University of Gloucestershire is giving county businesses more graduates than ever before

The number of students finding work after graduating from the University of Gloucestershire is at its highest level for five years with more are staying in the county to work than ever before, business people were told at the Growing Gloucestershire Conference.

The number of students finding work after graduating from the University of Gloucestershire is at its highest level for five years with more are staying in the county to work than ever before, business people were told at the Growing Gloucestershire Conference.

Just over a year ago Steven Marston, the university’s vice chancellor, signed a 10-year memorandum with county colleges pledging to do more to boost the county’s economy by revolutionising the way courses were offered. A key plank of the memorandum - to do more to provide courses relevant to the county’s business profile, such as advanced engineering qualifications - was also being addressed, said Mr Marston with new courses being launched this year.

Yesterday’s conference at the university’s Oxstall’s campus in Gloucester was staged by Gloucestershire Professionals, the CIPD, the CIM South West and sponsored by Hazlewoods accountants. “We are introducing a wider range of new courses this autumn – these are in response to skills needs and shortages we see here in Gloucestershire and the region,” said Mr Marston, underlining the thrust was to keep skills in the county by delivering for growing businesses. Stand-out among the courses is the new BEng level 6 degree in Integrated Engineering.

The course will allow students with prior academic study, or relevant work experience, to complete the final year of a degree to ‘top-up’ their knowledge and skills to full degree status. Leading Gloucestershire engineering firm Renishaw’s assistant chief executive, Ben Taylor, was also at the conference to give an overview of the business. Chris Pocket, a spokesman for the Wotton-under-Edge-based business welcomed the acknowledgement that engineering was key to the county.

“We will be watching it with interest,” said Mr Pocket of the new engineering course. “According to MP for Stroud Neil Carmichael 25 per cent of all people employed in his constituency are in manufacturing. I think the figure is 15 per cent for the whole county. Nationally the figure is more like 10.5 per cent.

“Manufacturing and engineering is hugely important to the county.”

Mr Marston said: “The numbers of students has gone up by 31 per cent to 36 per cent. What that is doing is bringing people into the county. Twenty three per cent of those students are from Gloucestershire, but 32 per cent of graduates stay in the county now. “That is a measure of what we are doing to do for Gloucestershire economy. We bring them here, train them here and they stay here.”

“Ninety three per cent of our graduates from first degree courses last summer were in employment, training or post-graduate study (when surveyed six months after the end of their courses). This is our best outcome for five years.”

Other culture changes to bring students more in tune with the world of business and work included more than 3,200 placements to help them get “real professional experience” and partnerships with county firms and company leaders.