UEL – London’s leading university for civic engagement
UEL
Helping Our Students Prosper
Femi Bola MBE
Director of Employability
5th November 2014
www.uel.ac.uk
UEL – London’s leading university for civic engagement
Our Context
• 27,000 students
• 50% first in the family to attend university
• 65%+ BAME students
• 54% mature students
• 40% lower socio-economic groups
• 81% from the London area
• 50% from East London
• International students
www.uel.ac.uk
UEL – London’s leading university for civic engagement
Our Students
High Flyers
Unconsciously Incompetent
Support Heavy
www.uel.ac.uk
UEL – London’s leading university for civic engagement
What do students want?
• A graduate level job
• I’ve paid £27,000 for it!
www.uel.ac.uk
UEL – London’s leading university for civic engagement
Their Context
• Over supply
• Competition high – concentration of graduates in London and SE
• Employers – tricky! Test, test, test!
• On-line life – the world in my room
• Communicate – I do don’t I?
• Attitude and behaviours
• Networking key – It’s still who you know
www.uel.ac.uk
UEL – London’s leading university for civic engagement
Employability
• The ability to:• Get a job
• Keep a job
• Progress in a job
• Get a better job
• Get a different job
• Create your own job
www.uel.ac.uk
UEL – London’s leading university for civic engagement
What employers want
What they really, really want!
• Self-management
• Team working
• Business and customer awareness
• Problem solving
• Communication
• Application of numeracy
• Application of information technology
• POSITIVE attitude!
www.uel.ac.uk
UEL – London’s leading university for civic engagement
What we do
• Small team – use our website + on-line resources
• Continually chase students and graduates
• Prepare our students – Get that hair cut!
• Try to be proactive, creative and innovative
www.uel.ac.uk
UEL – London’s leading university for civic engagement
How do we work?
• Do our own brokerage – we’ve grown up!
• Get up close and personal with employers
• Do the heavy lifting for employers
• Schemes just for them
• Use employer engagement to build social capital
• Sell our students – they are gorgeous!
www.uel.ac.uk
UEL – London’s leading university for civic engagement
‘I do and I understand!’
• Opportunities to practice and get feedback
• Mentoring, Placements, Internships, Work Experience, Volunteering
• Simulations – e.g. Assessment Centres
• E-Factor Business Ideas Competition
• Petchey Centre for Entrepreneurship
www.uel.ac.uk
UEL – London’s leading university for civic engagement
Challenges
• Reaching our students and graduates
• Changing employer perceptions
• Aligning diversity and quality
• Raising awareness of academic colleagues
www.uel.ac.uk
UEL – London’s leading university for civic engagement
Triumphs
• 1000+ Business Mentors in the last 5 years
• Relationships with Canary Wharf employers
• 300+ Student Volunteers per year
• Mentoring and Befriending Foundation recognition
• Matrix reaccreditation
www.uel.ac.uk
UEL – London’s leading university for civic engagement
On-Line Resources
http://uel.ac.uk/getthatjob
http://uel.ac.uk/buildthatbusiness
www.uel.ac.uk
UEL – London’s leading university for civic engagement
Thank you
www.uel.ac.uk