A first-of-its-kind partnership that will take the skills of some of the North East’s most promising students to the next level has been announced today.
Newcastle University Students’ Union (NUSU) has signed up with Hoults Yard training business Gradvert, to deliver an endorsed course, that will better prepare some of its most engaged students for the world of work.
Recognised by The Institute for Leadership Management (ILM), the programme will be open to some of the most highly engaged students from across the university, helping to develop their ability to effectively lead teams, manage projects and deliver world-class presentations.
The course will see leaders and presidents of societies and university bodies take part in the programme, which will deliver benefits to them both during their time at university and in the world of work when they leave.
The course is currently under design with Gradvert, NUSU and Newcastle University Careers Service, working in collaboration to ensure it delivers the best results and reaches the benchmark standards of ILM. It is thought to be the first course of its kind in the region, and potentially nationally.
Katie Blundell, volunteer manager at Newcastle University Students’ Union, said: “We have some supremely talented students, who are driven to succeed and are taking on leadership roles within the student community. It is really important to us that, as a university, we nurture the raw talent of our students and enhance their skills in every way we can.
“We would like to build on this, by delivering an endorsed-course that recognises and rewards their efforts and that gives them a chance to develop skills to better lead their respective society or student group. And of course, these skills will be transferable when they enter the world of work.”
In order to pass through training, students will have to attend a series of workshops and coaching sessions to focus on their personal development to enhance or attain their leadership skills. They will also deliver a practical project that will be assessed by Newcastle University representatives as well as the Gradvert team.
The project is the latest that Gradvert has delivered with the university and its first with the Students’ Union, and is ‘the most ambitious’ according to the company founder Michaela Reaney. Newcastle headquartered Gradvert works with both corporates and educational organisations across the UK, delivering graduate schemes and training courses to improve the skills of people in a range of businesses and sectors.
Michaela Reaney, managing director of Gradvert, said: “We believe this is the first course of its type; we are running it as a pilot initially to test its success.
“The students we are working with have demonstrated a natural interest in and flair for leadership, having taken on an active role within their student community. However, this will build on their skills and create an opportunity for them to further their development and CV.
“We have an established relationship with Newcastle University and the joint-work we have put into developing this programme with the Students’ Union means that we are very confident that it will produce a cohort of students who are well-placed to enter the workplace and develop into the leaders of tomorrow.”
The programme will get started in February 2017, and students will complete the course by the end of May. Gradvert is a fully approved centre for the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) and works with businesses including Tiger Retail, Go-Ahead and Sharps among others.