South East

Enhancing the careers of graduates in the South East has been a focus for the universities and colleges in the region, and they have had success in providing graduate internships.

Support includes universities who have worked with employers to help graduates into employment by administering recruitment. Employability skills training and work placements have also been popular.

Some institutions have set up creative start-up workshops to meet the increased demand from recent graduates wanting to start up their own businesses. Others have enhanced their careers services to motivate new graduates and build confidence, improve vocational awareness, and improve their recruitment skills.

University of Reading / University of Surrey

Both universities are jointly running an internship scheme funded through the Economic Challenge Investment Fund. These 11-month internships are intended to develop and retain skilled staff within the UK biopharma industry.

Interns are helping companies of all sizes to move forward with projects in a time of downsizing, recruitment freezes and challenging economic conditions. This gives the interns invaluable industrial experience, skills and knowledge in areas of special interest to the industry.

In the long term, the project will allow the universities and their industrial partners to learn more about how graduates can be supported to manage the transition from university to work in biopharma.

The project will also help universities and industry get a better understanding of skills gaps in the industry, and make recommendations on how universities and industry might work together to help address these.