Layout 2 - University of Central Lancashire

UCLan turns today’s raw talent
into tomorrow’s leaders
UCLan has been committed to encouraging the entrepreneurial spirit of its students and graduates
for many years. Helping them find valuable work experience is just one example, and forging links
with the business community is essential in pairing the right student with the most advantageous
work experience opportunity, to benefit both the student and the business.
In the wake of Government youth
unemployment figures rising to more than one
million, a special event led by the High Sherriff of
Lancashire, Peter Mileham and UCLan’s Vice-
Chancellor, Malcolm McVicar, brought together
more than 60 business leaders to discuss how
the region’s enterprises could better connect with
talent within the University.
Peter Mileham commented; "For the sake of
the region’s future economic prospects we have
an obligation to ensure we retain our most
talented youngsters within Lancashire and the
North West."
With more young people going to university,
graduates are now competing on a global scale.
However, UCLan has been at the forefront in
ensuring, through a variety of initiatives, that
students stand out from the crowd and has been
adept in helping them to develop the skills
required by today’s employers. The High Sherriff
event showcased the University’s full range of
industrious and talented students and graduates.
Many are setting up new businesses, undertaking
varied work experience or undertaking charitable
and voluntary work in order to gain that all
important competitive edge.
The panel debate, chaired by BBC broadcaster
Martin Henfield, gave the audience a flavour of
UCLan’s successes from the last few years,
including graduate start-up businesses Chog Zoo
and 3ManFactory. The work of UCLan’s Centre
for Volunteering in relation to community
leadership was also highlighted. Emma Eley, who
is set to graduate in 2012 and wants to find the
right graduate job in the region, commented:
“There aren’t many opportunities to speak to this
number of businesses face-to-face and debate
how we can help one another. I’ve been looking
around for various work-experience opportunities
and graduate jobs, but in all the places I search I
can only seem to find the attractive jobs in big
cities like Manchester, Birmingham and London.
I’ve learnt from this event that local employers
want us but they don’t know how to find us,
this event has been really good to start those
important discussions.”
During the interactive session facilitated by UCLan’s
Sandbox team, business leaders were asked for
their opinions on issues affecting the employment
market, and how businesses and the University
could work together to help Lancashire thrive.
Speaking after the event, Managing Partner of
Moore and Smalley Chartered Accountants, David
Ingram, said: “When I graduated from university
twenty five years ago it was a different world and
students these days face a much bigger challenge
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Pictured right: UCLan students, staff and graduate entrepreneurs pose before the event
with BBC broadcaster Martin Henfield, the Vice-Chancellor and the High Sherriff.