Category Archives: Education

Education, L & D, News

City & Guilds joins forces with FutureLearn to help unemployed into new careers

City & Guilds has partnered with the leading social learning platform FutureLearn, to turn the tide on unemployment in the UK and help individuals who work in industries impacted by Covid-19 to reskill and switch careers into growing industries or those facing labour shortages.

Created using employer insights, Skills Bridges will identify the overall potential of a candidate and determine whether individual attributes could be transferred seamlessly into other industries and occupations. It will offer candidates the tools and knowledge of the sector they need to gain direct entry into a new occupation and industry. Candidates will receive a City & Guilds digital credential upon completion.

The news comes as the latest set of employment figures from ONS indicate that over half of workers (52.5%) that changed jobs in the quarter after coronavirus hit, went into completely different sectors . Skills Bridges have been developed in response to rapidly changing labour markets, and to help workers transition to new sectors and industries in the coming months, particularly as the furlough scheme comes to an end.

The Skills Bridges programme is set to grow in the longer term in response to how the UK jobs market evolves in the coming months and will include FutureLearn courses in sectors such as digital, infrastructure, engineering and manufacturing.

With around 4 million people across the UK expected to be unemployed by the end of the year, the Skills Bridges programme aims to create a vital link between industries that are reducing their workforce due to the economic consequences of Covid-19, and growing sectors which require a related skill set.

The first phase of Skills Bridges is due to launch in mid-September and will focus on the social care sector. The Step into Social Care course, which will be available on the FutureLearn platform, will promote the social care sector and the jobs and progression opportunities it can offer. With one-third of all vacancies in the UK currently in the health and social care sector, and over 100,000 jobs available in social care, it aims to help transfer workers into the industry in the coming months.

Kirstie Donnelly, CEO of City and Guilds Group said: “At a time when the jobs market is becoming significantly tougher, we are incredibly proud to partner with FutureLearn to take decisive action to help people gain access to new careers in sectors where there is growth and there are job opportunities. We are committed to doing everything possible to help people get back into ‘good work’, whether they have found themselves unemployed because of the pandemic or just want to find a new career path.”.

“With the UK job market undergoing some considerable systemic shifts and subject to wide regional variations, recognising and leveraging valuable transferable skills is only going to become more important. Our emphasis on mapping the transferable skills, potential and agility of workers into areas of employment need creates a win-win. It helps displaced workers unlock a new career path and it gives employers access to new sources of talented and industry-ready potential employees.”

Justin Cooke, Chief Content and Partnerships Officer said: “The national jobs market has faced a huge amount of disruption over the course of this year and will continue to do so with a huge impact on people’s lives and the UK economy, That’s why we are proud to partner with City & Guilds, FutureLearn’s first ever Further Education partner, for the launch of the Skills Bridges initiative.

Through this partnership we hope to help empower the millions of UK professionals currently without work or facing unemployment to access vital training opportunities, recognise the skills they already have and step into sectors such as healthcare, digital and infrastructure, where there exists unprecedented demand for talent. It’s this level of reskilling and upskilling that’s required to help the UK economy recover from this pandemic.”

Education, News

Face-to-face learning is here to stay

Nyenrode Business University in the Netherlands has decided to buck the trend of schools running to tech, they believe face-to-face teaching is vital for a rounded education and are still offering a blended MBA program, including a more than average amount of face-to-face classes.

The school’s leaders believe that blended learning offers the best of both worlds and is vital for students’ mental health and personal development.
Nyenrode has always taken an alternative approach, with students living on its castle campus or in the city centre of Amsterdam and a willingness to house them with young children and pets on its grounds.

According to Professor Sam Solaimani, program director of the full-time MBA hosted in Amsterdam:

“As a business university social and cognitive skill set is critical aspect of our programs in educating the future leaders. It goes without saying, that we fully embrace the existing digital tools and practices in facilitating our program and preparing our students for digital environments, remote collaboration and independent working.
“In fact, many years before Covid19 pandemic, we started investing heavily in various innovative tools and techniques to ‘blend’ various online and offline didactical approaches. A well-timed investment with hindsight; how otherwise would we overcome the crisis when it hit us in March 2020?
“However, we believe that face-to-face interaction cannot just be fully eliminated without any consequence. While the psychology community seems to be unanimous about the detrimental consequences of lack of face-to-face communication on mental health, the business community seem to be unanimous about the effectivity of face-to-face as a powerful medium to engage, empathize, persuade, create interpersonal connection, and professional intimacy, all helping in building trust. The question, therefore, is not how to get rid of face-to-face, but the right mix of blended education enjoys the benefits of the two worlds and educates responsible, people-oriented leaders with digital capabilities.”

