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The University of Essex is looking for local employers who might be able to help deliver its new Short Work Placement Scheme, which it started offering to new graduates and current students last month.

The university’s research and enterprise office is running the placements scheme with money from the Government’s Economic Challenge Investment Fund.

Emma Hewett, who is project managing the scheme for the university, says: “We’ve got a load of graduates waiting to be matched with employers, many of whom couldn’t get a summer job stacking shelves, let alone in their chosen profession.”

This is where Essex and Suffolk businesses come in.

“Whatever size your business is and whatever sector you’re in, a short placement will help our graduates hit the ground running when they’re looking for work, ” says Emma. “The graduates are also potential employees. If they have positive placement experiences they’re more likely to stay in the area and benefit the local economy - everyone wins!”

A graduate or student can help develop a business by bringing new ideas and fresh enthusiasm and act as an extra resource.

A placement can also be a cost effective and flexible solution to recruitment needs - for instance a graduate could tackle projects otherwise put on the backburner, making use of their IT skills and knowledge of new technologies.

A student can help a business be more profitable, reduce costs, focus on business issues and solutions, resolve business problems effectively, work as part of a team and, most important, they can think for themselves and get on with it.

The employer specifies what project or piece of work they need, the level of wage they can pay the graduate and when they want them. The university then matches the employer with a suitable graduate or current student, pays the student’s travel expenses and administers the whole process for both parties - it’s like a temp agency but without the admin fees and the hard sell.

Employers offering placements to date range from large companies such as Vodafone and Abbey/Santander, to The Energy Saving Trust in Witham, and smaller retail and electronics firms in the area.

If you think you could help, e-mail placements@essex.ac.uk
More information on how to register as an employer is available at:
http://www.essex.ac.uk/reo/ecif