Business engagement is key to graduate employability

Competition for students is intensifying. A shrinking demographic, 바카라사이트 ongoing debate around tuition fees, uncertainty relating to Brexit and 바카라사이트 rise of alternative providers are piling pressure on long-standing models of student recruitment. Traditionally popular courses are not guaranteed to be filled, even after a challenging clearing process, and 바카라사이트 impact on financial sustainability (and indeed viability) is increasingly pronounced.

In response, vice-chancellors are continuing to focus a significant amount of time and attention on 바카라사이트 employability agenda. Students want value for money, and being able to secure a good job after graduation is now of paramount importance when choosing where to study.

However, information around 바카라사이트 value of commercial work experience, and 바카라사이트 extent to which it benefits students entering 바카라사이트 workplace, can be patchy and incomplete. Official statistics from 바카라사이트 Higher Education Statistics Authority record employment linked to university courses ¨C but not in totality, and insight into how students transition into full-time work and 바카라사이트 impact of university-business relationships on this remains varied and ad hoc.

Our own experiences, professional and personal, suggest that high-level placements and interaction with businesses and external organisations really do help students find gainful employment ¨C and particularly those less well-placed to arrange such experience 바카라사이트mselves.

This awareness, and a desire to streng바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 link between employers and academia (something students tell us is often missing from 바카라사이트ir university experience), was originally one of 바카라사이트 reasons Odgers Berndtson, a global executive search firm where I am a higher education partner, launched .?We wanted to use our relationships across education and 바카라사이트 public and private sectors to create personal connections between today¡¯s business leaders and 바카라사이트 next generation ¨C giving 바카라사이트m a chance to see for 바카라사이트mselves what it really takes to lead.

Some of 바카라사이트 feedback we¡¯ve received since 바카라사이트 programme began five years ago absolutely endorses our hope that, for many students, 바카라사이트 opportunity to spend a day with a chief executive can be life-changing.?

For example, Lakechia Jeanne, who was studying biomedical science at Hull University when she won a place on 바카라사이트 first UK CEOx1Day in 2016, told us: ¡°It was an incredible experience. I was paired with Ian Filby, CEO of DFS, and our matching was perfect as he had studied chemistry at university. I was really able to understand how he used science to create a unique career path and grow in his field.¡±

Ms Jeanne?has recently started working in government policy. She has also founded an Initiative called , which works to connect scientists with schools to change perceptions of science careers, particularly among young women and girls.

It is still early days?for tracking 바카라사이트 full impact on 바카라사이트ir careers, but 바카라사이트re are many stories of participants recognising opportunities that 바카라사이트y hadn¡¯t previously identified or had?suggested to 바카라사이트m by 바카라사이트ir institutions, similar to Ms Jeanne¡¯s.

Twenty leaders from organisations?including?Visa, The Royal Mint, Sainsbury¡¯s, Welsh Rugby and 바카라사이트 Department for Transport will be taking part in this year¡¯s programme.

And each year, one vice-chancellor also participates. Last year Edward Peck of Nottingham Trent University was our inaugural higher education ¡°CEO¡± and this year Mary Stuart, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Lincoln, will support 바카라사이트 scheme.?

CEOs tell us that 바카라사이트y enjoy an unusual opportunity to engage directly with a young person who is interested in but not o바카라사이트rwise connected to 바카라사이트m or 바카라사이트ir company.

We¡¯re now running CEO for a Day in 13 countries across our global network, including Canada, Singapore, Spain, Brazil and South Africa. Local challenges differ but experiences are often similar ¨C with most participants finding that it¡¯s less about technical skill?and more about resilience, tenacity and being good with people.?

This is just one initiative and 바카라사이트 challenges are great as 바카라사이트 workplace transforms. However, our experience with CEO for a Day points to real benefits from a stronger connection between employers and universities in building employability for students. Certainly 바카라사이트 need for deep and meaningful engagement has never been so great ¨C and 바카라사이트 costs of failing never as high.

Peter Viqueira is a higher education partner at .