University launches vital careers support for local community affected by Covid-19

October 2020

University launches vital careers support for local community affected by Covid-19

By Melanie Hall

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The University College Birmingham team that supports students with work placements and opportunities to gain real-life experience is extending its support to those in the local community who have lost their jobs through Covid-19.

hired@UCB has launched the Community Careers Hub to use its vast expertise to help people in Birmingham secure rewarding new jobs amid the global crisis.

Research by the Reach Data Unit showed that between March and May this year, an extra 28,340 people in Birmingham began claiming unemployment benefit.

Those who register with the free service will be able to gain vital help with getting their CV up to scratch, creating a stand-out cover letter and using LinkedIn.

They will also be able to tap into a whole range of online career and employability resources.

"Due to the vocational nature of many of our courses, we have recognised the devastating impact of this pandemic across multiple industries and wanted to step in to ensure that the local community received vital support in returning to work."

Katie Bytheway Assistant Director for Student Employability

These include guidance on preparing for interviews and researching employers, information on relevant training and education courses, occupational, industry and labour market information, discovering new career paths and understanding their own employability skills and strengths.

Katie Bytheway, Assistant Director for Student Employability, said: “In these uncertain times, University College Birmingham is offering support to those in the local community who have lost their jobs during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Due to the vocational nature of many of our courses, we have recognised the devastating impact of this pandemic across multiple industries and wanted to step in to ensure that the local community received vital support in returning to work.”

Find out more about the Community Careers Hub and working with the hired@UCB team to support students and the local community.

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