NASES National Office, T: 01902 321022 E: Nases@wlv.ac.uk

Summer 2016

NASES Newsletter

Welcome to our summer newsletter packed with information and

ideas for you to consider. Congratulations to this years SEOTY finalists

profiled on page 2. In this edition we look at student scammers and

how we can protect our students pages 4-5; working with SMEs at the

University of Westminster page 7; unpaid work trials pages 8-9; NSEW

Round Up page 10. Every page has something for you to explore and

consider.

This year, the NASES Annual Conference, will take place on July 7th

and 8th July at the Jurys Inn, in Birmingham. Richard Charnock (IRP)

will lead the conference with the UK Industry Update and the Changing

Global Market Place. Charlie Ball,

Head of Higher Education Intelli-

gence (HECSU) will discuss the Ef-

fect of Brexit on the Graduate La-

bour Market and Keith Lawton from

Croners will discuss more practical

aspects of Employment Law, plus

many more interesting

workshops and engaging

speakers. To find out more,

or to book go to:

www.nases.org.uk/

conference2016

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Student Employee of the Year Awards……..….2

Student Employment: The Engine of the

Northern Powerhouse……….…………...…….…...3

Student Scammers…………..…...…………..…...…4

Employer Case Study ................................ .…...6

Invest in Your Future……….………..…………..…6

Working with SMEs at the University of

Westminster ..……..……………………..………..…..7

Unpaid work trials ………….………....…….…..….8

NSEW Round-Up………….….……….…….……...10

A Mini Bio of one of our External Trustees….11

Employers See BU Students Invest in their

Future …………………….……………….………….....11

NASES Membership (Croners and IRP)……..12

Disclaimer: NASES accepts no responsibility or liability for any aspect of the content or the advertisements within this newsletter.

2

A Special Thank You to our Sponsors:

This Year’s National Finalists:

Commercial Impact on Campus

Above and Beyond on Campus

Job Shop Student Temp Excellence Awards

Student Employee of the Year Awards 2016 In July 2016 NASES will hold their glitzy award ceremony, at Jury’s Inn, Birmingham,

where all National Winners will be announced.

Abdullah Geelah – University of Sheffield Mara Goetz – University of Edinburgh Emily Chi – University of Lancaster MASH Ambassadors (Jodie Lintern, Steph Plested, Fionn Sullivan) – University of Bath Students’ Union Emily Jane Thorne – Bedfordshire University Community Wardens (Charlotte Coleman, Talya Mellor, Ellie Robson, Grace Jackson, Max Brownhill, Rose Parker, Joe Wistow and Becki Jenner) – University of Birmingham

Kathryn Cuniffe – Northumbria University Josh Yeates – (University of Exeter Laura Stevens – Cardiff University Elise Velkeneers – University of Arts London Joanna Chabros - University of Wolverhampton

Isabelle Gessey – University of Sheffield Gracie Donoghue – University of Central Lancashire Gareth Davies – Cardiff University Emily Jane Thorne – University of Bedfordshire Jessica Fitzgibbon – University of Birmingham

Commercial Impact off Campus

Step up to Leadership on Campus

Step up to Leadership off Campus

Employer Award

Above and Beyond off Campus

Jonathan Whiting – University of Bradford Scott Brown – University of Portsmouth Lemon Grove Team Leaders – Exeter University Steven Salama – University of Brighton Shahid Ali - Aston University

Imogen Eddleston (CEEC) – Durham University Nathan Shipstone - Manchester Metropolitan University Molly Humphreys – Plymouth University Susan Reichelt – Cardiff University Clive Gresswell – University of Bedfordshire Laura Swinburn – Aston University

Adam Greenwood – University of Sheffield Paul Newnman – University of Lancaster Ed Borthen – University of Exeter Charlotte Henney—(Robin Partington and Partners) University of Westminister Sarah Newman – (Nandos) Queen Margaret University

Hadi Hassan and Oliver Spenceley – University of Sheffield Agnieszka Kartasinska – University of Aber-deen Amy Fleming – University of Lancaster Niamh McLaughlin – Bath Spa University Chloe McDonnell & Chelsea Cinquegrani – Cardiff Metropolitan University Megan Pile - University of Wolverhampton

DLHE Telephone Interviewers - University of Sheffield Jo Miguens and Shaquille Trotman - Students' Union Business Team – University of Portsmouth Mirco Cordeiro – University of Brighton Community Wardens (Charlotte Coleman, Talya Mel-lor, Ellie Robson, Grace Jackson, Max Brownhill, Rose Parker, Joe Wistow and Becki Jenner) – University of Birmingham

3

HISTORY OF SEOTY

SEOTY recognises and promotes the outstanding contributions and achievements of students who effectively combine part-

time work with their study commitments. It has been coordinated on an annual basis by the National Association of Student

Employment Services (NASES) since 2002 and has grown year on year.

