Student employability plan unveiled by university

The University of Northampton has about 15,000 students

A university said it would help students gain experience outside of lecture theatres as part of a new "first-of-its-kind" strategy.

The University of Northampton said it had put together a student experience strategy, with its students' union, to improve the employability of graduates by encouraging them to make the most of extracurricular opportunities on campus.

Alice Wilby, the university's pro-vice chancellor of education, said it would "make the student experience even better".

Critical thinking and knowledge of artificial intelligence would be among the skills needed to boost their employability in the future, she added.

Alice Wilby said a new strategy would make the student experience in Northampton "even better"

Speaking as lectures for the 2025-26 academic year got under way, Ms Wilby said: "[The strategy] is about all sorts of things, from making Northampton more appealing as a town to students and how we can work with the community to do that, right through to how we embed employability skills within our curriculum.

"We're making sure that they get access to work experience, that they get to go on placements.

"The strategy really sets out how we are going to work with students to achieve those goals."

The university said the focus of its strategy was to "embed employability across all aspects of student life".

The university's vice chancellor Prof Anne-Marie Kilday said: "This strategy stands as a testament to our shared commitment to place students at the heart of everything we do.

"It recognises that the student experience extends beyond the classroom, encompassing academic achievement, personal growth, wellbeing and a genuine sense of belonging."

The university, which has about 1,800 staff and 15,000 students, said it supported "huge numbers" of jobs in Northamptonshire.