Partnerships with major employers, delivering real impact
SEA has been proactive in developing significant agreements and partnerships with major employers that benefit the opportunities available to our students, assist with closing the skills gaps in the region and often lead to real graduate level jobs for our students. Examples include:
Fujitsu have established a development office with 15 staff working from our Bay Campus, delivering projects with the University and wider industry across the region and further afield. In partnership with Fujitsu, SEA Employment Zone staff piloted an employability project. Fujitsu took a question posed to them by a ‘real-life’ client involving wearable technology and invited students to undertake a twenty-four hour Hackathon, in teams, to find a viable solution. The team with the winning solution for the client not only won a piece of wearable technology each but each team member also obtained a paid summer placement with Fujitsu, part-funded by SEA. Some of these students even went on to win a further European Hackathon alongside Fujitsu staff,resulting in two Swansea University students being employed by Fujitsu in graduate level technology roles.
Facilitated by SEA, the University has established a Memorandum of Understanding with Admiral, Wales’ only FTSE 100 company in 2016. This further strengthens the relationship with Admiral who are member of the SEA Strategy Board. The collaboration will help ensure talented graduates are able to remain in the region, and support the growth of the Welsh economy across a global marketplace. In 2018, Admiral recruited 6 Swansea University graduates representing 25% of its Graduate intake for 2018. ‘We are thrilled to have the Memorandum of Understanding in place. We are looking forward to our future collaboration with Swansea University, its students and graduates… Being able to attract and retain graduate talent locally is key for Admiral and the economy.’ Wendy Sleat, Graduate Manager, Admiral.
The relationship with Tata is an example of a regional centre of excellence and high-tech cluster linking the local supply chain in new research projects, commercial opportunities, funding, training and further collaborations. Through a bespoke Memorandum of Understanding, opportunities in the curriculum, assessment enhancement, guest lectures, collaborative training, scholarships, summer placements, year placements, graduate positions and final year research projects have all been developed. This major agreement has seen the University become Tata’s major source of graduates in the region.
‘’The graduates that come from our Swansea EngD partnership are the life blood of our technical and management sections. Their research outputs directly affect our business competitiveness and the large number that work in our supply chain continues to add value after they have left the University ’’Dr Martin Brunnock, Director, Tata Steel Strip Products UK.