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BGU Tops League Table for Employable Graduates
Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln has landed the second top spot among universities across the country for graduate employability, according to new figures published today (Thursday). Ninety-eight graduates out of every 100 who leave BGU following their first degree are in full-time employment or further study six months after graduating, according to the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education survey published by HESA, the Higher Education Statistics Agency. BGU’s figure of 98.1% for 2013/14 is up from 96.5% the previous year and puts Bishop Grosseteste University as the second university in the UK league table (after the Royal Agricultural University) for the job prospects of its first degree graduates. The national average for all UK universities is 93.2% “This outstanding ranking is fantastic news for our graduates as it shows that they are ready and ideally prepared for the workplace when they leave BGU,” said the Reverend Canon Professor Peter Neil, Vice Chancellor of Bishop Grosseteste University. “We work very hard to ensure that our degree courses are career-focused and most of them incorporate a professional work placement during the period of study. A good example is our new Team Entrepreneurship degree programme starting this autumn which will require students to set up their own business while on the course.” The latest DLHE figures can be found here. -
Top 3 in the UK
Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln is ranked third among UK universities for student employability, according to new figures published yesterday. 97.2% per cent of students who leave BGU with an undergraduate degree find work or are continuing to study six months following graduation. Only two other universities – Keele and Harper Adams – have a higher employability figure than Bishop Grosseteste University. The figures relate to full-time first degree graduates leaving in 2014/15 and the national average for all UK universities is 93.9%. The statistics appear in the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) survey published by HESA, the Higher Education Statistics Agency. “Once again the DLHE survey highlights how well our graduates do when they enter the job market,” said the Reverend Canon Professor Peter Neil, Vice Chancellor of Bishop Grosseteste University. “It’s very heartening to see BGU right near the top of the national ranking as it shows that we are doing everything we can to prepare for our students for the workplace when they leave us. “We work very hard to ensure that our degree courses are career-focused and most of them incorporate a professional work placement during the period of study. “One example is our new Business (Team Entrepreneurship) degree which requires students to set up their own business while studying with us.” The latest DLHE figures can be found by clicking here. -
Lecturers Swapping Lecterns for Laughs
Stand-up comedians often make jokes about politics, their childhood or everyday observations – but a new breed of comic is getting laughs out of academic research. Bright Club is a nationwide project to turn academics into comedians, and Bishop Grosseteste University is the latest institution to join in the fun. BGU will host its first Bright Club event at its Curiositea café on Thursday 12th May. Compered by professional comedian Simon Bligh, the evening will feature comic turns by education experts, drama tutors and even the university’s chaplain! “Academics are notoriously solitary creatures, and while they’re used to presenting their research at conferences this is a chance for them to put across the research they’re doing in a much more fun and inspired way,” said Elinor Vettraino, a business and enterprise academic at BGU who is organising the event. “Bright Club began life at University College London and it occurred to me that it’s an interesting way of engaging people within the BGU community to share practice and learning while having a fun evening.” At the BGU event next week former Perrier Award nominee and Time out Comedian of the Year Simon Bligh will introduce participants including: Dr Julia Lindley-Baker Academic Co-ordinator, Special Educational Needs, Disability & Inclusion The Reverend Dr Peter Green University Chaplain Graham Meeson Head of School of Humanities Dr Dennis Eluyefa Senior Lecturer in Drama Elinor Vettraino Academic Co-ordinator, Business & Enterprise “To prepare our budding stand-ups who are treading the boards for this first pilot experience Simon has held two training sessions,” said Elinor. “But the idea is that it’s a risk, and at the same time it’s great fun. It’s helps lecturers, whose job it is to engage with students and get their message across, to make their repertoire more versatile.” Tickets for the event cost £5 on the door (£2 for students) at Curiositea and are open to members of the public as well as to BGU staff and students. Doors open at 7pm and the event starts at 7.30pm on Thursday 12th May. Universities involved in Bright Club include Cambridge, Oxford, Leicester, Loughborough, Manchester, St Andrews, Belfast and Bristol. To find out more about Bright Club visit https://brightclub.org/ -
