NCUB welcomes university alliance call for greater university-business collaboration

The National Centre for Universities and Business (NCUB), which comprises of senior university and business leaders promoting greater collaboration, and is supported by government, has today welcomed a report from University Alliance which recommends greater links between companies and institutions in order to improve graduates’ career prospects.

The National Centre for Universities and Business (NCUB), which comprises of senior university and business leaders promoting greater collaboration, and is supported by government, has today welcomed a report from University Alliance which recommends greater links between companies and institutions in order to improve graduates’ career prospects.

The report titled ‘Closing the gap: Unlocking opportunity through higher education’ says that careers guidance is patchy at best and that greater collaboration between universities and business would lead to better knowledge among students of routes to career progression.

The findings compliment the NCUB report ‘Career Portfolios and the Labour Market for Graduates and Postgraduates in the UK’ published in April 2014 which found that only by universities working with businesses could graduates be ensured the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the work place.

Aaron Porter, NCUB Director of External Affairs, said:

“The old understanding of graduates careers where studying a particular subject leads to a related career no longer holds true for most people.

“Businesses have made clear to us that they value graduates who not only have specialist knowledge but are also able to demonstrate their ability to adapt to rapidly changing industries and can move easily between job roles and sectors.

“Collaboration between universities and business must go beyond careers advice to help universities provide the hard and soft skills employers need, and to create effective work placements that give students useful experience.”