Good job prospects come from well-rounded life

Apr 24 2008 by Professor Rhys Williams, Western Mail

I am retiring at the end of this academic year after 36 years in the Higher Education sector and, as you might imagine, I have witnessed many changes during this time.

Even in 1984, when I returned to my roots in Swansea, going to university was seen as a stepping stone to guaranteed employment. There was an expectation that having a degree – any degree – was enough to secure a well-paid job for life.

But the rapid expansion of the HE sector and the changing nature of employment have changed all that.

A degree undoubtedly enhances job prospects, but today’s employers increasingly expect their employees to offer additional qualities. Being able to demonstrate work experience, positions of responsibility and social skills on a CV can add immense value to a job application, and universities should be (and indeed are) helping students to maximise their potential.

Since its foundation in 1920, Swansea University has worked closely with industry to develop degree programmes that produce highly employable graduates.

We have continued to strengthen our programmes over the years by linking high quality teaching with relevant work placements, and by establishing effective partnerships with some of the world’s leading industrial organisations.

And we are clearly doing these things well.

A recent Higher Education Funding Council for England survey ranked Swansea University third in the UK, behind Cambridge and Oxford, for attracting funding for research with industry, and statistics show that 94% of our graduates are in employment or further study within six months of graduating, significantly higher than the Welsh and UK averages. There is also much more emphasis on the student experience nowadays, and rightly so. While pubs and clubs are an important part of student life, there are also opportunities for students to develop new skills and experiences, whether through sport, student societies, supporting the work of the Students’ Union, sitting on staff/student committees, or undertaking voluntary work.

Our close-knit and welcoming campus offers students a safe environment in which to enhance their personal and professional development.

All these factors contribute to the overall student experience, and again this is an area in which we excel. The annual National Student Survey consistently rates Swansea highly for personal development, teaching quality and academic support, and the university also won the inaugural Times Higher Award for the UK’s Best Student Experience.

Another independent survey recently showed that an impressive 98% of our students are satisfied with the quality and expertise of their lecturers, and 89% said that they would recommend Swansea to others (the UK benchmark is 83.7%).

As someone who has been involved in the university’s development for many years, I am naturally delighted with this feedback. It endorses my belief Swansea has made great progress in offering a career-enhancing and fulfilling university experience.

Yet we are by no means complacent.

There are exciting plans to develop a second campus, which will further strengthen our links with industry, and we are pursuing ambitious plans to ensure that all students have opportunities to study overseas and gain international experience as part of their degree programmes.

It has been a privilege to have been associated with the university during this exciting period of rapid change, and I am confident the best is yet to come.

Professor Rhys Williams is ProVice-Chancellor (Academic) at Swansea University.