Employability
Enhancing students’ employability in order to equip them to make the most of their career potential is a core objective at UWE and informs our course content and extra curricular activity.
Recruiter partnerships
UWE has established strong partnerships with employers and our students benefit significantly from these.
Relationships include major private and public sector recruiters such as Airbus, Hewlett Packard, the BBC and the NHS. This also extends to many smaller innovative businesses including those which thrive in the Bristol and wider regional area in the marketing, media, design and digital industries. These employers help us ensure innovation, skills, knowledge, work experience and graduate capabilities are embedded in our courses.
Employers visit UWE to recruit and each year we run one of the largest careers fairs in the UK, "Meet the Employers".
Opportunities for high quality work experience
In a very competitive graduate labour market, evidence of high quality work experience can make the difference. For some careers this experience is a pre-requisite. Students are encouraged to gain work experience in a variety of ways including placements formally linked to studies and opportunities in the voluntary sector.
We also help students make links with employers for shorter periods of work shadowing and mentoring. Our careers case studies give examples of where work experience has enabled UWE students and graduates to access very competitive careers.
Maximising the opportunities for students who might face barriers to fulfilling their potential is a key focus of UWE’s careers provision. Our Employability and Diversity programme offers students enhanced careers support and access to mentoring and work experience with high profile regional employers including law firms, accountancy and the public sector.
Business start-ups
UWE graduates have a track record for successfully setting up small businesses. We encourage enterprising initiatives through schemes such as the Ideas Factory and the annual theBizIdea competition. We also provide more practical support with the UWE Ventures Business Incubator.
International students
UWE is rated in the top four universities in the world for careers provision according to the 2010 International Student Barometer survey.
The fabulous diversity of talent on offer by our students from over 140 countries is recognised by UWE partner companies. Our International Talent initiative links students to employers for some invaluable UK project work experience.
UWE Careers
UWE Careers provision is innovative and dynamic. Our aim is to help students and graduates access skills, experience and knowledge to improve their employability potential on graduation.
UWE Careers offer a wide range of resources and services including one to one career coaching, vacancy advertising, workshops, an extensive web site and recruiter events including fairs, work experience programmes.
Professionally qualified Careers Consultants are linked to every faculty and campus and work closely with course academics to build employability elements into the curriculum.
Employability and Enterprise Zone
The Employability and Enterprise Zone (or E-Zone) at the heart of Frenchay Campus provides a hub for employability activity across UWE. All students and recent graduates can access a programme of events, drop-ins, use online careers resources and receive specialist advice. Drop-in services include CV checks, finding job vacancies and business start ups.
Page last updated 26 October 2012