Those at Nyenrode Business University are delighted that they can now resume classroom teaching on campus and still considering the social distancing guidelines at the same time for the health and safety for all students and staff. Not only can students from around the globe receive a visa, but they can also take part in the live classroom experience.

Education, News

New research highlights the most lucrative languages in the UK

There are many reasons to learn a second language, both professionally and personally. In fact, according to online educational platform Preply, almost 40% of users learn a new language to grow professionally.

Employment rates in the UK have increased by 0.3% in the last year therefore standing out from the crowd with the advantage of being able to speak another language has never been more important.

To help multilingual workers in the UK looking to enter a new field, or inspire those debating on which language to learn for work purposes, Preply has created an interactive map showcasing the most lucrative languages across the UK alongside the average wage, top sectors and locations3, the map also showcases data for both the USA and Australia. 

Arabic revealed as the UK’s most lucrative language

Arabic has been unveiled as the most lucrative language across the UK. With the average UK salary currently at £30,4204, this could increase by 74% if you’re able to speak Arabic. What’s more, teaching is the sector with the highest demand for Arabic-speaking candidates.

Mandarin and Dutch follow closely behind.

The top five most lucrative languages, alongside the average wage and region/sector with the highest demand for workers who can speak the language, are as follows:

Language Average wage Region and sector
Arabic £52,806 South East England, Teaching
Mandarin £44,664 Eastern England, Teaching
Dutch £44,157 Eastern England, IT
German £41,227 Eastern England, Teaching
French £40,894 Eastern England, Engineering

For those considering learning one of the most sought-after languages, it costs around £11-£16 per hour, on average, to learn with a dedicated Preply tutor.

Explaining how learning a second language helped to elevate her career, Ylenia Raia, a Preply tutor based in London, says: “I’m a teacher as well as an interpreter. I’m currently living in London and because I can speak fluent English and Italian, I’m able to teach English to students based in Italy. So far, I’ve had many results in my career due to being able to speak another language, and I love sharing my knowledge with everyone I work with.” 

Summarising the findings, Kirill Bigai, CEO and co-founder at Preply, expresses: “It’s interesting to see which languages are the most lucrative across the UK and just how in-demand they are.

“Being fluent in two or more languages will always give you an edge over a monolingual candidate when it comes to job interviews and these opportunities exist in many businesses from health care, to education and tourism. As outlined, language skills also lead to an increase in salary.

“Whatever your career aspiration might be, with the additional skill of being able to speak another language, you’ll certainly thrive and reach your goals.”

Other lucrative languages in the UK include Spanish and Italian. Click here to find out more: https://preply.com/en/d/lucrative-languages/

Education, News, Tech

Discovery Education Announces Partnership With Wonde

Discovery Education has partnered with management information system (MIS) integration specialists Wonde to make it easier for teachers to access their digital learning services and get greater value from their subscriptions.

This new collaboration means teachers will now be able to create and assign resources and learning activities to individuals, groups or a whole class and to check students’ understanding through multiple choice quizzes, enabling teachers to more easily differentiate learning, and support every child whether learning is taking place in class or remotely.

This new partnership will also save time for school administrators as schools will automatically be able to create teacher and student accounts for all Discovery Education services, eliminating the need to manually create and maintain teacher and classroom lists.  There is no charge to schools for this new service, and as part of the agreement, schools who do not currently use Wonde can sign up to this element of the Wonde portal free of charge.

This new functionality is available as part of Discovery Education Experience, a brand-new platform available to schools this Autumn. Bringing a fresh new look and the personalisation and assessment tools schools have been asking for, Discovery Education Experience brings together high-quality content from Discovery Education services with customisation, collaboration and personalisation tools to engage with every learner, wherever the learning is taking place. This upgraded experience is available to schools as part of their existing Discovery Education subscription.

Howard Lewis, Managing Director for Discovery Education UK said, “We are always looking for ways to free up teachers’ time and allow them to focus their energies on students, particularly given the challenges of the past few months. This new partnership with Wonde allows us to provide teachers with a simple and efficient way to personalise learning for every pupil and ensure they are maximising the value they are getting from their Discovery Education services.”

