Student Charter
Employment Opportunities
The University enjoys a close relationship with employers in the UK and overseas. The Careers Service's Job Link office also works closely with local employers to advertise and fill part-time, term-time and vacation vacancies, and many of those organisations also offer GO Wales Work Taster and Placement opportunities to both students and graduates. All opportunities, whether for work experience or graduate work, are advertised on the Careers Service's on-line vacancy database and, as well as providing information for employer files held In the Careers Library, some employers visit the University to make recruitment presentations or to run interactive skills-based workshops for students.
Transferable skills
The University is committed to developing and maintaining close partnerships with employers in order to understand what they require of graduates and thereby to respond to their needs. Our course approval procedures require all departments to identify the skills that students will develop and to show how this will be achieved - and increasing numbers of departments are introducing work placement elements into their degree schemes as well as offering opportunities to work with employers on real-life projects. The University also offers support, through a number of Enterprise Champions, to those who wish to start their own businesses and, on behalf of GO Wales, co-ordinates pan-Wales training for prospective freelancers.
All undergraduate students are expected to work through the University's on-line Personal Development Planning (PDP) scheme. This gives them the opportunity to reflect on the skills they have developed during their coursework and other university activities (including extra-curricular work experience) and to articulate their employability attributes effectively when they begin their job search. They are guided through the process during academic or personal tutorials and there is a separate Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme for postgraduate students.
Links with industry, commerce and the public sector
The Careers Service places students worldwide in challenging one-year work placements through the Year in Employment Scheme (YES). It also arranges project-based work placements for undergraduates and graduates with small and medium sized enterprises throughout Wales via the GO Wales programme, and its Job Link office, set up jointly with the Students' Union, provides a one-stop shop for students seeking part-time and vacation work (voluntary or paid) in the local area. Close links with employers both local and further afield lead to the generation of both jobs and work placements - and students are encouraged to take advantage of these opportunities to enhance their employability. Employers appreciate the flexibility which Aberystwyth offers - especially the fact that students from all degree disciplines are available for the innovative Year in Employment Scheme as well as vacation placements (or 'internships').
Knowledge Exchange and Enterprise Support
Commercialisation and Consultancy Services (CCS) serves as a single point of contact for businesses interested in accessing the expertise facilities and services offered by Aberystwyth Univesity and proactively develops and facilitates links with external organisations.
Based in the Visualisation Centre on the Penglais campus, CCS also offer a range of specialist services for staff and students, examples of which are provided below.
Intellectual Property:
The Technology Transfer Team within CCS provide advice and guidance regarding Intellectual Property matters. Further information and rsources are available online for staff and students including, Aberystwyth University’s ‘Intellectual Property and Commercialisation: A Guide for Academics’.
Enterprise and Business Start-up Support:
Aberystwyth University supports students, graduates and staff who wish to start new businesses, particularly where these relate to the University’s knowledge and expertise.
Opportunities include:
Accessing business start-up support and one-on-one mentoring
Taking part in enterprise activities
Hearing inspirational talks from business role models
Receiving information on business start-up/enterprise opportunities
Joining the Enterprise club
For further information and event listings, visit www.aber.ac.uk/crisalis
Supporting Higher Level Skills Training:
Aber Bangor Skills Centre:
Aberystwyth also works closely with Bangor University, and the virtual HEFCW-funded
Aber-Bangor Skills Centre exists not only to offer companies better access to the skills and
CPD training provision at both institutions but also to facilitate curriculum development
through its work with the Sector Skills Councils.
‘Business Linked’ Postgraduate Funding Opportunities:
Further information on current funding opportunities including Access to Masters (ATM)
and Knowledge Economy Skills Scholarships (KESS) can be found on the CCS website: