Enhancing Placement Success: Identifying Needs and Providing Support

This initiative addresses declining placement opportunities by empowering students with skills and support to bridge education and industry. Focused initially on Business School students, we aim to gather critical insights through surveys and stakeholder focus groups to identify systemic barriers (e.g., socio-economic gaps, mismatched employer expectations, commuting experiences). Findings will inform scalable interventions, such as co-designed mentorship frameworks and SME partnerships, to help enhance student employability (career identity, adaptability, and social capital). By translating student experiences into actionable strategies, we aim to pilot costeffective models that reduce inequalities and strengthen university-industry collaboration—laying the ground for broader ESRC-aligned initiatives.