2015 PREVIOUS NATIONAL WINNERS:

2016—to be announced 7th July

2015—Adam Hughes, Durham Uni-

versity

2014- Lewis Yates, University of

Sheffield

2013—Natalie Diver, Newcastle Uni-

versity

2012—Kevin Valdelievre, Aberdeen

University

2011—Mark Graham, University of

Greenwich

2010—Carol Radlett, University of

Gloucester

2009— Adam Sumar-Tarmohamed,

Brunel University

2008— Emmanuel Amoah, Universi-

ty of Hull

2007— Olusegun Adetunji, Liver-

pool Hope University

2006— Jonathan Lewis,

University of Nottingham

2005— Natalie Muldoon,

Liverpool John Moores

University

2004— Anna-Lisa Bergstrom

Allen, University of Sussex

2003— Abbas Manji, Lough-

borough University

2002— Jamie Flint, Sheffield

Hallam University

Milkround is the UK’s leading student and graduate jobs website, and in 2016

NASES are pleased to announce Milkround are sponsoring the Student Employ-

ee of the Year 2016 Award.

Chantelle Barton, Engagement Marketing Executive says, ‘At Milkround, we aim

to give students and graduates career confidence – which is exactly what The

Student Employee of the Year Award achieves. The Awards give those students,

who effectively combine part-time work with their studies, the opportunity to be

recognised for their commitment and determination to succeed. Best of luck to

all who are nominated.’

3

Student Employment: The engine of the Northern Powerhouse

It’s no secret that the job market is still tough and is becoming ever more com-petitive for students approaching graduation. Throw three years’ worth of debt into the equation and even the most optimistic job seeker could be forgiven for feeling a little overwhelmed from the moment they open up a Google search engine.

Here step in University Careers and Employment services. Across the country we are succeeding in giving students their own voices through careers advice, guidance and relevant, exciting job opportunities. Nowhere is this more promi-nent than in the north of England region.

The last academic year saw Sheffield land the title of number one in the north for student employment through SEOTY nominations. Sheffield Hallam Univer-sity were narrowly pipped to the post by the University of Birmingham for top spot for nomination numbers.

SEOTY nominations for Sheffield’s two Universities highlight the value and rele-vance of making our students employable. There is a sense that the regions’ employers are increasingly turning to the local student workforce to add value, in areas that traditionally have been reserved for the non-student popula-tion. This is reflected by last year’s national SEOTY award winner, in the Off Campus Above and Beyond category, who came from the University of Sheffield.

Future business leaders are definitely coming out of York, where Amy Harkins, a student from York St John University, was crowned as National winner in the Step Up to Leadership category.

The north’s crowning glory came with the overall winner, Adam Hughes, taking the title of Student Employee of The Year 2015 from the University of Durham.

By James Beighton, Sheffield Hallam University

As our graduates and students are increasingly encouraged to apply online for jobs, there are a rising number of people

reporting job fraud.

What is job fraud?

Many sophisticated fraudsters research their potential victims online, looking through online profiles to gather information.

Increasingly, job seekers are searching for jobs online and creating multiple profiles on different job search engines, leading

to a rise in the number of scams that are being reported.

The main things to watch out for:

Advanced fee scams – people asking for money to write CVs, carry out security checks or for training that

needs to be undertaken before a job starts.

Premium-rate phone scams – candidates are asked to call on the pretext of a telephone interview and then

kept on hold for a long period of time, costing them large sums of money.

Money laundering - unwitting victims are employed on a work-from-home basis. The victim assumes they’re

employed in a genuine job, but they’re really being used to launder money. They’re asked to buy office

equipment and ship it to a specific address or cash a cheque not knowing that they are actually committing

a crime in the process.

