| 12/05/2010 - ICT Cluster Urges Companies to take up opportunities to keep Computing Graduates in the Region |
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ICT Cluster Urges Companies to take up opportunities to keep Computing Graduates in the Region Nine West Midlands Universities produce around 9,000* The ICT Cluster is supporting a number of regional initiatives, including recruitment services, work placement, career advice and training, designed to encourage small businesses to take on graduates from local universities, rather than the students leaving for technology hotbeds around Reading, Swindon and London. A number of new West Midlands’ initiatives have been created offering free recruitment services and bursaries to support 1200 graduate placements for business in the West Midlands. Small technology businesses within the ICT Cluster can benefit from a range of graduate schemes to help tackle the effect of the economic downturn on the region for both employers and graduates. These schemes vary in duration and subsidy from 4 weeks up to over a year. Funding is available until September 2010 to West Midlands SMEs to help businesses get the best from a graduate intern. Support includes a free recruitment service to ‘match’ a business with the right graduate, a bursary to help pay the wages of the graduate, and induction training support. Graduate Advantage, is working with Birmingham City University, Wolverhampton University, Aston University, Staffordshire University, University College Birmingham and Newman College to deliver 700 bursaries under the Graduate Bursaries “experience works” scheme. For further details contact: Clara Wilcox on 0121 204 4767 or visit www.graduateadvantage.co.uk Many of the region’s universities have other schemes in place: Keele University’s Project FIT (Future Industry Training programme) – has 150 bursaries focusing on 5 main industry areas: Digital Industry, Professional and Financial Services, Ceramics, Medical Technologies, and those businesses thinking about how they they can exploit the Ageing Society. For further details contact Lucy Challinor on 01782 733587 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it University of Coventry has 170 bursaries available for work placements lasting between 1 and 3 months. Many of the region’s universities have other schemes in place. For information on Coventry University Internship Scheme email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . For information on placement schemes from Worcester University, University of Birmingham and University of Warwick contact Helen Carvell on 0121 024 5095 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Indeed the ICT Cluster has itself benefitted from the schemes. Graduates from the University of Wolverhampton, David Morgan and Luke Pearson, are both currently on work placement with the ICT Cluster through WMGI, and have found the current job market for graduates challenging. The interns have been able to bolster their CVs through their work as part of a team that maintains and develops the AWMist web application. David explains, “I’m currently developing a new booking facility for the system. This opportunity has allowed me to put into practice the Systems Analysis techniques I learnt at University.” Mike Musson, ICT Cluster Manager comments: “There are a wide variety of schemes designed to meet the needs of both graduates and small businesses. With a wealth of technology skills across the West Midlands this is an excellent opportunity for businesses to add knowledge and resources to their business and for graduates and post graduates to gain valuable hands-on experience.” For further information about graduate schemes in the region see http://www.wmskillspartnership.com/our-work/graduate_initiatives.aspx
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