Progression
Paul Blackmore, Head of Student Employability and Academic Success
“Despite more under-represented students going to university than ever before, getting a good degree is not enough to secure a graduate-level job in today’s highly competitive and global labour market.
Students from lower socio-economic backgrounds or dealing with challenging personal circumstances often don’t have equal access to professional networks, career advice, work and global experiences or other extra-curricular development opportunities that enhance their job applications career prospects.
While our graduates enjoy excellent progression outcomes, we provide a variety of support and tailored schemes to ensure all students are able to realise their potential regardless of background, social capital and personal networks.”
Sustained improvements in access
Paul Blackmore, Head of Student Employability and Academic Success
“Despite more under-represented students going to university than ever before, getting a good degree is not enough to secure a graduate-level job in today’s highly competitive and global labour market.
Students from lower socio-economic backgrounds or dealing with challenging personal circumstances often don’t have equal access to professional networks, career advice, work and global experiences or other extra-curricular development opportunities that enhance their job applications career prospects.
While our graduates enjoy excellent progression outcomes, we provide a variety of support and tailored schemes to ensure all students are able to realise their potential regardless of background, social capital and personal networks.”
Global Leaders
The Global Leaders Experience programme was developed to support students from under-represented backgrounds to gain a global experience without the financial and time burden associated with a full year abroad.
In 2015, the first small cohort travelled to Kuala Lumpur to engage in a one-week self-leadership programme. Fast forward six years and over 600 students have engaged in short-term programmes across the world.
The programme requires students to adapt to unfamiliar situations with and undertake a series of tasks they may not have participated in before. Tackling complex issues, students work in groups covering a range of different disciplines and this enhances the experience and learning gain for everyone.
During the pandemic, the programme moved online with students participating in eight programmes ranging from evening workshops to six-week long learning experiences including those run with partners including the United Nations, Petrus and Common Purpose.
Sophie Whistler, studying Engineering
“I thought the Philadelphia trip was excellent. It helped my confidence in travelling alone, being away with and working alongside new people, and encouraged self-belief, personal development, reflection and taking up opportunities.”
Lorraine Cummings, Devon Development Education
“Our intern offered us a refreshing and unique insight into the communication systems and work ethics of graduates today…Our team always welcomes the diversity of another perspective, and our intern was willing to share and contribute as well as work with the systems in place and the challenges of working from home.”
Access to Internships
The Access to Internships Scheme (A2I) is a pioneering initiative which supports widening participation students and graduates to arrange an internship in the UK and secure their first step onto the career ladder with the support of a dedicated Careers Consultant.
Collaboration between the University and employers to remove barriers for WP students is the cornerstone of the scheme to grow future talent and support the demand for skills in the region. The scheme closes the gap between education and industry to enhance the employability of the students, who are from diverse academic areas with varying technical skills and interests.
In 2020/21, A2I helped over 200 students – many of whom were first in their family to enter higher education, from low income households or with a declared disability – to secure a quality, career enhancing internship from a range of backgrounds.
All participants agreed the funded internship had provided career enhancing experience; 94% said it had improved employability skills and 89% felt more confident about securing a graduate job.
Joey Liu, studying Politics
‟As third year students, soon to graduate, there has been a universal struggle for BAME students in accessing or securing graduate roles.
The Access 2 Internship scheme provided us the time and help from academics to work on a project that can help close this gap.
Our task was to produce a tangible product that can be used and received by the following students and thereafter… As a result of my contribution to the internship, we produced an ELE page with a total of 9 tiles dedicated to boosting the employability of BAME students who have found themselves lost as we did at the beginning.
The page has now launched and received good feedback from our supervisor and the other interns.”
of students agreed the internship had improved their employability skills.
of interns agreed they felt more confident about securing a graduate job.
Intern on the Assessed Virtual Internship Programme, now employed at Czarnikow
“The virtual internship gave me a broad insight into the technology and consulting sectors and gave me the core skill boost I needed to succeed in getting a graduate job. I developed a great foundation of commercial awareness in the sector and the ability to describe this in interviews.
Throughout the four weeks, I took part in several mini projects and presentations which I found instrumental in gaining and improving my public speaking skills as well as working collaboratively within a team.”
UpReach partnership stronger than ever
The University of Exeter has partnered with the social mobility charity upReach since 2012 with the shared aim of enabling any student achieve their full potential, regardless of social background.
Exeter is now upReach’s largest university partner, funding 158 undergraduates on their intensive programme of employability support in 2020/21, totalling 470 students since 2012.
The range and impact of collaborative activities substantially increased this year in response of the Covid pandemic including a pilot peer mentoring scheme, a project researching barriers faced by students, increased support for students after graduation, and improved targeting of support towards the students who would benefit the most.
All students supported by upReach are from state schools and low-income backgrounds. The most disadvantaged students are prioritised, with 48% of our 2020/21 cohort having been eligible for Free School Meals, 82% having a household income below £25,000 and 39% from areas of low progression to higher education.
Since the start of this partnership in 2012, the level of support provided by Exeter and upReach has evolved to adapt to student needs. In addition to moving the entire programme online in 2020/21, Exeter and upReach responded rapidly to support students who had lost vital work experience and internship opportunities due to the pandemic lockdown.
Philippa Uden, BA English and Drama
“As a mixed-race, working-class and care-experienced woman, I felt like an impostor during my university experience and as I developed professionally.
The Exeter Career Zone had brilliant schemes and resources which helped me to excel. I received £250 from the Employability Fund to go towards rent during one of my internships, as well as funding from the Access 2 Internships Programme during my time as a social media assistant at Exeter Cathedral Library and Archives.
UpReach made the most unlikely of career options accessible to me through Insight Days, video forums and an exclusive internship with Unilever, one of their partner employers. The support I got from upReach massively broadened my horizons and I would thoroughly recommend the programme to all.
As the President of upReach Society, we won the “Best Society Event” at the 2020 Students’ Guild Awards. I also won the upReach Student Social Mobility Award in “Creative Industries” at the House of Lords in 2019, and the “Community Champion” Award at the 2020 upReach Associate Awards Ceremony.”
of cohorts in 2020/21 were eligible for free school meals.
of cohorts in 2020/21 had household incomes below £25,000.
of cohorts in 2020/21 were from areas of low progression to higher education.
Personality profiling supports employability
Final year students in receipt of an Access to Exeter Bursary, who also indicate that they are in the Decide phase of career readiness are offered the opportunity of enhanced careers support during the Spring term of their final year.
The students are emailed directly as part of the “Get Ready to Graduate” campaign with details of how the MBTI personality profiling tool could further help them with their career decisions by enabling them to explore their strengths and areas of development. A group of 24 students attended a 90-minute feedback session after completing an online questionnaire with the opportunity for further career guidance appointments to aid their career decision making.