Jon Coleman, co-founder at Wonde said: “Wonde is thrilled to be working with Discovery Education to help schools more efficiently use the services they have subscribed to. Wonde specialises in providing schools with a secure way to share data with their suppliers. Both Wonde and Discovery Education are used by thousands of schools and this new partnership will help teachers easily and efficiently support their pupils.”

For more information about Discovery Education’s digital resources and professional learning services, visit www.discoveryeducation.co.uk  and stay connected with Discovery Education on social media through Facebook, follow us on Twitter at @DiscoveryEdUK or find us on Instagram.

Digital Transformation, Education, News, Technology

Can Smart Technology Boost Student Engagement and Happiness in Higher Education?

SmartCitti considers how future technology could improve student wellbeing

Digital transformation (Dx) and the use of smart technologies in higher education is a trend that is fast reaching its prime. According to research conducted by EDUCAUSE, 13% of universities surveyed were already engaged in digital transformation, 32% were developing their Dx strategies and 38% were exploring Dx. All told, over 80% of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) surveyed indicated they were giving attention to digital transformation. And with disruptions to learning brought on by the pandemic, digital solutions that support remote learning while also engaging students are even more relevant.

Emerging technologies and changing market standards are some of the factors behind digital transformation in HEIs. However, evolving student expectations is one of the most important factors. Improving student engagement to meet these evolving expectations has been key in getting more and more universities to prioritise Dx. Many students in the UAE, UK, US and Australia rate their satisfaction based on the quality of on-campus life. And because services in virtually all areas of life have been digitised, young students increasingly expect campus life to be enhanced by digital technologies. For instance, a 2019 survey by TechnologyOne found that Australian students want much of their university experience to be enhanced by digitisation.

For experts in the smart tech industry, the digital transformation of HEIs means much more than digitising processes and adding tech-enabled services here and there. For people like Sajid Hussain, SmartCitti’s Co-founder and General Manager UAE, the digital transformation of HEIs should ultimately involve the creation of intelligent campuses where technology is utilised to re-imagine the student’s journey and “Enable frictionless, intuitive experiences driven by empowered and inspired learners.”

In this feature, we take a closer look at how smart tech can boost student engagement and happiness at HEIs.

Understanding Student Engagement

Student engagement is a famously broad concept encompassing what happens within and beyond the classrooms of university campuses. It has to do with the quality of learning, the quality of facilities and services, as well as community life, wellbeing, and much more. While student engagement can be understood outside the context of a traditional campus, such as in a virtual learning environment (VLE), the quality of campus life is generally taken to be a measure of student engagement.

So, to understand why digital transformation is critical to the quality of campus life and student engagement, it is important to recognise that student engagement does not happen in a vacuum. As Paul Ashwin and Debbie McVitty point out, student engagement is situated in a time and place, and is greatly influenced by the conditions of the environment (the institution) as well as the quality of the relationships within that environment. How Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) structure their institutions and processes has far greater impact on student engagement than the individual choices students make. So, it is important for HEIs to take the perspective of asking what they can do to improve student engagement instead of simply asking students to be more engaged.

Student engagement is also something that happens in degrees ranging from mere participation to partnership and ultimately, leadership. Evidence suggests that students are no longer content with paying institutions to participate in academic, community and extra-curricular activities in which that have no say. As Sajid Hussain of SmartCitti explains, “Participation is the low bar for student engagement. Students want less of the prescribed, predetermined engagements you find in many universities. Instead, students want to be partners and leaders in shaping their university experience and smart tech can play a role in making this a reality.”

What True Digital Transformation Means for Higher Education

In higher education, digital transformation (Dx) is ultimately about enhancing value delivery and efficiency. According to EDUCAUSE, employing smart technologies enhances the operations and value proposition of an institution by enabling new educational models driven by shifts in technology, culture, and workforce.

So, technology in the form of smart learning solutions and digital classrooms is only one part of the Dx equation. True digital transformation is holistic. Enhancing culture and engagement are also key which is why true digital transformation for HEIs involves understanding the student experience and then taking steps to completely re-imagine the student journey using smart technologies. HEIs that successfully undertake this transformation develop a Student’s Journey map outlining the student’s path from enrolment to graduation. This helps institutions identify the highs and lows of a student’s experience so as to strategically enhance student engagement at every stage.

