Hampshire universities unite to retain graduate skills in the region
PRESS RELEASE July, 2008
The University of Winchester has joined the University of Southampton and Southampton Solent University to become a partner with the Graduate Jobs Southampton (GJS) initiative.
GJS was initially financed as a two-year project by the Southampton Partnership using funds from The South East England Development Agency (SEEDA). From April 2008 it was granted further funding from the three universities.
The GJS website was launched in April 2007 and is designed to match students and graduates with opportunities in local firms in Hampshire. Employers simply register with the website to list company details, logo and vacancies which are uploaded to the website within 24 hours making GJS one of the fastest and easiest ways to recruit locally. Students and graduates from any university or college can register to receive email alerts updating them to the excellent opportunities within the region.
A year on, GJS is well established within the South and many businesses are using its services to tap into the skills of graduates and students. The University of Winchester was keen to join the project as North Hampshire businesses would benefit from the skills of their graduates.
Ann Keating, Director of Student Services at the University of Winchester commented:
“We are delighted to have joined GJS as we have highly skilled graduates who wish to remain in the area following graduation and this service enables them to find the best employers for their career plans. The project will not only enable employers in the North of Hampshire to benefit from the skills our graduates bring, but will enable us to develop closer links between the University, local and regional businesses for consultancy, work placements and research knowledge transfer.”
GJS is a regional initiative which is not only enabling the universities to work together, but also highlights the excellent opportunities within the area from Winchester to Southampton and the rest of the South.
Sally Lynskey, Chief Executive of Business Southampton commented that: "GJS offers an excellent service to employers within the Hampshire region by providing information about graduates available for work with the right skills and qualifications to support business needs. It is important we encourage graduates to live and work in the city region to help develop a thriving and prosperous knowledge economy. Graduates also find the service extremely beneficial in sourcing employment opportunities which are right for them and their future career development.”
University of Winchester graduate Joanna Touray found her job through the GJS website and is now working in the Winchester area: “I literally wrote my CV and attached it. I sent it through to one job and I was called the next day for an interview. Just one application and one interview and I got the job. The website was very helpful. I couldn't fault it.”
Chris Sharp, from FourFront, a Winchester based Software House was thrilled with the GJS service: “We found the website very straight forward and easy to use. The positives have been the speed with which you can complete the recruitment process, and the saving of recruitment fees.”
GJS is a unique project which will benefit our local economy by helping to retain highly skilled graduates in the region who will contribute towards business growth.
For further information please contact Meredith Pollock, Project Manager on 023 8031 9734 or meredith.pollock@solent.ac.uk
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Notes to Editors:
- Each year approximately 6,000graduates from universities in Southampton enter the labour market, with about 30%staying within the area to seek career opportunities. GJS is improving the region’s economy by encouraging more graduates to base their careers in the South.
· The University of Winchester has over 5,600 students studying a wide selection of courses ranging from Foundation degrees, Bachelor Honours degrees through to professional development, postgraduate Masters and Research degrees. Programmes of study span the arts, humanities, social sciences, business, education, health and social care.
· Southampton Solent University is one of the UK's newest universities. It became a university in July 2005 and officially changed its name on 15 August 2005. The university now has some 16,000 students and offers a choice of courses ranging from foundation 'level zero' years that lead onto degree courses, to master's degrees and PhDs, plus a variety of professional and short courses.
- The University of Southampton is one of the UK's top ten research universities, offering first-rate opportunities and facilities for study and research across a wide range of subjects in humanities, health, science and engineering. It has a global reputation for cutting-edge research and scholarship and is one of the country's top institutions for engineering, computer science and medicine. The University has over 22,000 students, around 5,000 staff, and an annual turnover in the region of £325 million.
Useful websites:
www.graduatejobsouthampton.co.uk- Graduate Jobs Southampton
www.winchester.ac.uk - University of Winchester
www.solent.ac.uk - Southampton Solent University
www.soton.ac.uk -University of Southampton