Our students are relishing opportunities to work with inspiring entrepreneurs

MEETING RECRUITMENT NEEDS

One of the many things which have struck me in my employer engagement role at the University of Leeds, is the amount of time, knowledge, expertise and support businesses are willing to share with us as we work together to help meet their recruitment needs. 

The benefits are, of course, mutual and our incredibly talented and diverse student community – currently 44,000 students from over 130 countries – are relishing the opportunities they’re given to work with entrepreneurs and businesses, many of whom are creating groundbreaking products and services and delivering real societal impact. 

The Nexus business community is right at the forefront of those opportunities and being on campus with a dedicated collaboration team, it is inextricably linked with the University and our engagement teams.  

Nexus businesses have been responsible for creating 175 placements and 86 jobs for our graduates, as well as an extensive programme of mentoring, guest lectures and taught Masters projects, with many more in the pipeline as we develop our links even further. 

PLACEMENT TO PERMANENT

Placements are helping to bridge the gap between research and practice and in many cases are giving students vital insights into sectors, such as manufacturing, data analytics and sustainability, which help prepare them for their post-PhD careers.

Feedback from the business community is also incredibly positive. If you look at Nexus member businesses as an example, although our university doesn’t run a specific veterinary course, vet-tech start up Vet AI secured vital graphic designer talent here. Slingshot Simulations and Itecho Health provided placements for students in international relations, medicine and surgery, automotive engineering, mechanical engineering and art and design, which have led to full time careers.

The Leeds Internship programme is our exclusive, fully managed service for work placement and internship roles for Leeds students. The team support employers throughout the recruitment process, from promoting the role to the right groups of students, through to arranging interviews and providing feedback to applicants. The success of that service means that many companies go on to offer permanent roles to our students.

Getting businesses and students together to share ideas and sow the seeds for future career opportunities is fundamental to my role, of course, so it’s great news that we’re back to in-person meetings and a packed events calendar.

We’re hosting four careers fairs in semester one next academic year: an Autumn Fair for employers from all industries, a STEM Fair, a Law Fair and an online Global Opportunities Fair. As well as this, the Careers Service run a dynamic programme of events, including: skills based workshops and employer panels, for students to learn and gain valuable employer insight. We’d be keen to hear from Nexus members who would like to participate in these events as this is a great way to build brand awareness and benefit our student community.

MAKING AN IMPACT

What we’re finding more and more is that students are looking beyond job roles and financial security for their chosen career. They’re seeking out opportunities driven by innovation where new ideas can flourish. With early-stage businesses they can see the enormous potential to make an immediate impact and be part of something bigger, which delivers real benefits to society and the challenges we face.

As one of the top five UK universities targeted by recruiters*, the University of Leeds is well placed to deliver on those aspirations and we’re looking forward to working hand in hand with Nexus and its business members, to build an even closer partnership and even more opportunities for our talented and inspiring student community.

(*High Fliers Research: The Graduate Market in 2022)

To find out more about how we can support your recruitment needs and the Leeds Internship programme contact: employerteam@leeds.ac.uk