Tag: skills development
City Challenges: Students Provide Solutions to Real-life Problems
The City Challenges are an exclusive programme of events which provides you with the opportunity to engage with Bristol’s charity sector, gain informal work experience, and develop your skills through working on real life challenges posed by local community organisations.
The first City Challenge involved piloting a problem-solving session focusing on reducing HIV stigma within the medical community, which was supported by the Brigstowe charity and the Careers Service Community Engagement team.
A total of 10 students took part, developing their teamwork, communication, and decision-making skills to create presentations in which they gave details of how Brigstowe could approach raising awareness in the medical community of unfair and untrue beliefs around people living with HIV.
This City Challenge allowed students to explore their interest in community outreach as well as learn about how they can be aware of and actively combat their own biases around their attitudes to people who are living with HIV. They explored issues such as how General Practitioners and students can destigmatise their work when dealing with people living with HIV. Brigstowe will now be able to use these ideas for possible future funding bids, marketing campaigns and training sessions.
The next City Challenge will be based ask the question ‘How can we encourage male university students to talk about their mental health?’ and students will be working with Talk Club and the Community Engagement team. This challenge will be eligible for the Bristol PLUS Award and held on Wednesday 27 October from 11.30am to 5pm and you can sign up on myopportunities.
Get funding for your ideas!
The Ideas stage of the New Enterprise Competition has now opened for 2021!
With £200 up for grabs which can go towards supporting you and developing your start-up, what’s to loose? In case you need any more convincing as to why you should submit an application, here are our top three reasons why you should apply.
Boost your start-up knowledge
The Ideas stage of the New Enterprise Competition runs alongside the Start-up Accelerator, which is designed to equip founders with start-up knowledge and the entrepreneurial skillset they need to take them to the next level.
The accelerator comprises of ten workshops which include everything you need to know when starting up, including understanding your customer and pitching your idea. On completing the programme, you’ll also receive an endorsement badge and you’ll have constant opportunities to enhance your network. Apply to take part in the accelerator today as attending these workshops will help you feel ready for you pitch for the competition!
Enhance your skillset
Case Study: Find out about Andreea’s journey with IKEEP!
The Intrapreneurial Knowledge Exchange Enterprise Pathway (IKEEP) begins with fully funded training to equip you with the skills to drive innovation and bring fresh thinking to businesses.
Once you’ve completed your intrapreneurial training, you can apply for a project placement and get the opportunity to take your new skills and help a business solve an innovative challenge.
Andreea Patrunjel, a postgraduate student, studying an MSc in Computer Science at the University of Bristol, took part in the IKEEP programme. She completed IKEEP’s online Intrapreneurial training and went on to apply for and take part in the 4-week project placement. She was matched with a Bristol start-up, Groundwaves, a company which have pioneered some of the most powerful haptic technology, and applied it in a footwear product, fusing the worlds of fashion and technology.
We caught up with Andreea to hear more about her experience with IKEEP…
Case Study: Senmag Robotics’s experience with IKEEP
What is IKEEP?
The IKEEP Programme consists of high-quality knowledge exchange opportunities, providing fresh perspectives and skills to enable regional businesses to grow while honing the talent of future graduates.
Students involved will have participated in online training in a range of business areas such as managing innovation, business model development and project management. Student teams are ready to be placed within a company to develop business model solutions, improve market awareness and more!
Senmag Robotics’s Experience with IKEEP
Senmag Robotics took part in the IKEEP Programme this year. The student team, matched to this business, carried out market research to evaluate the most suitable markets and potential customers/early adopters for their product. They were also involved in the company’s website design, implementing improvements using HTML and CSS.
Senmag Robotics is a Bristol-based start-up and New Enterprise Competition finalist producing affordable haptic feedback technology, which allows a user to physically interact with computer simulations, making environments and objects in AR/VR feel solid.
Spyros Lavetiz is the CEO and Co-founder of Senmag Robotics and has recently completed his final year of a master’s degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Bristol.
We spoke to Spyros to find out more about his experience with IKEEP…
My COVID-19 SME Internship: Alessia – i3Works
Alessia, a first-year postgraduate student participated in the COVID-19 SME Internship Scheme last spring. 
Here’s what she has to say about her experience.
What was your role?
During my 9-week internship at i3Works, I worked as a Marketing and Sales Support Intern for 15 hours a week, divided over three days. i3Works is a management consultancy and my main responsibilities for the first few weeks included learning how the company acquires new contracts, editing documents and case studies, and thinking of new ideas to implement in order to improve the consultancy’s marketing strategy. (more…)
Become an INTRApreneur with IKEEP
Would you like to develop your Intrapreneurial skills and gain invaluable experience working with entrepreneurs?
The IKEEP programme includes free online training in a range of business areas such as managing innovation, business model canvas and leadership strategies.
After you’ve completed the training, you can apply for a short project placement (a commitment of 70 hours per student, spread flexibly over 4 weeks). You will work remotely for a regional business as part of an interdisciplinary team of 3 students. Upon completion of a project placement, you will receive a stipend of £450.
We spoke to Mansour, a student who participated in our IKEEP training and industry placement to find out how his experience was in the IKEEP programme. (more…)
Graduates, it’s OK to feel lost – we can help!
Photo by Seyi Ariyo on Unsplash
Are you finishing your degree at Bristol this summer?
It’s been a tough couple of years for Finalists, but you’ve done so well to get through to the other end. Everyone at the Careers Service wants to pass on a huge congratulations for making it here.
As a graduate of the University of Bristol, you can use all of our careers support services for up to three years after the end of your studies. It’s absolutely worthwhile making use of our information and guidance – we’re here for you, after all.
CPSA case study: Taking a year out after your studies
I remember handing in my dissertation in third year, and feeling amazingly relieved… and then the panic set in. What do I do now??
Before going to university, I had dreams of becoming a video editor. But after three years of developing that skillset and getting practical experience, I wasn’t sure if it was what I wanted anymore. I didn’t know what to do. (more…)
5 Careers Service resources you will wish you’d known about sooner!
I am Sammi and I am the Student Marketing and Comms Assistant at the Careers Service alongside doing my master’s in International Security. Working at Careers has opened my eyes to the amazing support on offer to students, so I thought I would share with you the five Careers resources, that I wish I had known about sooner, to help you get ahead of the game.