Generally, if a job sounds too good to be true, e.g. large salary for few qualifications, good income for minimal amount of

work, be suspicious!

Protecting our students and graduates

Figures from the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) say that the most defrauded job-seekers were between the ages

of 18 and 25, and those aged 23 are the most likely to fall victim to scams when job hunting online.

This is obviously a great concern for those of us who are helping students and graduates to find genuine employment during

or after their academic studies. To experience a job scam so early on in job searching could be a damaging experience, and a

very expensive one for victims. £100 scams are very common, but some more elaborate scams can extract as much as

£195,000, as reported by one victim.

SAFERjobs: providing advice and support against online job fraud

Created in 2008, SAFERjobs is a partnership of professionals from law enforcement, government, trading standards, citizens’

advice, trade associations and recruitment, committed to reducing the number of job scams. The service provides advice for

those who may be or have been affected by job scams and offer a chance to report job scams, via their connection with the

Metropolitan Police. To date they have prevented £250,000 worth of job scams.

NASES have developed a partnership with SAFERjobs as a commitment to help students and graduates, by raising awareness

of the service via NASES members. A number of members have include a link to the SAFERjobs website on their student pag-

es, including:

Manchester Met University, Essex University, Cardiff University Student’s Union, Cardiff Met University, University of

Durham, University of Huddersfield, University of Winchester, Sheffield University Student’s Union, University of Bradford.

Thank you to NASES members who have joined the SAFERjobs campaign. If you would like to include the SAFERjobs link

on your website, please email the NASES team on nases@wlv.ac.uk

Student Scammers – How can we help to protect students?

4

What advice can you give?

SAFERjobs recommend the following advice to job seekers:

1. Never part with money – employers should pay you, not the other way round. If asked to pay for security checks,

visas, training, or anything else, you should research the job, the company, and never use any associated company

suggested to you without conducting independent, thorough research.

2. Never take it on face value– have you received an ‘out of the blue’, ‘too good to be true’ job offer? Be skeptical

and ask questions. Why and how have you been contacted,

what is the job, did you apply? Be wary of any non-business,

generic email address (such as hotmail and yahoo), poorly

written job adverts or job descriptions, and emails or contact

at unusual times of the day (unless pre-arranged).

3. Never do everything online – whilst technology is a great

enabler to help people find work, at some point your job dis-

cussion should lead to an interview or a meeting. Hiring agents

who keep the relationship solely on email must be treated

extremely cautiously.

4. Never fail to do research – find out about the company

that the job is with and do your research! Check landline tele-

phone numbers and call the end employer to check the job

exists. Use social media and sources such as Companies House

and LinkedIn to dig deeper into the organisations and people

you are interacting with.

5. Never phone them for an interview – premium rate

phone scams are common. This is where an individual calls a

pay-for number thinking it’s an interview, when actually they

are paying for every minute they stay on hold. If an employer

wants you to work for them, they will call you.

6. Never accept money for nothing – with money mule

scams on the increase, beware of any employer promising ‘get

rich quick’ or ‘earn thousands working from home’. When

cheques begin arriving, it is easy to be fooled into being used

as a money mule.

7. Never provide personal details– be suspicious of any re-

quests for personal data ahead of an interview or registration

meeting (if an agency). Until you have the job, keep bank de-

tails safe and only provide identity details (such as passport

copies, birth certificates, etc…) once you have met face to

face.

5

You can report a job scam at: www.safer-jobs.com

6

NASES are holding their Autumn Summit on the 16th November 2016 at the amazing

and interactive venue, The Studio, located in Glasgow City Centre. All transport links are

easily accessible. Refreshments, lunch, speakers/workshops are all included in the price

of £125 +VAT (early bird rate).

The Summit is an excellent opportunity to gain further employability and employment

skills on recruitment practises, within national and international organisations.

Confirmed Key Speakers so far include: Morton Fraser (talking about employment Law

for more information visit:

http://www.nases.org.uk/main-menu/nases-events/nases-autumn

-summit-2016

for more information visit:

http://www.nases.org.uk/

training

Invest in your Future!

Employer Case-study #mytechstory

My name is Emma Wilkinson and I started at CGI four and a half months ago as a graduate. CGI is the 5th largest independent IT

and Business Process service firm in the world.

