MMU tackles Northern Powerhouse skills gap with Newcastle-based Smart Resourcing Solutions

Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) and Smart Resourcing Solutions (SRS) have pooled their resources and knowledge to tackle a growing skills gap across the Northern Powerhouse region.

In response to research highlighting an 8% dip in the last year for graduate employment opportunities, the university and the Newcastle-based recruitment services firm teamed up to create a new ‘Synergy’ stress test to gauge and boost students’ employability.

Now, MMU has incorporated the Synergy unit into its curriculum, providing a compulsory test for more than 800 students that replicates graduate employer assessments.

SRS’ operations director, Sophie Milliken, said: “Whether it is in the North East or in Manchester, what we are seeing is students looking for a real return on their investment. At the end of the day securing a good job is what counts for many students.

“To our knowledge no other university is investing in a similar kind of programme for their students on this scale, taking them through the full graduate recruitment journey.”

She continued: “If the Northern Powerhouse is going to deliver, then it is vital we see more universities tackle this issue head on with real investment. The skills gap and employability are real concerns for employers.”

The Synergy project has already delivered results for MMU, with the university now on track to smash previous graduate recruitment records.

MMU said that 242 of its students from the Class of 2015/16 have confirmed offers of placement, in comparison to 210 for the Class of 2014/15.

The university’s faculty curriculum co-ordinator and employability champion, Caroline Herz, commented: “We feel that it has now become a necessity to prepare our students for this method of application and working with Smart Resourcing Solutions has allowed us to provide students with the support and level of professionalism that is now expected more than ever in the workplace.

“We can now be confident that all our students have the skills to cope with the competition set up for them nationally and to compete confidently amongst their peers and we are one step in-front of the graduate process implementing this at a much earlier stage of their university life.”

New research has suggested that students who started university in 2012 have an average debt of £53k when they leave.

One student who went through the Synergy unit, Serena Hayes, said she was “nervous and unconfident” at first.

She explained: “However, I came out having completely gained a newfound confidence I never thought I had.

“I will be taking that with me through my placement preparation. This needs to be done throughout all the university courses.”

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