In addition to being holistic, true digital transformation should also be data driven. Information and insights about students’ academic performance, usage patterns, self-reported feedback, communities of interest, reviews, etc, should be collected, analysed, and used in real-time to drive engagement by providing relevant information when it is needed.

Smart Tech Solutions for Higher Education

As mentioned above, digital transformation in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) involves much more than providing digital learning solutions. It’s about using smart technologies to address students’ pain points and enhance student engagement and wellbeing. The Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University (HBMSU), which is the UAE’s first accredited smart university, has implemented many smart tech solutions supported by SmartCitti. These include seamless indoor/outdoor navigation to help students and visitors navigate the university’s premises, an emotional review feature to capture the sentiment of staff and students, as well as a number of IoT (Internet of Things) sensors that facilitate monitoring and sustainability practices for greater efficiency.

Holistic digital transformation also means that smart technology solutions can be tailored to the needs of particular student groups. For instance, indoor/outdoor navigation tools can have inbuilt features to help students with disabilities locate, access, and rate services around a campus. Emotional review platforms like the one powered by SmartCitti can also be used by students to leave happiness POIs (points of interest) and service reviews that can help university administration make decisions that will enhance student experience. Smart tech solutions can also empower students to create the kind of supportive academic and social communities they need while also easing access to essential helplines that support students’ mental wellbeing.

Digital signages are another smart tech solution which can serve as critical navigation and assistance tools within an intelligent campus. They can be designed to provide general information, process simple navigation queries, and even provide more customised information using data collected from proximity sensors.

Furthermore, IoT sensors can play a very crucial role in making HEIs more energy and resource efficient. Many institutions already implement smart lighting solutions based on room occupancy. Smart washrooms and smart parking facilities are an extension of this kind of service which also enable access to real-time data on traffic information and parking availability while regulating resource use.

How Smart Technologies Enhance Student Engagement & Happiness

There is strong evidence linking student engagement to wellbeing, happiness, and better overall academic achievement. It is complex chain which confirms what educators have long understood about learning. For instance, a longitudinal study of undergraduates at a campus-based UK university found strong positive correlations between student engagement and student wellbeing. Separate studies have also shown a strong positive relationship between happiness/wellbeing and good academic performance. A study of over 300 people conducted in 2015 showed strong correlations between happiness and academic performance. This correlation also holds true for high school students.

Microsoft’s seminal white paper titled ‘Emotion and Cognition in the 21st Century’ leans heavily on the connection between wellbeing and academic performance. They found that 79% of the 762 educators surveyed from 15 countries believe “positive emotions are ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ important for helping students to achieve academic success.”

With these scientific correlations established, here are 4 ways smart tech solutions can boost student engagement and happiness.

1. Empowering Students

At their best, smart technologies deployed to create intelligent campuses empower students to take greater control of their entire student experience. As Sajid Hussain of SmartCitti puts it, smart technologies empower students “With choice, awareness, purpose, value and an unparalleled experience.” When students are empowered to be partners and leaders in their student journey, they are better engaged. The role of smart technology in boosting student engagement through things like personalised learning, enhanced collaboration and teaching critical social skills was also highlighted in Microsoft’s Emotion and Cognition white paper.

2. Supporting Student-Centred Higher Education

EDUCAUSE identifies the shift to student-centric higher education as one of the positive outcomes of ongoing digital transformation in higher education. This student-centred system facilitates the creation of what they call a ‘student-services ecosystem’ which is responsive, adaptive, and sensitive to the student’s journey. It is precisely this dynamic that has experts at SmartCitti excited about the possibilities that come with establishing intelligent campuses. The smart tech solutions that will emerge within each institution will undoubtedly be tailored to the unique needs and perspectives of the students there and will change as these needs change.

3. Helping Institutions Deliver on Key Student Expectations

The digitisation of on-campus life is a key expectation of today’s students. It is certainly easy to understand how a generation that has come of age with services and interactions facilitated by technology would expect no less from their colleges and universities. That said, it is worth emphasising that this expectation goes beyond convenience which is an important consideration. It also has to do with cost reduction, quality of life and quality of services on- and off-campus. By integrating smart technologies in their operations, higher education institutions (HEIs) of all sizes can demonstrate their readiness to deliver the kind of service and lifestyle their students expect.