If you had asked me when I was doing my GCSE’s where I would be when I was 23, I would have had no idea! I chose subjects I

enjoyed at school to balance out the subjects I found particularly difficult. When choosing

my A-Levels I had no idea what to pick, so I decided to choose ICT, as it was something I

enjoyed and had good grades in. During A-Levels I gained work experience where I was

responsible for updating product information on the company website and resizing prod-

uct images.

Having started my A2s, I needed to think about my next steps. As I did not know what I

really wanted to do, I decided to combine my A-Levels and do a degree in Computing and

Management. I studied at Loughborough University for 4 years, which included a year long

industrial placement.

To be truthful when I started my degree, I found it incredibly difficult and I really disliked

programming. I enjoyed all the other areas of the computing side of my degree, such as the

legal side and databases. After a lot of persistence I managed to get through my program-

ming modules with a good grade. During my placement year I went to a small company

where I was the second person in the IT department. I had real responsibility and real

work! Throughout the year on placement I gained considerable confidence in my program-

ming ability, as I have always had a drive to overcome the areas I find most challenging. When I went back to University I decided

to do my final year project on something I had a passion about which was the Elderly and computers. I had this passion from reg-

ularly attending and running an elderly computer class at a community centre in Loughborough. I developed something which

aided the elderly use the Internet and resulted in me graduating with a 1st Class degree.

During my final year I knew I needed to find a job: I wanted to work in technology but not programming. I did not know what jobs

were out there, so I attended the TargetJobs event ‘IT’s Not Just for Boys’. From attending this event I applied to Computer Sci-

ence Undergraduate of the Year Award 2015 run by TargetJobs. After a long application process, I was the runner up in the com-

petition and I was offered a project management role in CGI's Edinburgh office!

If I did not have all the experience of programming and technology, my job now would be much harder. I feel that it will help me

develop a successful project management career in the technology industry. I have learnt that stepping out of my comfort zone

and persevering in areas I found difficult, has opened up opportunities of which I would never have dreamt of.

TRAINING CALENDAR

23rd November 2016 and the 29th

March 2017

Agency solution – Getting started,

University of Birmingham

Working with Small/Medium-sized Enterprises at the

University of Westminster (by Frances Gow, University of Westminster)

Mayfair Legal is a boutique law firm that specialises in high net worth immigration. Mr Efun Chin, who founded the company,

was nominated and won the award for Employer of the Year (SME) at the 2015 Westminster Distinctiveness Awards.

Working with Mayfair Legal was a unique opportunity to externally pilot the services of our Talent Bank, which recruits and

matches students for part time paid opportunities on campus. The Talent Bank model is effective for our internal clients, as it

provides a bespoke service by reducing the burden of the recruitment cycle, giving staff more time to focus on their day-to-day

jobs. It made perfect sense to expand this service to external clients, because not only would it provide an efficient and reliable

route to recruiting temporary staff, but it would also offer employers an insight into the talent and skills that University of West-

minster students could provide for their business.

Mr Efun Chin approached the Talent Bank in February 2015 as he was looking for a part-time Legal Assistant to join his team. As

with any successful relationship, good communication is fundamental and Mr Chin had a very prompt and positive communica-

tion style and his response to emails and phone calls was immediate. This was crucial for the Talent Bank staff due to the very

short turnaround of the recruitment process.

In total, nineteen students applied for the Legal Assistant position and six students were

interviewed. Mr Chin had the very hard decision to choose between two excellent candi-

dates but at that time the recruitment need was for one part-time Legal Assistant only.

Within a week, Mr Chin had communicated the final outcome of the successful student

and also provided detailed and constructive feedback for the unsuccessful candidates

within two days of our request.

The reserve candidate was part of the Westminster Business Consultants (WBC) team,

which is a junior enterprise, set up and run by students at the University in order to pro-

vide business services to local enterprises. Mr Chin was really keen in exploring ways to

work with WBC more closely which shows his strong interest in collaborating with the

University of Westminster.

To our surprise, three weeks after the recruitment of the first student, Mayfair Legal was

in need for an additional staff member. The employer was able to offer a job to the re-

serve candidate in order to meet the high business demand. In addition to that, we were

informed that Mr Chin had already held a meeting with WBC as he wanted to engage the

team to help his clients with market research and creating business plans in the future.

