Employability and Graduate Development

With the ever-increasing financial pressures of student life and the increasingly competitive job market, Hartpury have embedded key strategies to support our students to gain  employment upon graduation.  The success of this is illustrated by the steadily rising percentage of students in employment within 6 months of successfully completing their programme.

Dd you know….? 96.1% of our 2010 graduates gained employment or went on to further study, within 6 months of successfully completing their courses.  This compares with 95.4% in 2009, and 91.2% in 2008. 

If Hartpury was considered as a stand-alone institution, it would have been 9th nationally.

Top of the list are BSc (Hons) Sports Coaching (Sports Conditioning) and BSc (Hons Sports coaching (Sports Therapy), all with 100% of students achieving graduate level employment.

This success is closely related to our students engaging in the following:

Graduate Development Programme (GDP)

• GDP encourages students to reflect and critically review their career development, from beginning study to employment potential and possibilities.
• GDP helps you identify key employability skills (such as leadership, time management etc.) which graduate employers say they require from new recruits.  
• The Graduate Development Programme encourages the development of specific academic skills to support the full achievement of student potential.  

Employability linked Assessment

• Assessments for different modules will be of many varied types, including (depending on module choices) writing information leaflets, case studies, report writing, oral presentations, writing scientific papers, practical skills, fieldwork and production of posters, providing a valuable learning experience in developing the skills required for graduate level employment
• Many of our programmes embed work placements within modules ensuring students gain hands-on experience. See our HE Work placements page. Employer feedback highlights this as key to developing CVs that stand out from the crowd.

Study Week

• Study Week is offered twice a year, mid semester.  Students are given the opportunity to attend training sessions, seminars and workshops that will develop appropriate skills for their programme and for future employability. Regular careers events at both UWE and Hartpury provide an opportunity to meet employers, acquire further information and identify opportunities.  Networking is a crucial part of the search for information and the development of industry contacts.

Work Experience

• Work experience is also considered particularly valuable by employers.  Students on both foundation degrees and honours degrees are encouraged to seek out and take up relevant opportunities, for paid or voluntary work experience in addition to modular requirements.  Contacts with local and national employers and volunteer organisations are actively promoted, giving students the opportunity to gain in experience, to develop new skills, or upgrade existing skills.

Careers advice

• Guest speakers from relevant industries are a regular feature of Hartpury life
• A wide range of training days and short courses are available to students at a significant discount, (link to short courses) giving students’ opportunities to acquire valuable new skills or upgrade and refresh old ones.
• Careers coaching is available up to three years after completing studies
• Students are encouraged to develop and review their career goals, to target appropriate strategies, and develop CV writing and interview skills

Students are encouraged to take responsibility for their own career development

• Be active in developing your profile
• Gain as much useful work and related experience as possible while at university – there are lots of opportunities
• Begin careers planning as soon as possible and continue to research the labour market and your potential within it throughout your working life
• Take full advantage of the services and resources offered by UWE/Hartpury Careers and other sources of support such as UWE Volunteering, Students’ Union and other relevant staff within their departments.

The careers service offers a range of services from identifying your potential, to specific advice.