Agenda and draft minutes

Please introduce yourselves.

(NL)  I have been the Project Officer of GradsKent since October 2010, and also manage the graduate portal. This is a Regeneration-funded project, set up to help to improve the graduate retention rate in the county.  All jobs advertised through GradsKent are based in Kent and are suitable for graduates. Although these jobs may not all be necessarily at graduate level, they are those for which an employer is willing to take on a graduate. GradsKent also offer a range of internship and summer placements.  Natasha’s placement is funded up to next year, and Louise’s placement is for 3 months, ending in November this year; I hope they will be funded further. Both accessed those placements by registering via the GradsKent website.

Are graduates under these schemes counted as being part of KCC?

(NL) Yes, Natasha and Louise are both recognised as KCC staff within their units, which are Emergency Planning (CC) and Employment Policy (BSS), respectively. The recruiting team covers salary costs; these are not covered by GradsKent.

And GradsKent is funded into 2012?

(NL)  Yes, and we charge employers for advertising space.  We aim to become self-sustaining by April 2012, but this is an ambitious target, so we might have to seek more funding to tide us over until we can become self-sustaining.

How many students could potentially be involved?

(NL)  11,000 students graduate each year from Kent’s universities, and a large percentage of these are young people from Kent.  We also support graduates who are returning home to Kent after graduating from universities elsewhere in the UK.  There is much cross-advertising across the UK to spread the message about what is available in Kent.

Do any other County Councils have a similar scheme?

(NL)  Most have some scheme to help their graduates find employment, although the majority of them have been set up by bodies other than a County Council, and are funded in a different way.

And do they add value?

(NL)  For employers, these schemes are the only channel available to them to reach students.  They are a cheaper solution than using agencies, and offer a way to filter applications to identify suitable students.  We have many students who have studied humanities, which does not offer specific vocational skills, but we help them to apply the many transferable skills that they have.  Our work seeks to avoid Kent losing its graduate resource.

What do the universities do to support and guide their students?

(NL)  All Kent universities have good careers advice services, and some are now seeking to make these income-generating.  We cross-advertise with all UK universities, so students can see what vacancies there are in Kent for graduates. Services which we use to advertise vacancies are mostly income-generating and are run by national bodies.

How do you measure your success?

(NL)  By the number of graduates and employers registering on our website.  There are currently 1,800 graduates and 201 employers registered.  We have targets for the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 1.