Enabling students from underrepresented backgrounds to develop confidence and competencies

A QAA-funded Collaborative Enhancement Project has developed a toolkit to support students from underrepresented backgrounds to build confidence when communicating with employers in virtual settings. It ultimately aims to assist these students to make successful applications to employers they meet at virtual fairs. 

The toolkit has been developed as part of the project led by London Metropolitan University in collaboration with University of Greenwich, University of Hertfordshire, Kingston University, University of Roehampton, University of West London, and University of Westminster. 

It is organised chronologically, with bite-sized directions, easily accessible FAQs and downloadable tools, and includes a Virtual Fairs Action Planner that helps students to collect the right information and turn it into great applications. The toolkit was developed in response to industry reports, anecdotal feedback and evaluations that suggest students from underrepresented groups do not feel confident in accessing virtual careers events.  

Speaking on behalf of the project team, Jonathan Eastwood, Careers and Employability Service Manager at London Metropolitan University commented: ‘Evaluation from virtual fairs and research supporting this toolkit has shown that there is significant support required to help students from specific groups with virtual employer interactions, which appear to be here to stay. By working collaboratively across institutions, with students and employers we have been able to create a toolkit which will make a difference for a large number of students.

Dr Ailsa Crum, QAA’s Director of Membership, Quality Enhancement and Standards said: ‘This Collaborative Enhancement Project responds to an identified challenge regarding the confidence of students from traditionally underrepresented groups when engaging with prospective employers. By supporting these students to develop skills underpinning digital communication and problem solving, this toolkit can make a tangible difference in supporting these cohorts to convert virtual conversations into successful applications.’ 

The toolkit for virtual careers fairs is available via the project page. Students involved in this project have also recorded a video explaining how the toolkit can help students when engaging in virtual career fairs.