Graduate Talent

The Sheffield Impact Programme ran as a pilot activity between Monday 6th June and Friday 1st July 2022. Activities were targeted at students who meet Equal Opportunities (Widening Participation) criteria, although the activities were open to all students. The first week of the programme consisted of Knowledge exchange workshops to prepare students to make the most of their work experience. Students then completed a virtual work experience through a variety of different platforms. Several optional activities were also offered through the programme, for example, an introductory session, programme debrief and a face-to-face networking session.

Transforming and Activating Places (TAP) is a student Knowledge Exchange (KE) programme exclusively for widening participation (WP) students. Since its inception in 2020, it has recruited over 200 undergraduate students from underrepresented backgrounds studying arts and humanities or social sciences (SHAPE) subjects and paired them with 70 businesses, community, cultural and heritage organisations through enhanced work internships. TAP exists to address evidenced issues of equality of opportunity and diversity and inclusion within KE activities. It seeks, through co-production with students and partners, to identify barriers to KE experienced by underrepresented students and discover ‘what works’ for equitable, mutually beneficial KE internships and projects.

In support of the aims and ambitions of two key University of Leeds strategies – the Student Opportunities and Futures Strategy (SOF) and the Access and Student Success Strategy (ASSS) – the Careers Service is committed to improving the employability and progression opportunities of students from underrepresented backgrounds.

As a specialist music and performing arts higher education provider, Leeds Conservatoire predominantly and successfully trains students for careers and vocations within the creative industries. However, as a responsible educator, the aim is to ensure that all students can thrive post study regardless of what sector they choose to explore. Regionally West Yorkshire is tackling skills gaps and attempting to retain talent with a number of initiatives. Using this as context we created knowledge exchange activity (via UKRI/Research England grant funding) to understand transferable skills through the lens of a music specialist education provider.

Women make up 11% of the construction workforce and 16.5% of all engineers. This data alongside hearing influential female speakers share their stories at an Employer Advisory Board, were the main factors behind our desire to run this event. In addition, a few students have shared anecdotally with employability advisers about feeling isolated as a female and having difficulty speaking up in male-dominated classrooms. We wanted and raise awareness of the challenges, and also the positive influences and successes of females, in these sectors. Our aims were to expose the student cohorts to this; providing them with real-life stories to help them challenge stereotypes, strive for equality and network with positive role models.