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CRITICISMS of the university’s Employability Week have put the future of the event at risk.

Students were given the chance to enhance their employability and skills during the University’s Employability Week which took place January 21st-25th.

Nonetheless, many have said that they were disappointed with the workshops and support on offer, with some branding it a waste of time.

Thomas Dunlop, the third year student rep for Materials Engineering, said: “I think all of the engineering reps were in agreement that it wasn’t worth it. The events I went to were low attended and in truth could have been done on evenings and afternoons easily.”

Although it is set to run again next year with plans for it already submitted to the university, employability week has been put under review for the 2014/15 academic year; student feedback will be the key factor in deciding whether to run it again.

The week was intended to give students the opportunity to undertake a work experience placement with one of a number of employers, including the Welsh Government, Leadbitter and Parc y Scarlets. Placements were arranged by the university, which also helped to fund travel and lunch costs.

However, there was confusion over how many students took up placements, with the university stating 300 undertook work experience, whilst the students’ union education officer said that the number was around 100.

Students could also take part in one of many employability workshops offered by the university, ranging from talks on careers in politics, interview skills and how to manage your e-presence.

These options aimed to enhance students’ employability and give them a head start in the world of work which has become more competitive in recent years.

Pro Vice Chancellor at Swansea University, Professor Hilary Lappin-Scott, said: “We know that times are tough for young people across the UK, so at Swansea University we’re making sure we give our graduates a strong head start.”

“We know employers greatly value applicants with work experience. Placements also allow students to develop key skills that we know employers are looking for, such as commercial awareness and working in a team, and can sometimes lead directly to job opportunities too.”

Kirsty Lloyd, 21-year-old Medical Biochemistry student, undertook one of these placements and found them beneficial to her line of career:
“My work experience placement has started making me think about my career choices more realistically and has started putting things into perspective.
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“It is really cool to see the things I am learning about in my degree being put into practice by professionals and it’s providing me with valuable hands-on experience.”
Whilst some students thrived in employability week, other students found that the week was limited in options for some courses:

Hannah Davies, a 20-year-old Geography student thinks that more talks and workshops could be organised linked to her course:
“It would be good if there were more talks about jobs within the geography and natural science industry.
“I attended a teaching and work experience talk but there was nothing about jobs after university.”

The education officer for the students’ union said: “Employability week was a great success before the week even started. Employability week is a great example of students, the union and the university together on a big project. The challenge now is defining exactly what ‘employability’ is and explaining exactly how these events could lead to jobs.
“This week also included the first ever Week of Work placements which gave over a hundred lucky students crucial work experience placements. I am very excited for the curriculum development aspect – many of these ‘core’ skills need to be embedded within degrees.”

SWANSEA University has seen a record 25% increase in applications for entry in September 2013, bucking the national trend.

UCAS figures released this week show applications for home student undergraduate study at the University are almost 25% up on last year and 4% higher than the previous record high in 2010.

It follows an 8% drop in admissions last year after tuition fees trebled to £9,000.

Applications across the UK are currently showing a modest 3.5% rise and a 2% fall nationally in applications from Welsh students.

There are increases in 14 out of 15 subject groups at Swansea University, which include a 17% increase in Languages, a 32% increase in Law and Criminology, a 76% leap in Engineering and a 83% surge in Maths and Computer Science.

The university has lowered the A-level tariff for many courses in a bid to encourage applications. The tariff for Materials Engineering for example has been lowered from three As to one A and two Bs. Tariffs have also been lowered in the College of Arts and Humanities after it suffered a 25% drop in admissions this year.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Richard B Davies said: “These figures are yet more good news for Swansea University. They show that students are recognising Swansea as a university which is on the way up with facilities and an outlook geared for the opportunities and challenges of the modern world.

“Our open days saw a record number of visitors coming to see one of the UK’s most ambitious, research-led universities. The visitors saw a university community which thrives on exploration and discovery, and offers the right balance of excellent teaching and research, matched by an enviable quality of life.

“They also found a university with a strong emphasis upon preparing students for successful careers. Many of our degrees are recognised by appropriate professional bodies and every student has access to overseas study, work placements, and special course options, all of which enhance employability.

“The increase in applications is a vindication of the massive investment which is being put into the campus expansion and recognition of the support we have from the Welsh Government. By 2015 the university will have a new Science and Innovation Campus to complement an upgraded Singleton Park Campus. We are confident of achieving our ambition that Swansea will be established as a research-intensive top-30 UK University by 2017, ahead of our centenary in 2020.”

• Swansea University achieved a score of 87% in the student satisfaction survey, higher than the Wales and UK average.
• Over 90% of students are in further education or employment within sixmonths of graduating.
• The University retained its position amongst the top 500 universities in the QS World University Rankings 2012-13 and was awarded 4 stars overall (and 5 stars for Teaching) by QS stars global university ratings system for 2013.

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