PA 83/1
To mark Unitemps’ first birthday, The University of Nottingham has held an awards ceremony to celebrate the work of those who have already benefited from the student focused employment agency.
The event, which recognised the fantastic work carried out by students and Nottingham alumni as well as the opportunities given to them by a range of internal and external employers, saw the culmination of a successful first year for the franchise.
After being officially opened on March 24 2010, the agency announced it had broken even just seven months later, having filled over 400 vacancies. Since then the agency has continued to build its external client list, while all departments in the University have been encouraged to use the service to fill temporary vacancies.
Five months on and Unitemps has filled 640 job placements with 55 university departments and 64 external companies, with any profit made being reinvested into increasing the employability of Nottingham students. But despite impressive growth in the first year, the agency remains committed to its original purpose of helping the 4,000 job seekers registered with them, to access extra income and build their CV.
When opening the event the University’s Registrar Paul Greatrix praised the work of the Unitemps team, Ilze Skujina and Andy Walker, and confirmed the value that the agency can provide to students and employers alike.
Paul said: “This has been a terrific first year for Unitemps, with almost 400 students and alumni finding placements which offer high quality work experience, at a competitive rate of pay and provide extra weight to a graduate’s CV when looking for their first job.
“The feedback we have received from employers and from across the University has also been fantastic, with our students helping to change the perception of the value that this flexible and talented workforce can provide. With this in mind I am sure that Unitemps will continue to go from strength to strength as it moves into its second year.”
This value is a sentiment shared by Unitemps client PlayerLayer, who won the award for ‘Unitemps Assignment of the Year 2011’. The company revealed that their student, and winner of the ‘Unitemp of the Year 2011’ award, Crystal Wu, had quickly become an essential member of staff.
The company explained: “Crystal is unusually and outstandingly intelligent. She understands concepts and tasks before they are even fully described to her and usually thinks of a better way of doing tasks that we have been doing for years. She never says “No” and is always willing to help — often staying well beyond normal working hours to get things done. She instantly became an indispensable part of the PlayerLayer team.”
Another to benefit from Unitemps is English Studies student Gabrielle Dumont, who has secured two positions through the agency having completed leafleting work and undertaking a part-time job at estate agents, M-S Estates.
After collecting the runners-up prize in the ‘Unitemp of the Year’ category, Gabrielle explained: “Unitemps is invaluable in offering positions in which students can use their specialist skills at good rates of pay. The jobs offered are useful for students since most of them are temporary placements, allowing us to gain experience and some income whilst also leaving time to study.
As well as being useful in the short term, Gabrielle also believes the experience will be of benefit in the future. She said: “Although academic achievement is clearly of great importance, the need for students to gain knowledge of work environments is also incredibly important since it prepares us for what to expect after we leave university.
“The difficult act of balancing study with a job demonstrates good time management and a determination to succeed which will also be very desirable attributes to future employers.”
The winners of the first Unitemps awards were:
|
Unitemp of the Year 2011 (internal) |
Unitemp of the Year 2011 (external) |
|
1.Cathrin Wharton |
1.Crystal Wu |
|
2.Rachel Peacock |
2.Gabrielle Dumont |
|
3.Daniel Johnson |
3.Hollie Stephens |
|
Unitemps Assignment of the Year 2011 (internal) |
Unitemps Assignment of the Year 2011 (external) |
|
1.Planning and Management Information |
1.Player Layer Division |
|
2.The International Office |
2.NEC Infrontia |
|
3.Information Services |
3.Ikanos Consulting |
— Ends —
Notes to editors: The University of Nottingham, described by The Sunday Times University Guide 2011 as ‘the embodiment of the modern international university’, has award-winning campuses in the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia. It is ranked in the UK's Top 10 and the World's Top 75 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong (SJTU) and the QS World University Rankings. It was named ‘Europe’s greenest university’ in the UI GreenMetric World University Ranking, a league table of the world’s most environmentally-friendly higher education institutions, which ranked Nottingham second in the world overall.
The University is committed to providing a truly international education for its 40,000 students, producing world-leading research and benefiting the communities around its campuses in the UK and Asia.
More than 90 per cent of research at The University of Nottingham is of international quality, according to the most recent Research Assessment Exercise, with almost 60 per cent of all research defined as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’. Research Fortnight analysis of RAE 2008 ranked the University 7th in the UK by research power.
The University’s vision is to be recognised around the world for its signature contributions, especially in global food security, energy & sustainability, and health.
More news from the University at: www.nottingham.ac.uk/news