Hristina Simeonova, Employability Coordinator, who managed the process for Mayfair Legal had this to say about the experience:

“It was a pleasure working with Efun Chin and a great satisfaction placing two high calibre candidates to work in his company. I

believe the employer deserved the award because of his great enthusiasm to develop further relationships with WBC and collab-

orate with the University of Westminster combined with his very prompt communication throughout the whole process. I really

appreciate Efun’s effort in providing so detailed and constructive feedback for the unsuccessful applicants as well as very positive

comments on the two part-time Legal Assistants.”

Mr Chin had this to say about his experience of working with the Talent Bank at University of Westminster:

“I was in need of a part-time staff as my business was getting busier. One of my staff graduated from University of Westminster

and she was performing very well, so it was natural for me to contact Talent Bank. Hristina, the coordinator at Talent Bank, has

been absolutely amazing throughout the recruitment process. It took me only one week to hire a high calibre staff. Talent Bank

assisted us in placing the advertisement, shortlisting candidates, and group the candidates according to their competitiveness.

Hristina has been proactive, responsive and organised. I did not even have to arrange for the interview as everything was done

for me. Much to my amazement, all candidates turned up for interview, as we had bad experience where we adver-

tised elsewhere and candidates failed to turn up for interview. I would not think twice for engaging Talent Bank

again for my next recruitment process.”

7

Unpaid work trials: Are they legit?

Like many other professionals who advise students, we often worry about students being exploited in the workplace. Stu-

dents with no experience of companies and organisations or the process of job hunting, can often be vulnerable to unfair

work practices.

In recent years, there has been a rise in the number of reported unpaid work trials, where people have been asked to work

from 1 hour through to 10 hours or more on an unpaid basis, to assess their suitability for the role. In some cases, reports have

suggested that some people have worked a number of shifts, over a period of days. Quite often, the final result is a person not

being offered the job and subsequently, not being paid for the time they have given over.

Young people seeking roles in fields such as, hospitality and retail, can be victim to unfair work practices, and in some cases,

may be promised payment verbally, which never materialises. The question is: are unpaid work trials legal? And legal or not:

are they ethical?

Where does UK employment law intervene?

In the UK, some legitimized unpaid work trials are organised through JobCentre Plus. In these circumstances, employ-

ers can trial a potential employee for up to 30 days, without paying them. However, the potential employee must vol-

unteer to do this; be made fully aware of the conditions and will still receive the benefits they would be claiming (see

web link for more information: https://www.gov.uk/jobcentre-plus-help-for-recruiters/work-trials).

There are also conditions placed upon ‘work experience’ and ‘internships’, which are also sometimes used as voluntary or un-

paid opportunities for young people. ACAS (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service). National Minimum Wage (NMW)

guidance from Direct.gov explains,

Some forms of work experience, including placements and internships, may be referred to as ‘unpaid work’ or

‘expenses only’, where someone gives their services free of charge in order to develop or maintain their skills. Organi-

sations offering such positions should check if the person is a volunteer for NMW (National Minimum Wage) purposes

or if an exemption applies. If the person is not a genuine volunteer and is not exempt, then you must pay them at

least the NMW.

A volunteer is defined as someone who is not paid for their time but may be able to claim back their expenses. This is usually

limited to food, drink, travel or any equipment you need to buy.

You might be classed as an employee or worker rather than a volunteer if you get any other payment, reward or benefit in

kind. This includes any promise of a contract or paid work in the future (Gov.uk).

Are students being exploited?

One of the main areas in which students might find themselves facing an ‘unpaid work trial’/extended job interview’ is in bar or

restaurant work. Stories abound in this area, with students being asked to undertake glass collection or washing up duties for

an evening shift(s) (notice the plural) to be assessed for the role, then being told that they are not suitable and sent on their

way… with no pay. Most would argue that more than 1-2 hours is excessive ‘assessment’ time for washing up skills…

Within the broader field of unpaid work, an Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) report suggests, "We now have entire

industries that rely on the willingness of young people to work for free. In the long run this is bad for business because it dam-

ages the reputation of these industries and makes it difficult for them to recruit from the broadest pool of talent”.