4. Strengthening Institutions to Weather Disruptive Times

With the current economic situation and disruption to learning both brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, running HEIs efficiently has never been more important. Operational efficiency is about resource management and cost reduction. Students are also interested in cost reduction. The efficiencies that arise from digital transformation of HEIs are well documented. According to EDUCAUSE, in addition to reducing waste and increasing value, digital transformation can also make education more affordable for students. For instance, online learning resources are infinitely reusable with the only cost being that of providing data and access to internet-enabled tablets and laptops. With respect to hardware, cheap solutions are also available through the purchase of used devices or time-bound device rentals.

Conclusion: Creating a Seamless, Painless Student Experience

So, can smart tech boost student engagement and happiness in higher education? The answer is a resounding yes and for very good reason. In the end, digital transformation (Dx) is about making the student’s journey seamless, painless, and intuitive, which ultimately improves student engagement and wellbeing. Dx is about getting logistical hiccups and inefficiencies out of the way so that learning and community-building can take place without limits. It’s also about providing tools to empower students to create and constantly improve their experience as respected partners with the institutions themselves.

If you would like to contact Saj about this blog or SmartCitti please do so on happiness@smartcitti.com, and download the SmartCitti app at http://alturl.com/kqda3.

Education, News

NEOMA Business School earns endorsement from prestigious Institute of Management Accountants

NEOMA Business School is pleased to announce that the school’s Master in Management – Programme Grande Ecole: PGE – has been approved for endorsement under Institute of Management Accountants’ Higher Education Endorsement Programme.

According to Professor Nathalie Subtil, head of the Department of Accounting, Control and Legal Affairs at NEOMA-Business School, “The fact that we have been granted this endorsement confirms the quality of the teaching provided in our school and this will allow us to strengthen our openness towards an ever more international dimension with ever more innovative educational programmes and methods.”

“The IMA is an elite association of accounting professionals in the world,” explains Professor Charles Daussy, the head of MSc Accounting, Auditing & Advisory (AAA). “This endorsement means they have concluded our accounting programme rigorously prepares students to take the Certified Management Accountant (CMA®) exam.”

The CMA designation was developed in 1972 to provide an objective measure of an individual’s knowledge and competence in the field of management accounting. CMA certificate recognizes the unique proficiencies required for success in this challenging profession.

The prestigious IMA endorsement applies to PGE programs, including MSc AAA degrees. “This new stamp of excellence should serve as encouragement for our students,” Professor Jeong-Hoon Hyun said. “IMA’s endorsement on our Master in Management programme sets a significant milestone for closer collaboration and ties with IMA in terms of research, pedagogical innovation, scholarship, and support for exam registration fee. I believe such collaboration is both timely and relevant. I am also confident that this international partnership with IMA will drive a new wave of world-class developments in management accounting education.”

 

Education, News

Events Company Announces New Line of Mobile Classrooms to Help Education Setups

Event business Versatile has recently announced a new line of mobile classroom options that will be available alongside their specialist COVID-19 compliant range.

At the moment, many schools and universities are operating a reduced timetable, and even where some students have been encouraged to return, many are continuing to learn and work from home.

However, with students of all ages required to return to the classroom this September as per legal requirement, schools and educational institutions are understandably concerned about the available space to create “bubbles” and practice social distancing.

Versatile’s new range of mobile classrooms will give schools extra space to create the recommended bubbles of up to eight pupils while ensuring that the welfare of all students and staff is correctly safeguarded.

Versatile’s Managing Director Tim Cook had this to say, “It’s understandable that many schools are concerned about available space, and while it might not be such a big concern at the moment, come September all students will return, and the logistics of social distancing may make things very tough.”

Tim continues, “Throughout this crisis, we’ve tried to do everything we can to protect businesses and local communities with our COVID-19 range. By introducing mobile classrooms, we hope to further that commitment, by helping get pupils and teachers back into the classroom to make up for lost time. What’s more, there’s no minimum term contract and therefore minimal risk with the changeable climate.”

He goes on to say, “All the structures we create are compliant with health and safety regulations already. So, being Covid-19 secure is second nature to us – we have a wide range of compliant solutions available that are quick and easy to deploy.”

Cleaning & Facilities Management, COVID-19, Education

Cardiff biosciences company educating schools in cleaning

With all schools in the UK set to fully reopen in September, establishing a thorough cleaning regime now is crucial for the safe return of pupils. The education sector has seen one of the biggest upheavals in its practices since the pandemic began; closing schools, cancelling exams, creating key worker bubbles, and now the challenge to ascertain an ongoing cleaning procedure involving specialist supplies to kill all virus’ while also providing a safe environment for both pupils and staff.

