Winner: Coventry University
International students need UK work placements, just as much as home and EU undergraduates, to improve their employability skills. The tightening of visa regulations, their lack of market knowledge and differences in work culture can make it hard for them to gain such experience, however.
Coventry’s Seed project addresses this problem by replicating the world of work. Students are formed into multidisciplinary and multicultural teams and given real projects to work on.
The UK work experience team developed a package of support for students, based on feedback from employers and the team’s own experience of student placements. The package covered recruitment (through the provision of individual CV drop-in clinics); an Advancing Student Skill and Employability Training programme (Asset consisting of three three-hour sessions covering topics such as legislation, team-working and UK work culture; and a post-placement audit of skill development. Students who complete the programme receive a certificate.
In January 2014, five months after Seed was launched, demand from organisations and students was such that a dedicated Seed placement adviser was employed to widen the initiative. The university provided grant funding (up to £400) to cover student expenses.
Since the launch in 2013, 260 students have been engaged in Seed projects. In the international student barometer survey, a rolling three-year survey of 43,065 international students from 73 institutions, employability and work experience were identified as key reasons to study at Coventry University, with 91% identifying it as important in improving future prospects.
The programme has been a hit with students. Comments include: “My UK work experience with the Red Cross has developed my management, communication and team working skills” and “This experience has laid a solid foundation for my future global career. It has transformed me tremendously, sharpened my self-confidence and strengthened my capacity to communicate among professional colleagues globally”.
Runner up: De Montfort University
More than 100 De Montfort University (DMU) students are giving support and advice to local businesses, while boosting their own learning and employability. DMU’s BusinessWorks project engages with Leicester’s small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), allowing undergraduates to showcase their skills and expertise in problem areas identified by local firms. Academic staff research the effects of the project on student employability.
Under the guidance of DMU academics, groups of students work together with an allocated business to research and suggest solutions in particular areas. Students who complete the BusinessWorks module not only graduate with more practical work experience and an enhanced CV, but also with industry-recognised professional project management qualifications, giving them an edge in the graduate jobs market.
Students undertaking BusinessWorks have made a demonstrable impact on local business, in the process developing strong local networks. One local business says of its student partners working on a green impact initiative: “Rather than big, sweeping changes, they have been able to introduce a raft of small measures which make a difference.”
Runner up: University of Manchester
Since September 2013, the university has been running Meet the Professionals events in a wide range of subjects (humanities, science, health and life science and engineering), enabling students to meet alumni who have graduated from similar disciplines to theirs.
Alumni introduce their role, career history and sector, and students ask questions, before moving on to the next alumnus in a speed networking format. Students are provided with profiles of contributors before the event to allow them to focus on particular areas for discussion. Contributors to the programme have included alumni working for organisations such as the Daily Mail, Manchester City Football Club, the BBC, Oracle and Oxfam.
The events have a genuine impact on their career planning. The 509 students who attended were invited to provide feedback and, of those who did, 99% felt motivated to take action regarding their career, such as seeking careers advice, updating their CV or sourcing an internship.