A student with limited experience of employers and their practices, may not question being asked to work for an increasing

number of hours as a trial. Many students are very keen to gain work experience for their CV and may consider unpaid work as

a way to achieve this.

Many of us, not exclusively students, may not feel confident or able to challenge the employer about the right to be paid or

pursue a situation where they have been promised a payment that never materialises, especially in situations where there

has been no written agreement on terms. 8

What do employers think?

In a climate of austerity, unpaid work trials are certainly tempting to employers, as a way of recruiting the best staff, with little

financial risk. Handled badly, however, they could damage an employer’s reputation, particularly if followed by the press.

General opinion on the value of unpaid work trials is very undecided – some feel it demonstrates initiative and commitment and

an attitude of ‘I’ll do what it takes to get the job’. Others feel that it is more exploitative, particularly for those who are new to

the job market and may not feel confident about asking for their dues.

Employers can be confused about the legal aspects of unpaid work; some many mistakenly believe that a person can be taken on

unpaid, as long as both sides know it is a voluntary position. However, if the person is doing the work of a paid employee, they

should be paid at least NMW.

A jobshop perspective?

Encouraging students to value their worth is important. They may be new to looking for employment but should be encouraged

to identify potential exploitation. As intermediaries, university and college job shops can negotiate with employers on behalf of

students. As a service, do you:

have a policy on unpaid work or trials?

are there any circumstances where it is accepted?

do you screen employers?

do you decline jobs if they are trying to set up unpaid placements?

how do you advise students on what to do if they encounter an unpaid work trial?

How can you safely navigate through?

A person can agree with an employer to undertake an unpaid trial shift of a few hours (short). ACAS suggest that the confusion

can occur about what stage a unpaid trial turns into paid employment, otherwise described as, at what point do you stop show-

casing your skills and start working?

Top Tips for Trial Shift Workers, via Unlockthelaw.co.uk:

Where an employer suggests you come in for a trial shift, don't be afraid to discuss the details of this shift with them. You

should ask how long the shift will last, what is expected of you on shift, whether you will be paid or whether they will pay you

expenses.

If the shift is only for a couple of hours, the employer is not obliged to pay you. You could ask them to pay any expenses if

you are going to be out of pocket, but unfortunately you may just have to do the work voluntarily if you really want the job.

Where the employer tells you that you are to work a full shift, or even multiple shifts, they should pay you at least the Na-

tional Minimum Wage. At this point, this has ceased to be a trial and is entering contract of employment territory.

Don't be afraid to say that you are not willing to work a full shift or multiple shifts unpaid – it may be that the employer is

just trying to save some money by not paying you.

You should agree pay, expenses and any other benefits before you do the shift. If possible, get this in an email or in writing. This way, the employer must provide what has been agreed and you have evidence of the agreement.

Sources:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/national-minimum-wage-work-experience-and-internships#what-is-work-experience

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/jobs/7920381/Employers-warned-that-unpaid-internships-could-break-law.html

https://www.unlockthelaw.co.uk/News/is-it-legal-not-to-be-paid-for-a-trial-shift/1050416304.html

https://www.gov.uk/volunteering/pay-and-expenses

9

10

NSEW Round-Up

Sheffield Hallam University held

Work While You Study Fairs to help

students network with local employ-

ers and organisations

The Workplace at University of Wolverhampton

invited employers and voluntary organisations

on their campuses to meet students.

Cardiff Met Student’s

Union held a week of

workshops on making

successful applications

and showcased their

volunteering opportuni-

ties

Cardiff University SU

encouraged students to

register with their Job

shop with a prize draw.

UCLan SU raised awareness about how to avoid

job scams when looking for jobs, and highlight-

ed international volunteering opportunities

We had a very active NSEW this year in the NASES partnership.

This is just a snapshot of some of the events which took place.

NSEW 2017

w/c 20th February 2017

11

A Mini Bio on one of our External Trustees

Gary Argent

I got involved in the world of student recruitment in 2000 when I was invited to speak to a group of graduates attending the com-pany’s induction programme. I really enjoyed helping the new starters integrate into the business, and I went on to spend eight years working in graduate recruitment and development for Logica, an IT services company which I myself joined as a graduate in 1991.