One of the UK’s leading biosciences company is supporting education facilities in their quest to secure safe and effective anti-viral products and incorporate them into their new cleansing schedule. Cardiff-based Genesis Biosciences has developed its own unique anti-microbial, general-purpose sanitiser that is proven to be effective against Covid-19 and is free from any harmful chemicals.

Genesis’ Sanitiser – part of its Evogen Professional range – delivers high performance cleaning and disinfection of all types of hard surfaces. The product has been designed specifically for use in commercial, residential, institutional and industrial applications to provide a safe, efficient and eco-benign® way of cleaning and sanitising hard surfaces. The utilisation of natural, biodegradable active ingredients offers a safer alternative to many of the harsh chemicals commonly used for sanitisation.

There are also the health implications of traditional bleach cleaners. A large study commissioned by Asthma UK has identified a link between professions such as facility cleaners – where the use of products with high concentrations of chemicals is common – and the development of asthma in adults. As children’s respiratory systems are still developing, they too could be put at risk to the damage that harsh chemicals could potentially cause.

Dr. Emma Saunders, General Manager for Genesis Biosciences, said: “Educational institutes are under huge pressure to ensure their facilities are protected against COVID-19 while also maintaining day-to-day cleanliness. While it is inevitable that schools need chemicals to perform certain cleaning tasks, not all cleaning jobs call for chemical solutions and there can be wider environmental and health implications for both children and workers if institutes are unaware of the alternative cleaning solutions available.”

With regular and thorough cleaning of shared spaces essential during the current pandemic, the number of cleaning supplies being sold has surged. However, not all sanitising products are effective at killing the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) which causes COVID-19. Genesis Biosciences is one of the few companies in the UK to have gone through rigorous anti-viral testing to validate its surface sanitiser’s effectiveness against all enveloped viruses, including COVID-19 and other coronaviruses.

Dr. Emma Saunders added: “Receiving the official confirmation means that our customers have 100% peace of mind that the Evogen Professional sanitiser will disinfect hard surfaces, when used according to our directions for use. With public concern about germs and bacteria at an all-time high, reassuring customers and the general public is crucial – even more so for parents, who can rest assured that the solutions used to clean school settings are all natural.”

Genesis has seen a huge increase in demand for its new Evogen Professional natural anti-microbial sanitiser and has supplied more than 60 tonnes of product across the entirety of Europe since the beginning of March.

Genesis, which has laboratories in the Welsh capital and a microbial fermentation facility in Lawrenceville, Georgia, uses its expertise in natural anti-microbial compounds and fermenting beneficial bacteria strains, to develop its eco-benign range of products which includes solutions for bathroom, carpet and floor cleaning, odour control and industrial wastewater management. Genesis has recently unveiled a new wastewater treatment range to help combat the additional chemicals entering the water supply following an increase in bleach usage.

For further information about the Evogen Professional cleaning range visit www.evogenprofessional.com.

Education, News, Recruitment

Handshake launches in UK to boost diversity and democratise opportunity for graduates

Handshake – the number one place for university students to find jobs and work experience, today announces its launch into the United Kingdom and partnerships with the University of Cambridge, University of York and University of Liverpool. Partnering with universities, Handshake democratises recruitment opportunities for students, making it easier and more efficient for companies of all sizes to connect with early talent.

Following Handshake’s success in the US where students from over 900 colleges and universities use the platform, the company has launched in the UK with three partner universities and six more due to sign by the end of the summer. This launch comes at a time where recent research found that more than a quarter (27%) of businesses are reducing the number of graduates they recruit in 2020.

Handshake UK expects to have hundreds of thousands of student accounts created; already, it has had over 10,000 British students create profiles. Employers including the likes of Clifford Chance LLP and Google are already using Handshake to proactively engage students via messaging and host virtual events.

Founded in 2014 by three graduates of Michigan Tech University – Garrett Lord (CEO), Scott Ringwelski (CTO), and Ben Christensen (Head of People and Talent) – Handshake has democratised student access to job opportunities and has helped employers easily recruit best-fit early talent from a wide range of colleges and universities.

By lowering the barrier to entry, Handshake increases the number of job postings available to students at a university by 300% on average. As a result, students have the support they need to find a great job and kick-off a meaningful career regardless of which institution they attend, what they choose to study, and who they know. In turn, these companies no longer lose out on talent they might otherwise miss.

