Jian Xin Lim, Eleanor Jones and Sophie Healey all completed projects with local organisations as part of Santander’s Employability Projects scheme.

The three Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences students spent time with Age UK Bath & North East Somerset (B&NES) (Jian), Froglife (Eleanor) and Canned Wine Co (Sophie) between June and October 2023. The projects were set by the organisations themselves and focused on real-world challenges they were facing.

Each received funding from the Santander Universities UK group, which works closely with the University of Bath on several student-focused initiatives.

Contributing to charities' carbon reduction plans

Jian (BSc (Hons) Psychology) and Eleanor (BSc (Hons) International Development with Economics) helped Age UK B&NES and Froglife with their carbon reduction plans.

They completed reviews of the charities’ emissions and provided recommendations, with support from the University of Bath Climate Action Team. Both organisations reported positive feedback on the students’ work in this area.

An Age UK B&NES spokesperson said:

Working with Jian was an exceptionally positive experience. Jian's diligence and meticulous approach to assessing our organisation's carbon footprint was fantastic.

Helping a local business to succeed

Sophie (BSc (Hons) Psychology), worked with the Canned Wine Co to support their market research work with consumers. Her supervisors also provided positive feedback on her work during her employability project with them.

Talking about her project, Sophie said:

Collaborating with employees across the organisation gave me a holistic insight into the operations of the company. I also had the opportunity to travel with the company, in which I attended a food and drink festival in the Cotswold’s to conduct research.

Future opportunities for students

This was the first year that these funded projects were available to HSS students. Those not undertaking a professional placement as part of their degree were prioritised to help them gain real-world experience.

The projects will be available again in summer 2024. Applications will open during Semester 2, at which point HSS students will be notified.

If you are interested in the Santander Employability Projects scheme, or have any questions about projects and other opportunities, please contact Annika Theilgard (act36@bath.ac.uk), Student Engagement Manager.