D2N2 university partner Nottingham Trent University has been recognised for the strength of its work in graduate employability – a key priority of the Local Enterprise Partnership’s own skills strategy – by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA).
The QAA visited Nottingham Trent University and identified a number of examples of good practice. One particular example was NTU’s approach to student employability which has included the development of a University Employability and Enterprise team over the last three years to enhance the career prospects and employability of its students. This means that the University can display the QAA Quality Mark, indicating to UK and international students that Nottingham Trent University meets national requirements for standards and quality.
Promoting graduate recruitment and facilitating graduate retention in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire is one of the six key priorities of D2N2’s Skills For Growth Strategy and in May of this year (2015), D2N2 published the D2N2 Provider Charter, which allows skills and training providers to work together with employers to tailor their courses to industry-specific needs in an attempt to bridge the skills gap.
Nottingham Trent University’s Newton Building (Left)
D2N2 will also explore the potential to utilise funding streams, such as the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to support the development of graduate internships and placements. It will work with local universities to support graduate retention through a common and co-ordinated recruitment offer by Universities, particularly geared towards helping small businesses recruit graduates for the first time.
Business support is another of D2N2’s key economic priorities, and it set up the D2N2 Growth Hub in December 2014, choosing Nottingham Trent University as the launch venue.
David Ralph, Chief Executive of the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “Graduate recruitment and retention is a key element of D2N2’s skills and economic strategies. Having three excellent universities as LEP partners in our area helps us to train and retain world class graduates, who boost the strength of our area’s economy.”
Professor Eunice Simmons, Pro Vice-Chancellor Academic at Nottingham Trent University, said: “The review recognised our systematic commitment to innovation and enhancement within our curriculum, for which we are now receiving national recognition.
“Strong partnerships with employers and education providers in the region and internationally add depth and relevance to our courses and as the report states, enable us to take deliberate and effective steps to enhance the career prospects and employability of our students.”
For more information about the work of the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership’s Skills Strategy, visit www.d2n2lep.org/skills
For more information about the work of Nottingham Trent University, visit www.ntu.ac.uk
For more information about the D2N2 Growth Hub, visit www.d2n2growthhub.co.uk
