Aico Hosts CSR Workshops for Shrewsbury College Business Students

As part of our ongoing commitment to education under the Aico in the Community programme, we were delighted to welcome Year 12 business students from Shrewsbury College to our Oswestry headquarters for two dedicated Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) workshop and team-building days.

Across the dates, we hosted 40 students, offering hands-on insight into how CSR, teamwork and innovation play a vital role in a real-world business environment.

The visits began with a welcome session, giving students an introduction to Aico, our values and the work we do. This was followed by a guided tour of the facilities, helping students understand how our teams operate and how sustainability and responsibility are embedded across the business.

The morning continued with interactive team-building sessions, designed to encourage collaboration, communication and creative thinking. Offering two different challenges: Sustainability, and Values and Teamwork, the students had the opportunity to work together to think critically, explore environmental responsibility and sustainable decision-making, and experience the importance of teamwork in a professional setting.

CSR Workshop

A key highlight of the day was the CSR workshop, delivered by our CSR & Community Engagement Leads, Jane Pritchard and Laura Opechowska. Students were introduced to the values and culture behind Aico, our sustainable development goals, as well as the five pillars of our Aico in the Community programme: Workplace, Marketplace, Community, Environment, and Governance.

Students were supported in applying their learning directly to their business studies curriculum, forming part of their assessed Aico case-study assignment and giving students the opportunity to explore CSR in a real-world business context. Through guided discussion, practical examples and open Q&A, Aico helped students understand how social value can be embedded into business decision-making and the responsibility companies have to give back to their communities.

Finally, the day ended with a product development workshop, where students explored innovation, customer needs, and responsible product design.

Looking Ahead

Aico are proud to support young people as they develop their understanding of business, sustainability and corporate social responsibility, and we look forward to continuing our work with local schools and colleges into 2026.

Laura Opechowska, an Aico CSR & Community Engagement Lead, said: “Welcoming local business studies students to Aico for their CSR case-study assignment was a valuable experience. Supporting young people to understand what social responsibility looks like in practice, and how businesses can give back to their communities, is something I truly value in my role.”

Thank you to Shrewsbury College and all the students and teachers who attended for all their hard work, passion, and enthusiasm. For more information about our Aico in the Community programme, click here.