New Lease of Life for Former Connie’s Restaurant at BGU
A former canteen and dining room at Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln is being turned into much needed teaching accommodation as the institution gears up for an increase in students. BGU is spending £850,000 on converting the former Connie’s dining room and kitchen into an academic facility. The refurbishment project will create seven multi-functional, flexible teaching spaces on the ground floor of the building which will be ready for use in September 2015. The university’s strategic plan envisages a growth in student numbers and BGU is also broadening the range of courses it offers, introducing Business (Team Entrepreneurship), Health and Social Care, Sociology, Psychology, Counselling and History and Archaeology from September. Part of the new teaching facility will be used by staff and students on the university’s new Business (Team Entrepreneurship) degree course. “In the past Connie’s was the place where our students who lived on campus had their meals, but now we’ve moved to self-catering accommodation and opened the Refectory to cater for the changing demand,” said Fred Robson, Head of Estates at BGU. “We no longer need this catering space so we’re converting the building to give us additional teaching space as we grow our student numbers.” The work, which entails some minor demolition and re-roofing of the former kitchen, is being undertaken by the main contractor, Robert Woodhead Ltd from Mansfield. -
BGU Announces Partnership with Chartered Management Institute
Bishop Grosseteste University is delighted to announce its partnership with the CMI – Chartered Management Institute; the only chartered awarding organisation of management and leadership qualifications in the UK. BGU gained accreditation as an assessment centre from CMI this year and is now on track to develop a range of leadership and management qualifications accredited by the CMI. Already, the BA (Hons) Business (Team Entrepreneurship) programme has also been mapped to a Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management from the CMI meaning that students graduating from the BA have the option to also leave with this highly sought after professional qualification in leadership and management. -
BGU Commits to Greater Public Engagement
To demonstrate its commitment to engaging with the wider community, Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln has joined the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCPPE) and signed up to its manifesto. The move is part of BGU’s wider stakeholder engagement work which forms an important part of the university’s five-year strategy. The term ‘public engagement’ describes the many ways in which higher education, learning experiences and research can be shared with the general public. The NCPPE says public engagement “is by definition a two-way process, involving interaction and listening, with the goal of generating mutual benefit.” The Reverend Canon Prof Peter Neil, Vice Chancellor of BGU, commented: “I am very pleased that Bishop Grosseteste University has now signed up to the NCCPE’s Manifesto for Public Engagement. “This is a reflection of our long-term public engagement strategy and of our continuing dedication to our various communities. I am looking forward to encouraging further public engagement efforts by the university and all its members.” BGU has been increasing its investment in staff volunteering, which builds on the successes of its existing student volunteering scheme. High levels of student volunteering have helped BGU to establish itself amongst the top three universities for employability in the whole of UK, as seen from the latest Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) survey published by HESA, the Higher Education Statistics Agency. BGU also offers public lectures on campus and innovative skills development courses ranging from journalism to paediatric first aid and from writing skills courses to Makaton. The university’s enterprise incubation centre, BG Futures, plays an important role in engaging with the business community and the campus hosts regular national and international conferences. -
Big Issue Founder to Speak at Lincoln Conference
