sales often gets a bad rap but, without sales professionals the economy will slow down.
“Having salespeople who are good data-driven problem solvers has the potential to really build out our economy and make us much more competitive in that global market,” Rinehart said.
The university has been working to build sales talent in Atlantic Canada for several years which includes launching its business development and professional sales graduate program in 2018.
Dr. Rinehart said the sales stream has seen increasing demand every year.
“And even the students who are not in that particular stream wanted to take a couple of those courses. They realized that the majority of jobs that people have, have a sales component in them,” Rinehart said.
The funding will also be used for research, think tanks and round tables bringing together students and the business community.
UNB is an accredited partner of the Canadian Professional Sales Association.
Saint John-Rothesay MP Wayne Long makes an announcement of more than $1-million from ACOA to improve professional sales expertise. pic.twitter.com/1iPR4zGLkK
— Tamara Steele (@tamarasteele1) June 10, 2021
Follow
