Employability: How uk universities prepare STUDENTS for career success Rebecca Joyce – Employability Advisor at Aston University r.joyce@aston.ac.uk Michael Do Thoi – IB Alumni and current international student

How UK universities prepare students for career success Introductions Overview of the Graduate Market for 2015 Industry relevant courses and professional qualifications Opportunities to stand out from the crowd The Aston placement year Careers service Question and answer

Rebecca Joyce 10 years experience of providing IAG at pre-entry level Employability Adviser 10 years experience of providing IAG at pre-entry level Engaging with schools, colleges and prospective students to support pre-entry careers advice Current students supporting them with their career journey and embedding employability into the teaching curriculum

Michael Do Thoi Malaysia and the latter half in Germany Spent the first half of my childhood in Vietnam and Malaysia and the latter half in Germany Worked and travelled in Australia and Vietnam after graduating with an IB Diploma in 2012 Currently a 2nd year BSc Business and Management student at Aston University Recently lived in Berlin for three months interning at Zalando, a multinational e-commerce fashion retailer Will be spending the next academic year studying abroad at Queen’s University in Kingston Canada.

The 2015 Graduate Market Source: High Fliers Survey, The Graduate Market in 2015 Employers will create 8.1% more entry level vacancies in 2015 Largest growth in vacancies, are in; public sector accounting and professional services firms banking and finance employers high street retailers Armed Forces Average graduate starting salary is £30,000

Graduate Salaries 2015

Current employability market in the UK

Industry relevant courses Close links with employers and industry A leading provider of professional courses - Accountancy - Architecture - Engineering - Law - Medical related professions Courses accredited by professional bodies e.g. ACCA, CIM, IET, IMA Work closely with regulators such as General Optical Council (GOC)

Opportunities at university to stand out from the crowd Extra-curricular activities part time work Summer internship and placements sports clubs and societies mentoring schemes university student ambassador volunteering languages for all

Graduate recruiters….. have confirmed that 31% of this year’s entry level positions are expected to be filled by graduates who have already worked for their organisation, either through paid internships, industrial placements or vacation work.

Helping students to stand out in the crowd

Aston University

Aston University

Aston University UK top 35 Universities

Aston University Leading university for graduate employability “You will struggle to find a university more keenly attuned to the needs of business and industry” The Sunday Times University Guide 77.1% graduates in positive destinations

The Aston Placement 73% of students undertake a placement A full year of graduate level work experience in the UK or Overseas opportunity to study abroad at a partner institution top 4 in the UK for number of students that secure a placement open to students of all degree disciplines integrated into the degree programme heavily subsidised fee of £1,000 decades of experience and employer contacts 20% of students take an overseas opportunity 100% compulsory placements by 2020

A sample of Aston’s placement & graduate recruiters…. 13,049 Placement opportunities for 2014-2015

Study abroad with a partner university

Study abroad with international partner universities

Study placement One year at Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada Opportunity to study additional modules No additional fee Networking and developing professional connections Travelling

Why International students choose Aston

Benefits of a placement an opportunity to try out your chosen career path improves transferrable skills provides vital skills to make students more employable earning potential better degree classification secure a graduate level job is highly valued by employers

Aston Careers and Placements team Subject specialist for careers and placement support Dedicated UK or International placement co-ordinator Award winning placement team

Supporting students with their career success Mock interviews One to one careers support Employers on campus CV and cover letter checks Online chats Employability embedded into the curriculum Central workshops

Summary Healthy graduate recruitment market Students need to take advantages of the opportunities available to them 31% of this years entry level positions are expected to be filled by graduates who have already worked for the organisation Market themselves effectively to potential employers Engage with the careers departments and support staff

Thank you for listening. r.joyce@aston.ac.uk aston.ac.uk/careers