Lord John Bird, founder of The Big Issue, will be the keynote speaker at a conference in Lincoln next month which will help school leaders to improve the emotional wellbeing of young people. Think2Speak LIVE at Bishop Grosseteste University on Thursday 13th October is the first conference of its kind to be organised by Think2Speak, a community interest company based at BG Futures at BGU. The company and the conference aim to show those who work with young people how they can support their emotional wellbeing and understand the impact and value of doing so. Think2Speak, set up by Lizzie Jordan and Naomi Watkins, provides workshops, advice and consultancy to support schools where young people are affected by issues surrounding matters such as self-harm, suicide, HIV, domestic abuse, puberty, LGBT and mental health. John Bird, who was brought up in an orphanage, served time in a young offenders’ institution and often slept rough in London as a young man, will share his story and describe how his childhood and those he met influenced his life. “Staff in many schools have difficult conversations with young people that could be handled much better,” said Lizzie. “When schools ask for help we go in to support the senior management team, the teachers and the pupils with a range of services, including training, workshops, counselling and advocacy. “Our inaugural one-day conference is all about discussing the difficulties schools are facing, the benefits to the whole school for investing in emotional wellbeing, and signposting staff to the support that’s available.” In the morning there will be a series of short, focused TED-style talks covering the personal impact, the academic perspective and the school experience of the value of investing in emotional wellbeing of students, young people and the wider community. In the afternoon delegates will go back to the classroom to participate in a series of bookable workshops on topics including domestic abuse, puberty, HIV, suicide and self-harm. The sessions will make use of combinations of teacher training and demonstrations of the student workshops available to both primary and secondary schools. Simon Blake, Chief Executive of the National Union of Students, will also give a presentation on the day. Think2Speak LIVE is free of charge for senior leaders working in education. This includes head teachers, assistant heads, principals, deputies, business managers, heads of department of schools, colleges and universities, and heads of local authority education departments, national curriculum and government-funded education organisations. Limited paid for tickets are available – details are available at https://www.think2speak.com/think2speak-live/ -
BGU Short Courses Help Develop Employability Skills
Do you want to improve your interview technique or develop skills to help you in the world of work? Two upcoming short courses at Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln can help participants do just that. The university is offering two one-day courses: Interview Techniques in February or June, and Preparation for Work in April. Both courses can help a range of people from those already in employment, to those looking for employment or their first job and those going back to work after time away. Interview Techniques on Friday 24 February or Monday 12 June 2017 will give participants the skills to help stand out during an interview, whether it be for work, further education or another venture. Participants will learn valuable interview techniques throughout the day before completing a practice interview to demonstrate their skills. The course is open to everyone and costs £60pp or £50 for BGU students and alumni. The Preparation for Work course can help participants improve communication skills at work, boost confidence and prepare you for the expectations of the workplace. According to the UK Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR), "Businesses are looking for young people who stand out from the crowd. They want you to demonstrate that you have a clear idea of where you’re going in life and show signs of having the personal qualities and confidence to get there" This course is designed to help you be aware of your own skills and how you can transfer them to a work environment. Open to everyone, the course on Wednesday 26 April 2017 costs just £35pp. For more information and to book please contact Gemma Fogg by emailing gemma.fogg@bishopg.ac.uk or calling 01522 583621. -
Lincoln Skyline to Feature on BGU’s Knight Sculpture
A pair of talented artists from Birmingham are putting Lincoln on the map by featuring the city’s iconic skyline on the knight sculpture being sponsored by Bishop Grosseteste University. Kieron Reilly and Lynsey Brecknell have called BGU’s statue ‘Knight and Day’, and it is one of 35 knights which will make up this year’s Lincoln Knights’ Trail celebrating the 800th anniversary of the Battle of Lincoln. The event organised by Lincoln BIG runs from 20th May until 3rd September and the knight statues will be unveiled at a launch evening at The Showroom in Lincoln on 27th March. As part of the trail BGU’s knight will be stationed near Newport Arch not far from the university’s campus. “Our design ‘Knight and Day’ shows off Lincoln’s beautifully unique skyline in silhouette form against a bold sunset, including our sponsor Bishop Grosseteste University,” said Lynsey. “Following the success of the Lincoln Barons’ Charter Trail in 2015 we’re sure that the Lincoln Knights are going to be loved by the locals and visitors from across the country, and we are proud to be a part of such an exciting project.” Kieron and Lynsey have very different artistic backgrounds: Lynsey has