Attending his first networking event as a new student, Lewis Nicholson was relieved to walk away with a fistful of business cards. “That was my first taste of networking, and I threw myself in at the deep end. It was nerve-racking.” He’s been honing his business and softer skills with the help of the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) ever since.
During his three years of study, he’s won money in a university Dragons’ Den-style competition, set up his own business and worked on live briefs for businesses as part of his degree in business team entrepreneurship. While he enjoys the creativity of building his online tea retail business, Green Panda Tea – a spin-out from one of his degree projects – he’s also been investigating graduate jobs.
“It’s so useful to talk it through with someone – do I want to earn good money but hate what I do, or enjoy being my own boss with little money?” He’s used UWE Bristol’s award-winning career support to try to tackle his dilemma, and has applied for a funded spot in the university’s incubator space for startups. “It’s really easy to get advice and support here if you need it.”
UWE Bristol’s career services spread far and wide across the university. Students can drop in for an immediate chat, says careers consultant Leanne Newton, or they can schedule more in-depth support. Advisers are called “coaches”, to mirror the real world, and they can help with the nuts and bolts of networking, building a personal brand through to rootling out job vacancies – more than 6,000 graduate jobs and internships were advertised by the university last year.
Each academic faculty contains experts with knowledge of particular jobs markets and skills in demand, and industry speakers will visit to give talks. “Careers support is embedded in departments and across campuses,” says Jamie Jordan, a forensic science graduate who now works within the career services.
Students might ask for guidance on navigating the jobs market, finding postgraduate options or selling their skills to potential employers. A recently launched UWE Bristol app, Career Toolkit, allows students to do all of this online if they prefer, and provides hundreds of learning videos and tools such as psychometric testing, CV advice and interview simulations.
Rarely will any student graduate from UWE Bristol without any work experience – the university helps broker a wealth of industry placements and work-related learning. Students undertook more than 9,200 work placements last year – and some departments, such as environment and technology, encourage a full year in industry.
“Everyone knows the graduate market is tough. It’s definitely worth doing more than just your course at university,” says Newton.
And when a student returns from an internship, year in industry or studying overseas, you can see the difference, says Lucy Madahar, deputy director of student success services. “It’s quite a transformation. They return more confident, resilient and with more self-esteem,” she says. “They have developed a work ethic. We have data that shows a direct link between experience in industry and securing a graduate level job, even an improvement in degree results.”
UWE Bristol prides itself on contacts with employers and, crucially, the inside track on who’s hiring and when. A dedicated team work with employers and help secure placements, and the university helps prepare students for the world of work with workshops and advice before their work experience. “Anything so that they can feel confident – from what to wear through to business etiquette,” says Madahar.
Students within arts and creative industries generally complete shorter internships, some with Bristol’s creative and television industries – in the past they’ve found work with the likes of Bristol Old Vic Theatre, BBC Earth and independent television studios.
Some 200 employers attended UWE Bristol’s latest annual employers’ fair, the biggest in the south west. In total, more than 630 recruiters have visited campus in the past year, and the university works with large companies such as Santander, the Ministry of Defence, Airbus, L’Oréal, Enterprise Rent-a-Car and PeopleScout. UWE Bristol programmes result in “some of the best emerging graduate talent”, says a spokesperson from government body Defence Equipment and Support, which offers industrial placements to UWE Bristol students.
“We also work with hundreds of small businesses, who often want to work with students on live briefs,” says Madahar. “It’s a win-win for all parties.” Students with an urge to travel can volunteer or work abroad – the university has offered about 500 global work and volunteering opportunities. Specialist staff can also help students navigate their way around the vast voluntary sector – with strict criteria enforced by the university to prevent exploitation.
“And UWE Bristol helps broker study abroad, sometimes with financial support. We have more than 100 students signed up to take part in the Erasmus (study abroad) programme in 2019/20, with costs being covered as usual. Beyond then, we’ll have to see what Brexit brings,” says Madahar.
Students from low-income families or those who’ve been in care are also supported, she says, with a scheme that provides mentorship to build self-confidence. Another student programme, Equity, focuses on supporting black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) students with coaching and mentoring.
Over the past four years, the number of UWE Bristol students using careers services has continued to rise. “So we know the message is getting through,” says Newton. “What we offer is unique.”
