Embedding employers in the curriculum
The Careers and Employability Team are closer than we’ve ever been to our academic colleagues and embedding employers within the curriculum is when employability magic happens.
We design and deliver employability modules that encourage active participation in immersive work-based experiences and the sharing of reflection, self-awareness, and peer learning.
We develop student’s employability skills by giving them the opportunity to apply their academic skills to industry. And employers are key to making this happen.
Real world projects
One of the most effective ways that we can engage employers in the curriculum is through facilitating authentic, real-world challenges.
Through a combination of employer-led activity embedded in the curriculum as well as via our Skills Enhancement Programme, a placement replacement initiative designed in response to the pandemic, we use real world projects to ensure that all students are exposed to our industry connections and have the opportunity to develop, practice, and articulate the skills that we know graduate employer’s demand.
- Providing a real-world project is a more targeted and relatively light-touch approach to student engagement, enabling you to raise your profile often amongst otherwise hard to reach students.
- Getting involved provides you with exposure to a talent pool of highly motivated students dedicated to developing innovative solutions to real-business issues.
- This is a unique way to talent spot and identify potential future hires.
Getting involved is simple:
Step 1: Send us your real world problem using our short project submission form. We can help you design a suitable project if needed.
Step 2: You will be invited to meet a group of students at the start of the project to present the challenge to them and answer any initial questions they may have. This is usually done remotely and would typically last no longer than 1 hour.
Step 3: You will have the option to check-in with students mid project to hear how their solutions are taking shape. This is often done in written form via email or Teams.
Step 4: You will be invited to attend final presentations from the student group/s working on your project alongside University colleagues who will assess the students’ work as part of the academic modules where relevant.
Step 5: You will have the chance to follow up with any impressive candidates as part of your recruitment and attraction campaign for any live or potential roles.
Video interview practice
In an increasingly virtual world we appreciate that more and more employers are using video interviews in their recruitment processes. To help students prepare, we provide opportunities to practice their video interview technique through the Shortlist.Me platform.
As an employer, you can quickly and easily produce a short practice video interview for our students to complete through this platform. Each video interview includes your own branding, a personalised introduction, bespoke questions and access to data on engagement.
We use Shortlist.Me as an authentic assessment tool within a range of academic modules and have the highest engagement levels amongst all 40 UK HEI's, so don't miss out on this light touch way to reach students directly via their courses.
Targeted extra-curricular opportunities
In addition to working with academic colleagues to embed employers into the curriculum, we also support a series of extra-curricular events and initiatives with specific schools across our three Faculties. In spring 2022 we’re looking for employer input into a range of Employability Weeks across 8 of our schools and departments.
Our employability weeks across various schools and departments provide the perfect opportunity for employers, academics and student societies to come together to create engaging employability experiences.
Contact Jane Marsh to find out more.
Targeting Underrepresented Groups
Engaging with specific courses and schools can be an effective approach to connecting with underrepresented groups to meet your diversity and inclusion objectives. We can use data on student make up across various schools and courses to help you reach the right candidates.
Please contact us to find out more about opportunities to engage with our students via the curriculum.
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