The company is also bringing on new executives to support the international growth. Dimitar Stanimiroff, who led Stack Overflow’s European expansions, is joining as Head of EMEA. Clare Adams has also joined the team to lead university partnerships and impact, bringing with her years of experience at the University of Westminster and as a member of the AGCAS social mobility task force.

Garrett Lord, CEO at Handshake comments, “Across the UK, young people are facing the most challenging labour market for 75 years. Our mission is to make it as easy as possible for universities to help their students find jobs. By creating a level playing field for all graduates, employers of all sizes across industries will have their pick of the top talent in the UK, breaking down barriers to equal opportunity.”

Emma Moore, Director of Careers & Employability at University of Liverpool adds, “The class of 2020 will have faced severe disruption while completing their degrees, with final assessments altered and uncertainty suddenly the norm. As they look to take their next step, students graduating in 2020 are entering a vastly changed employment market than previous years. The economy is facing a long and uncertain road back to recovery. That’s why we are excited to partner with Handshake and give our students the best opportunities available. The system has been easy to implement and we are excited to help our students as they start their careers.”

For further information, and to sign up, visit https://www.joinhandshake.co.uk

Construction, Education

Northumbria partners in €4.8m EU housing energy efficiency project

Northumbria University has been chosen to participate in a €4.8 million project to tackle the issue of renovating residential buildings in Europe to make them more energy efficient.

More than three-quarters of European residential buildings were constructed before 1990. Many are thermal inefficient and of poor quality, and with the hot and cold extremes of European weather, making their homes thermally comfortable can leave residents in energy poverty.

The EU-funded RINNO project has been devised to find radical new ways to reduce the costs, timescales and disturbance involved in ‘deep renovation’ and triple the current rate of such renovations in Europe.

While a standard renovation can achieve energy savings of up to 30%, a deep renovation can reduce a building’s energy use by more than 75%.

Over the next four years, the RINNO project will develop new ways to make it easier to increase a building’s energy efficiency, environmental performance and occupant satisfaction.

The RINNO project will investigate novel technologies, processing and business models, to develop solutions to enable the construction industry to make significant improvements to energy inefficient buildings around Europe.

Researchers from Northumbria University will join experts from Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Poland and Spain to investigate new building systems, the use of robots and ‘cobots’ for assembly, artificial intelligence, augmented reality and Blockchain-enabled crowd equity funding to improve current processes relating to building renovation.

A multi-disciplinary team of researchers from Northumbria’s departments of Mechanical and Construction Engineering and Computer and Information Sciences will be working to advance the development of state-of-the-art software systems that monitor the way buildings operate.

The team will use their Smart Connected Homes tool which shows how residents use electricity, light and move around their homes, as well as internal room temperatures and levels of humidity. The tool, which was developed in collaboration with BIM Academy and funded by Innovate UK, will help them to live more comfortably and be used to influence the design of buildings to better reflect the requirements of residents.

The Northumbria team will also develop a project collaboration platform that will integrate the actors and workflows involved in the deep renovation of buildings. This will build on the experience gained by Northumbria’s researchers from their involvement in the BIM Toolkit, which was developed to enable a digital plan for work for the UK construction sector.

Mohamad Kassem, Professor of Digital Construction and Engineering, is leading Northumbria’s work in this area. He said: “The EU’s Green New Deal has a 32.5% target for energy saving, but based on the current rate of building renovation, it would take more than 100 years to achieve these energy efficiency and environmental ambitions.

“We are excited to work with leading partners from across the EU to develop and test latest innovations across product, processes and business models in the renovation sector.

“I am confident these innovations will not only have impact on the renovation markets but will also spill over to other construction sectors, including new-build.”

Dr Kay Rogage, Senior Lecturer in Digital Living in Northumbria’s Department of Computer and Information Sciences added: “RINNO gives researchers at Northumbria an excellent opportunity to apply their existing knowledge of buildings and data science to the retrofit market, whilst contributing to ongoing global climate and sustainability agendas around reducing carbon emissions.”

The RINNO project will run for four years and is funded by the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 programme. The solutions developed by RINNO will be demonstrated in four real-life renovation projects in France, Denmark, Greece and Poland.

Arianna Amati, RINNO’s coordinator, said: “RINNO is a great opportunity to support the construction industry to accelerate the rate of deep renovation in energy inefficient buildings and to showcase the strengths and the tremendous contributions of Europe for and with users.”

Click here for more information on the RINNO project.