Graduate jobs and placements are go at virtual careers fairs

November 2020

Teachers to chefs and IT whizzes – graduate jobs and placements are go at virtual careers fairs

By Melanie Hall

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University College Birmingham and employers have worked closely together to bring students a series of virtual careers fairs and give them a whole host of opportunities to get them on the ladder to success.

Three online employer extravaganzas are taking place over November to give degree and college students and alumni the chance to hear from employers and explore graduate positions, part-time jobs, placements and apprenticeships.

Organised by hired@UCB, the University’s careers, placements and employability team, the first online employer extravaganza gets underway today (Wednesday 11 November) between 11am and 3pm.

Virtual Employer Extravaganza, Wednesday 11 November (11am-3pm) - Click here to join!

Each delivering a presentation with a Q&A, employers on the bill include award-winning recruitment agency Smile Education, which works closely with primary, secondary and Special Educational Needs (SEN) schools in the Midlands.

And the good news is that Smile Education is currently looking for qualified teachers for year 2 onwards, supply teachers and teaching assistants. Cognition Education, meanwhile, is offering 40-hour-long placements for undergraduates and postgraduates looking to teach in further education.

"Even if some industries are not fully open right now, when the pandemic subsides, having these contacts will be indispensable"

Sabath Shazia Employer Engagement and Alumni Officer

In the field of hospitality, recruitment agency Evolve Group will be on the search for catering assistants and chefs to join its Enhance brand, as well as a student to join its placement scheme as a junior recruitment consultant, starting 2021.

Evenbreak, an award-winning job site run by and for disabled people, will also be presenting, as will the Institute of Hospitality, Vetsa Consulting Services – a boutique technology consulting firm – and TARGETjobs.

Today’s event will be followed up by employer extravaganzas on Tuesday 17 and Thursday 19 November, with hundreds of students expected to log on to explore opportunities via the Big Blue Button platform.

Sabath Shazia, Employer Engagement and Alumni Officer at University College Birmingham, said: “At this time of year, we would usually be having our annual employer extravaganza at our McIntyre House campus. However, because of COVID-19, we are unable to do this and explored how we could make this work in an online capacity during these challenging times.

“The feedback from employers has been fantastic, so much so, we have been able to put on a series of virtual careers fairs over November, opening up opportunities across multiple industries for students to get on the career ladder and make vital industry contacts.

“Even if some industries are not fully open right now, when the pandemic subsides, having these contacts will be indispensable.”

Any students who wish to attend the employer extravaganzas will be required to register their interest in advance on the UCB portal – please visit the event page here. Once you have registered, you will be sent the link to your email address to access the conference via Big Blue Button at 10am on the day of the event.

For more information about the support we provide, visit our dedicated hired@UCB careers, placements and employability service.

You can also follow hired@UCB for further updates on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.