UK education provider Twin Group and the University of Greenwich have celebrated the “robust” employability outcomes for the graduates of their joint masters program.
The partners say the MSc degree programs in Engineering Management and Pharmaceutical Sciences with Industrial Practice saw 60% of students on placements go on to be hired by their placement company following their course completion this year.
“Through innovations by the University and Twin Group, a growing pool of highly skilled postgraduate students are being prepared for their next step towards employment,” said Stuart Ashenden, faculty operating officer at the University of Greenwich.
The support Twin offered students ranged from CV reviewing and feedback to LinkedIn workshops to mock interviews.
“Our approach went beyond basic placement brokerage to elevating career development skills to the point where many found their own placement and now have employability skills that will last a lifetime,” said Twin Group CEO, Caroline Fox.
The majority of students were in paid placements, with pharmaceutical students leading the way with 75% achieving paid placement.
Twin, which has been placing university students in work experiences since 1995, also focused on helping students understand the UK job market and etiquette.
Since inception in September 2019, enrolment for the programs has grown by some 300%, and the partners were jointly shortlisted for the PIEoneer Employability International Impact Award in 2021.
In the first intakes in September 2019 and Jan 2020 during the pilot year, 181 students joined the programs. Twin and the University of Greenwich have since expanded their partnership to include two further MSc courses.
“Our relationship with the university faculty is growing and evolving as we develop this program and partnership together,” Twin added. The provider is currently supporting over 500 students between the four courses.
The partners also detailed the benefits that the program offers companies, including the potential to build long-term relationships with the university, meaning ongoing access to a skilled workforce.
“We are currently in discussion with other universities”
Kilnbridge Construction, which has taken on five placement students said they had “proved a valuable addition to our site team”.
“They have been enthusiastic and work well with the other engineers within the team,” Ben White, the Head of Engineering said. “We hope these placements represent just the start of a long and fruitful relationship with both Twin and the University of Greenwich.”
Students too have a clearer path towards a Tier-2 visa, with others going on to apply for the Graduate Route, Twin added.
With its charter holder status for the Erasmus+ Key Action 1 EU funded program, Twin also currently places around 150 university and college students annually, funded by their own institutions, in European cities including Dublin, Valencia, Seville, and Lisbon.
“Based on our successful track record with the University of Greenwich, we are currently in discussion with other universities who are looking for strategic and efficient ways to improve their graduate’s employability outcomes, particularly for international cohorts,” the education provider added.