developed a career in theatre as a scenic artist and set builder while Kieron has a background in animation and now focuses on model making and design. They have successfully collaborated on many public art trails in the past and are looking forward to showcasing their design alongside the other sculptures on the Lincoln Knights’ Trail. “I’ve had a preview of our knight and it’s looking fantastic,” said the Reverend Canon Professor Peter Neil, Vice Chancellor of Bishop Grosseteste University. “We chose this design because we found it eye-catching and attractive, and also because it features the Lincoln skyline. The artists have adapted this to include the Skinner building on our campus in the silhouette, along with colours in the sky which fade up to BGU purple at the very top. “We think it looks wonderful and we’re looking forward to seeing it take its place as part of the Lincoln Knights’ Trail this summer.” Following the launch on 27th March each knight will be hosted by its sponsor to promote the trail, which will starts on 20th May – 800 years to the day since the Battle of Lincoln. The Lincoln Knights’ Trail is a Wild in Art event brought together by Lincoln BIG in partnership with Visit Lincoln and Education Business Partnership (EBP), in support of local homeless charity the Nomad Trust. Following a call for artists back in September 2016, over 200 innovative designs were submitted. A shortlist of 70 was drawn up and the artists given the opportunity to paint their design onto a miniature knight sculpture. The 35 sponsors then selected their favourite design. Following the trail the knights will be sold at auction at Lincoln Cathedral on 30th September. Two-thirds of the money raised will go to The Nomad Trust and one-third will help to create a new Art and Innovation Fund for Lincoln. The knights were designed and created by Wild in Art’s Creative Director Chris Wilkinson in the style of a chess piece. -
Lincoln City partnership creating opportunities for BGU students
Bishop Grosseteste University’s (BGU) ongoing sponsorship of Lincoln City Football Club is providing students with inspiring opportunities according to a Senior Lecturer in Sport and Education. The Imps are enjoying a memorable season. Not only have they become the first non-league team in 103 years to reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, but they are also within touching distance of returning to the Football League for the first time in six years. The season is also proving to be a memorable one for BGU students as the university’s partnership with the club is proving beneficial. Rafe Elliott, Academic Co-ordinator for the new BSc (Hons) Sport, Coaching and Physical Education degree at BGU, said, “We have a fantastic partnership with Lincoln City that gives opportunities for our undergraduate sport students to work alongside elite performers and a professional club across all three years of their studies.” Opportunities for students include exploration of coaching principles, observation of training sessions, an overview of how the club is managed, an introduction to the commercial/business aspects of a professional club, getting an insight into community education projects and opportunities to carry out work placements and research at the club. BGU sports students also had the unique opportunity to be coached by the Lincoln City manager with a session led and delivered by Danny Cowley in December 2016. Rafe said the session “was both insightful and inspiring and was based around key coaching principles. It helped to reinforce some of the learning objectives of the module the students were studying. “The practical demonstrated the intensity and focus of a structured conditioning/coaching session at an elite level. It was fascinating to learn more about the type of data collected and the methods of analysis employed with the aim of creating marginal gains.” Chelsey Grayson, a first year student, thought that “the session gave us really good insight into the daily life of a coach and also all the planning and commitment that goes into it. Danny and Nicky Cowley made sure that all players received feedback whether good or bad and also delivered coaching points while in training. It was good to see a manager/coach in action and will help a lot with my studies and assignments.” Our students were not the only ones who enjoyed the session. Danny Cowley himself welcomed the opportunity. He said, “Coming from a teaching background like we have it’s been great to be able to keep our hand in. Also it’s a great opportunity for us to give something back, which is important for us. It’s a profession that’s very close to our hearts and the opportunity to go back and speak to young, aspiring teachers and tell them what a great profession it is has been something that we’ve obviously enjoyed.” Have you been inspired by Danny and Nicky Cowley and the incredible success of the Imps this season? Find out how you could follow in their footsteps with our new Sport, Coaching and Physical Education degree.
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