Ensuring that our students are equipped with the knowledge, skills and experiences that prepare them for the world of employment, is central to an Essex education.
We work with our students from the moment they begin their degree, to help them to develop their employability potential so that, by the time they graduate, they are ready to face the world of employment, equipped with the confidence and skills to enable them to succeed in whatever they choose to do.
Research-led teaching is key to developing the skills of independent learning and critical thinking – the hallmarks of an Essex graduate. But our students also benefit from a wide range of extra-curricular activities, such as participation in volunteering, sport, music and the arts that directly contribute to their employability. Our students also benefit from a range of internship opportunities- including our own internal award winning placement scheme called ‘frontrunners’.
But we want to do even more than this to improve our students’ employability prospects and are implementing a wide range of additional actions to take our commitment to employability to an entirely new level. Critical to our success is a ‘whole University’ approach, with our dedicated Careers and Employability staff working in partnership with staff in academic departments and with our Students’ Union who promote work experience, volunteering and entrepreneurial opportunities through initiatives such as the annual Essex Entrepreneur event – a popular dragons den style competition, held this week to coincide with National Employability Week.
Professor Anthony Forster
Vice-Chancellor, University of Essex