YU Conference Content | Overcoming employer challenges and championing graduates across Yorkshire

On the 11 July 2024, Yorkshire Universities (YU) conference, “Overcoming employer challenges and championing graduates across Yorkshire” took place, which focused on the uniqueness of YU’s mission, positioning, networks, and partnership activity, designed to support local and regional economic development policy and strategy that can have an impact on the opportunities available for graduates. The event showcased the work of the YU Graduate Talent workstream and also featured the relaunch of the Inclusive Recruitment Guide for Employers.

Key content from the conference is now available to view in the videos below and on the YU YouTube channel. You can quickly select which content you wish to navigate to:

Write-ups of all four breakout rooms that took place at the conference are also available to read, at the links below:

Opening message and welcome to Sheffield Hallam University

Professor Liz Mossop | Vice-Chancellor of Sheffield Hallam University | Member of the YU Board

Liz opened the conference by discussing the value of graduates to South Yorkshire and more widely to the Yorkshire & Humber region. She identifies YU members and highlights the importance of collaboration and the civic mission of higher education institutes (HEIs) across the region. A key topic discussed includes the importance of transferable skills and ensuring that all graduates throughout the region are career ready. Furthermore, their is a focus on how having employers, students, graduates, employer organisation and representatives from local authorities working together can help generate more opportunity, kickstart economic growth and assist everyone in achieving more. Liz finishes by inviting attendees to think about the following key questions:

  • What could we as universities be doing more of in order to ensure we have this environment where our graduates can thrive?
  • Collectively, what can we do to contribute to that and to contribute towards the economy of Yorkshire?
  • How are we working and responding to the challenges and the opportunities together and collaboratively?
  • What works for you that perhaps somebody else doesn’t know about?
  • What are the opportunities that the conference and other initiatives will bring us?

Watch the opening messages below:

Panel one: What are the challenges businesses face when hiring graduates?

Professor Tim Thornton | Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Huddersfield | Chair of the YU Graduate Implementation Group

Panel speakers:

  • Martin Dickson | Leeds Business Improvement District (BID)
  • Paul Thorpe | Employer Engagement Advisor, Aura Innovation Centre, University of Hull
  • Ben Louden | Head of Studio at Viridian FX in York
  • Adam Bennett | Founder, Stick & Glass Ltd.
  • Esther Kent | Director of Employability and Student Futures, Sheffield Hallam University
  • Rory Duncan | Pro Vice-Chancellor, Research and Innovation, Sheffield Hallam University 

Panel one focused on the challenges businesses face when hiring graduates and the need for employers and higher education institutes (HEIs) to work together for the benefit all stakeholders. Employers discuss the importance of students having hard skills but indicate that for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) soft skills, such as motivation, communication and enthusiasm, may be more important for graduates entering the industry. Speakers also highlight the importance of employability being heavily integrated in to the higher education curriculum, to give students and graduates more opportunity to be career ready.

Questions posed in the Q&A include:

  • How do you define soft skills and entrepreneurial skills?
  • Do you see one of the university’s roles to be, helping students find their ‘X factor’?
  • How can SMEs interact and engage with graduates and HE programs?
  • Should academics be given work placements opportunities to meet industry standards?
  • Do we need to re-brand the term soft skills?

Panel two: How can we retain international graduates who come to study here?

Professor Karen Bryan OBE | Vice-Chancellor of York St John University | Member of the YU Board

Panel two focused on the challenge of retaining international graduates who come to study here. Employers discuss how to craft roles more suited to the needs of international student. Testimonial from an international graduate highlights how cultural differences might impact the behaviour of international graduates in the workplace and how employers can make a big difference in integrating these students into their workforce through understanding these difference, ultimately helping retain employees.

Question posed in the Q&A include:

  • As a small business, how can we reduce the barriers to getting international students to apply?
  • How can we keep up to speed with employing international students, while meeting UK industry needs?
  • If you had to identify one thing that would attract an international students and talent to Yorkshire, what would it be?

Keynote

Martin Edmondson | Incoming CEO of AGCAS

Martin closed the conference by delivering an optimistic discussion on graduate employment, graduate employability, graduate recruitment and graduate retention. He reflects on 2006, where there were numerous Regional Development agencies and regional graduate retention and recruitment initiatives. However, in 2010, many of these initiatives came to a close, due to a lack of funding. Martin draws attention to today, where there is a renewed appetite for this work and urges those invested to take the message out to government and to businesses large and small across the UK and beyond. He highlights the need for a collaborative effort and asks the audience what they have the capacity to do, to make change.

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