Employability Support Team
Students rated our nursing placements 2nd best in the UK for student satisfaction (Nursing Times)
Read more about the news from the Nursing Times analysis of the National Student Survey here.
In the School of Health and Care, we are very keen for our students to get real work experience alongside their academic qualifications, to help develop their graduate attributes, skills and knowledge. All our students have the opportunity to engage in professional work experience, to help them plan their career paths and successfully apply for graduate jobs. This can either be in the UK or further afield, it simply depends where the opportunity takes our students.
Since 2012, the School has operated a very successful Employability Support Team to support students to access relevant professional experience opportunities, advance their career development and progress into graduate employment.
This unit has a strong track record, working closely with employers, research organisations and professional bodies to provide students with relevant placements and career development opportunities.
We have a dedicated Employer Relationship Manager (International) who looks after all our international students in terms of support, ranging from one-to-one support and coaching, to brokering both UK and overseas internships. Our students are encouraged to apply for both a sandwich-year placement and short professional work experience to build up their professional profile.
We have established international employer partnerships, and to name just a couple includes Hong Kong Biotek, and Eurofins (Suzhou) for sandwich placements.
This helps students to develop the attributes and practical skills and knowledge, sought by employers. The EST has assisted many hundreds of health and life sciences’ students to acquire the practical experience sought by employers.
How does the EST support students?
Our student support is highly individualised, responsive and friendly. We provide everything you would expect from a very well-run employability service, including:
- CV & cover letter support
- Help with making job applications
- Preparing for interview
- Career coaching and guidance
- Comprehensive graduate vacancy and placements systems
- Employment fairs and employer-run lectures and skills sessions
With specialist international student advisory services, we are enabling many international students to acquire a valuable UK-based professional experience as part of their programme of study. This option is proving popular with international students and employers, who are befitting from the language skills, overseas market knowledge and intercultural-competencies of students.
How does the EST work with employers?
The EST will handle and market your opportunities through our online systems, assist you to raise your profile on campus and provide recruitment and selection services, including use of interview rooms, for you, at no charge.
Our employer partners include large, internationally-recognised organisations such as Barclays Bank, the National Health Service, Public Health England, as well as many smaller, regional companies and charities, operating in the health and life science sectors.
We are particularly keen to work with regional SMEs, as we recognise their potential to widen students’ breadth of practical experience and skills. Equally, our SME employer partners’ invariably seek to retain our students because they do so well.
Contact the Talent Team
Tel: +44(0)24 7765 2011
Email: talentteam@coventry.ac.uk
Twitter: @covuniTT
