Equality and Diversity Committee
7 February 2012
Agenda Item : 8 (e)
Paper EADC/12/08
REPORT FOR EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY COMMITTEE JANUARY 2012
OVERVIEW
The Employability and Careers Centre aims to provide an accessible and impartial service and
resources that contribute to enabling students to understand, and effectively implement, an
informed process of career planning. We strive to ensure everything we do reflects the diversity of
the University’s student and staff needs.
Some feedback from our students:
Just wanted to thank you for the advice you gave me on my HPU frontrunners job interview.
I gave plenty of specific examples as we discussed and overall I felt the interview went really well. I
also managed to get the job!! :) This has really boosted my confidence for the future. (Nepalese
student)
I am really thankful for the help provided by you. Your help was significant and it helped me complete
all the applications I was doing. Again thank you very much. (Chinese student)
2010-11 STUDENT CONTACT FIGURES BY CATEGORY
Academic Year 2010/11
Total
Total seen
%
12539
1892
15.1%
Students with a declared disability
877
140
16.0%
Female students
6762
1042
15.4%
Mature undergraduate students
2313
242
10.5%
Non-white students (declared)
5575
832
14.9%
International students*
3627
472
13.0%
All non-UK students*
5386
783
14.5%
Total individual students seen
* calculated on fee status, not nationality
Key achievements 2010-11
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25 students attended the workshop style session ‘Housewarming’ event for new mature
students starting degree in 2011 – ‘Making your degree count; adding value’ (September 2011)
‘International Series’ workshops ran throughout the academic year including support to find
internships, working in the UK after study, Careers in Asia, Careers in Africa and CV and
interview skills
A survey of mature students on how the Careers Centre might best meet their career needs was
carried out through the Mature Students Society in April 2011. As it was completed by a very
small number of students action was put on hold.
Specific sections of website are maintained and updated as appropriate, including information
for International students, students with disabilities, LGBT students and ethnic minority
students.
Planned activities 2011-12
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Presentation for students by Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO) London (a not-forprofit organisation focused on improving access into the most competitive professions for
students from under-represented ethnic minority backgrounds) in October which will be
followed up with extra support by ECC staff for students applying.
Ongoing ‘International Series’ of workshops during Autumn term, including ‘Working in the UK
during and after study’ and ‘Careers in Asia’
International Careers Week will run 6-10 February with various sessions taking place
Job Hunting workshop will run in March 2012 for Mature Students
Equality and Diversity Plan
The ECC will promote equality and diversity by:
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Having a Careers Advisor act as the named contact and lead on diversity issues
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Recording user data that permits analysis of use by gender, ethnicity etc.
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Regularly seeking feedback from clients
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Providing support targeted at widening participation students through the frontrunners scheme
and Inspiring Internships (and are discussing with relevant parties how WP students can be
identified in real time using the Student Records System)

Differentiating provision by offering special events, workshops and information for different
groups (eg International Students, disabled, LGBT)

Devising an extra-curricular employability award (which past experience indicates will be heavily
used by International Students)

Introducing a university wide strategy for embedding employability in the curriculum to ensure
that all students engage with employability as part of the degree studies.
Dave Stanbury
Director of Employability
January 2012