Employers are increasingly looking to collaborate with universities and student groups to attract, engage, and recruit top talent. ISE members got together to discuss how to do this effectively.

Employer collaborations with student groups and societies are particularly valuable as they enable businesses to shape the talent pipeline, ensuring students develop the skills they need to succeed in the workforce.

ISE facilitated a recent discussion among employer, university, and supplier members, revealing key themes for effective collaboration as well as what success looks like.

Three core themes for successful collaboration

1. Skills: identifying and developing talent
One of the first steps for employers is to understand the specific skills their business requires and to create opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate those skills.

Students are eager for meaningful engagements that allow them to learn and grow, not just perform basic tasks. This means that internships, projects, and collaborations should be designed with student development in mind.

Employers can:
• Offer hands-on experiences that are aligned with the current industry needs.
• Create workshops or challenges where students can apply real-world problem-solving skills.
• Partner with student groups to co-host events that introduce students to industry-relevant technologies, practices, or methodologies.

These initiatives not only provide students with invaluable learning experiences but also help businesses identify candidates with the exact skills they need.

2. Curriculum collaboration: working closely with universities
Collaboration with universities on curriculum integration can be highly impactful but requires flexibility and commitment from employers.

Working with academia is often challenging due to the complexities of academic structures, timeframes, and differing expectations. However, when curriculum collaboration works well, it allows students to engage with industry projects and case studies that have real-world relevance.

For successful curriculum collaboration:
• Employers should be open to starting small, perhaps pilot projects, at select universities.
• Establishing strong relationships with university departments and academics can help navigate the complexities of academia.
• Flexibility is key; employers must recognise that universities operate on strict schedules and that integrating industry content may take time.

A successful collaboration can result in students gaining a deep understanding of an employer’s business while contributing to the curriculum in a meaningful way.

3. Data: leveraging insights to drive engagement
Both universities and employers possess valuable data that can be used to refine their approach to student engagement. Understanding what drives students, where gaps in skills or confidence exist, and how students perform during hiring processes can lead to more effective collaboration.

Use data to:
• Identify student groups that may benefit most from targeted engagement.
• Understand which academic faculties or departments are producing the most employable graduates.
• Discover common hurdles that students face during recruitment, especially those from underrepresented groups, and provide targeted support.

Using data, employers can create more tailored and inclusive engagement strategies, ensuring that no talent pool is overlooked.

Read more about the importance of data sharing:

How data can ignite partnerships between employers and universities.

Sharing recruitment data is driving strategic partnerships with universities

What does success look like?

Success in collaborating with student groups can vary by industry and the specific needs of a business, but there are some clear indicators of effective engagement.

Engaging hard-to-recruit disciplines
Some industries, such as engineering, face challenges in recruiting specific skill sets. One employer from the engineering sector highlighted the

importance of working closely with their internal business stakeholders to understand long-term skill needs. By building these relationships, early careers teams can better engage with the right students and offer them deeper insights into the industry.

Postgraduate students: an untapped talent pool
Many companies focus on undergraduates when recruiting, but post-graduates often bring a wider range of skills and experiences. A successful engagement strategy should include both undergraduates and post-graduates, who may have the skills needed for niche roles. This also supports diversity and inclusion initiatives by broadening the scope of talent pools.

Experiential learning: university visits and real-world projects
Employers like Bath University have found success by hosting student visits to their workplaces, helping students understand their company culture and work. Another impactful strategy is incorporating employer-led projects into the curriculum, though this requires patience and collaboration.

Application support: levelling the playing field
Birmingham City University discussed the importance of providing application support to students. Many students lack the confidence to compete in formal hiring processes, assuming they won’t succeed. By offering tailored support and understanding the barriers students face, employers can increase diversity in their applicant pool.

Successful engagement initiatives

Several universities and employers have already implemented successful initiatives that other companies could replicate:
• Cardiff University’s internship: Cardiff University has developed a successful internship and placement programme where marketing students receive hands-on training with the latest digital marketing platforms. These practical skills make students more attractive to employers and provide businesses with highly relevant, tech-savvy talent.
• Society-centric engagement: One employer focused their entire student outreach through specific societies rather than traditional career services. By selecting societies aligned with their recruitment needs, the employer achieved impressive results, although it required significant management and commitment.
• Curriculum-based projects: Another employer successfully embedded their projects into the university curriculum by starting small, with just three universities. They collaborated with internal stakeholders and academic partners, gradually building up a programme that provided both educational and business benefits.
• Using Data to Inform Strategy: Universities have started using data more effectively to understand where students struggle in the recruitment process.

Outcome data, such as which faculties produce the highest employment rates, can help universities and employers tailor support and identify areas for improvement.

Importance of flexibility and innovation

Collaboration between employers and student groups can be incredibly rewarding, but it requires commitment, flexibility, and innovation.

While the process may not always be straightforward, successful collaborations can lead to better outcomes for students and businesses alike. Whether through curriculum integration, data-driven strategies, or targeted student engagement, the potential for impactful partnerships is significant.

Employers looking to make a real difference should be prepared to invest time in understanding the student experience, working closely with universities, and developing creative solutions that meet the needs of both students and businesses.

ISE’s forthcoming HE Conference explores these themes and more. Join us online 3-5 December 2024.