I became a director of the Association of Graduate Recruiters in 2006 and then went to work at the association in 2008, helping to forge closer links between employers and universities. This led to an interest in the way universities prepare students for their ca-reer, and I joined City University London to run the careers service in 2011 before setting up Graduate Transitions (www.graduate-transitions.co.uk) in 2015. I now work as a freelancer, providing services to help universities and employers engage with each other.

I’m passionate about helping young people to prepare for a successful career. Work experience is a very important step on this path, helping students to learn more about themselves and the workplace and to develop a broad range of soft skills and commer-cial experience that will complement their academic learning.

I am delighted to have been asked to act as an External Trustee for NASES . I’m looking forward to using the lessons I’ve learned working as a graduate recruiter and in a university, along with my time in a member-led organisation, to help the association build resources that will support the needs of the membership and showcase the importance of the profession. If you are interested in becoming a trustee of NASES please contact the NASES Office nases@wlv.ac.uk

Students participating in the BU Student Development Award take the opportunity to enhance their future career by devel-

oping their employability skills. Many will complete the Award this academic year and celebrate at the award ceremony,

held in May each year.

Award students showcase their extra-curricular activities in an e-portfolio that they can then present to potential employers,

giving them an advantage in the job market as they stand out from the

crowd. They attend an induction that includes hands-on practical exer-

cises as well as opportunities to network with other Award students

Sponsors of the Award - Endsleigh Insurance, Whitbread Premier Inn,

Sheridan Lake Associates, and J.P. Morgan - offer prizes in recognition of

additional achievements for Best Reflective Writing, Best E-Portfolio,

Dedication to Coaching & Mentoring and Most Outstanding Achieve-

ment.

Award Co-ordinator, Sonya Harvey said, ‘This opportunity enables stu-

dents to prepare for their placement and graduate roles, giving them

confidence in and articulating their skills from those experiences in appli-

cations and at interviews.

Our Sponsors and other employers we engage with across all industries appreciate the value of the e-portfolio in identifying

students who are work-ready from their extra-curricular experiences while studying at BU’.

Employers see BU Students Invest in their Future

NASES Office University of Wolverhampton, WV1 1LY

(open Monday- Friday 9-5)

T: 01902 321022 E: NASES@wlv.ac.uk W: nases.org.uk

NASES Membership Gives You:

Access to expert advice when you need it

We understand that running a business isn’t easy, which is why the NASES has teamed up with, HR and health & safety experts Croner to provide you with access to expert advice and guidance when you need it.

Whether it is a call on a disciplinary matter such as persistent lateness, an employee who is often off sick, there has been an accident in the workplace and you’re not sure if it’s reportable or an issue with a landlord, the team of advisers are on hand to provide practical advice and support. The Croner service covers:

Health & Safety

Employment Law & HR

Tax, VAT, PAYE, National Insurance & Payroll

Commercial legal matters Why should you use the service? One hour of employment law advice with an experienced employment law solicitor could cost in excess of £200 per hour. This level of advice is included in your membership subscription, so saving you money and offering you peace of mind that you are turning to industry professionals for support. With over 70 years’ experience, Croner is one of the most experienced and respected HR, Health & Safety, Tax and Reward spe-cialists in the business. Their consultants are recruited for their skills and commercial experience, which means that the advice you receive, is practical and relevant to your business. The service is available Monday to Friday 09:00 to 17:00 (excluding public holidays). You can call as many times as you need it, when you need it – there’s no time limit. To take advantage of this fantastic member benefit call the team at Croner on 0844 561 8133, quoting our scheme number.

Access to IRP

The Institute of Recruitment Professionals (IRP) is the representative body for individual recruiters and resourcing specialists.

Founded by the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) in 2009, the IRP represents approximately 5,759 individual

members, who deliver the UK’s recruitment services. All IRP members sign up to and abide by the IRP Code of Ethics and Pro-

fessional Conduct, which demonstrates their commitment to practicing the very highest standards of principled and profes-

sional recruitment. IRP members can further demonstrate their professionalism by achieving one of IRP’s accredited qualifica-

tions, the Certificate in Recruitment Practice, Diploma in Recruitment Management and Apprenticeship in Recruitment Prac-

tice.

NASES has become an IRP Advocate which means for a minimal fee of £80 per person, we can offer our members individual

membership of IRP, gaining all the REC membership benefits.

Add IRP Advocacy membership to your NASES membership for £80 per person