Member Article

Leeds Leads the Way

With the release of A-Level results fresh in the minds of many young people and the great migration of graduates nationwide to take place in the coming months, it can be easy to forget the stage before this – the point that saw young people selecting their higher education institution.

In a recent article from the Yorkshire Post (“Leeds University battling to avoid student shortfall”, 5th August 2013), the Vice Chancellor of Leeds University discussed the need to recruit more candidates after seeing more than 500 places at Leeds go unfilled last summer. The reason given for this shortfall is the shake up of student recruitment, which only allows universities to accept certain number of students who perform below the AAB threshold; although the shake up is due to continue, Professor Michael Arthur commented that it’s too soon to predict the affect that these changes will have.

So, how can universities such as Leeds work in spite of these recruitment developments and ensure they don’t see a continued drop in the number of students?

As Professor Arthur suggests, perhaps it’s a case of getting people to “touch and feel the university” – and showing them what the region can offer beyond the realm of education.

According to an Employment Outlook paper released in March 2013, 4,600 additional jobs have been created in Leeds since 2003. With this number set to grow over the coming years, graduates in the region are well placed to take advantage of these new positions. Additionally, it’s noted that, in the foreseeable future, there will be over 6,900 self-employed workers in the Leeds region – a perfect environment for any aspiring entrepreneur.

With people becoming increasingly reliant on online sources, it’s important for people to reconnect with the cities and environments around them; this is truer than ever for new graduates, who are in the habit of viewing potential universities online or judging through word of mouth, rather than visiting the area themselves.

Having an office based in Leeds allows Sellick Partnership to have a direct understanding of the job market and therefore the ability to advise candidates on potential growth in particular sectors. Moreover, with a growing Leeds base, Sellick Partnership is frequently on the look out for high-calibre graduates who want to join the recruitment industry.

If more students could see the potential of Leeds beyond graduation and focus on what the region has to offer them long term, perhaps the university would see a boost in interest.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Jessica Higham .