Employment and professional development

Our links with employers

Employer involvement is a key component of our employability strategy. However, these employers do much more than simply send details of jobs to the University. They provide trainers to run skills sessions, participate in our Wider Options Week, conduct mock interviews and a great deal more. Some employers also help to deliver courses as guest lecturers and offer work placements or projects. The organisations who employ our students and graduates often work with academic staff on collaborative research projects.

Many employers sit on advisory panels for academic departments and their comments help to ensure that Exeter programmes are relevant to today’s business world. In addition, some of our vocational courses are accredited by professional bodies and subject to rigorous external scrutiny to ensure the quality of programmes.

Employers also sit on the Careers and Employment Service advisory board to ensure that the facilities provided meet the needs of students and graduate recruiters and keep ahead of the changes in the market place.

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP)

This is a national graduate training scheme in which the University is a partner. KTP enables you to undertake a one- to three-year research-based, in-company project which is central to the company’s strategic development. You are paid a salary, given structured training and provided with mentoring support. KTP projects often lead to an offer of a permanent post with the host company. They are available to students at both Exeter and Cornwall campuses.

Graduate Business Partnership (GBP)

After completing your programme of study, you can participate in the Graduate Business Partnership. This is a 20-week project-based scheme which offers work placements in regional businesses. Projects have taken place in a range of areas including IT and e-commerce, market research, product development, and environmental research. During your placement you also benefit from a structured training programme run by the University.

Enterprise Training Programme

Run in conjunction with our Research and Knowledge Transfer Office, we offer a range of enterprise and entrepreneurship programmes to help you target your career and provide an opportunity to network with other students. Accredited modules are delivered by, or in conjunction with the University of Exeter’s Business School, and a range of non-accredited, extra-curricular modules, can help you target your career, network with like-minded individuals and assist you with the development of new ventures. It can enable you to become more employable and more enterprising and can even help towards starting your own business through financial support and executive expertise.

Teaching and Research Assistantships

The Exeter Graduate Fellowship and School-based Assistantship schemes are available to postgraduate students undertaking research degrees. They offer a valuable and challenging opportunity to develop further skills as well as helping you to finance your studies. For details please see Teaching and Research Assistantships.

Student Associates Scheme (SAS)

SAS is a Government initiative designed to give students first-hand experience of teaching. Students receive a training bursary, attend taught sessions run by the University and gain experience supporting teachers in a local school during vacation periods. Visit our Student Associates Scheme website for more details.

Exeter Entrepreneurs Society

In addition to the advice offered by the Careers and Employment service, postgraduates can also join the Exeter Entrepreneurs Society. Established to encourage, promote and support would-be entrepreneurs, members are able to access seed capital funding from the Smart Solutions support package managed by the University's Innovation Centre.