A group of students took part in two new initiatives designed to give them a platform to develop their experience through supporting small businesses and local charities.

The recently launched initiatives – ‘GradVenture’ and ‘Evolve’ – allow postgraduate taught students to engage with real-world organisations on projects to enhance their employability skills.

The initiatives are the result of a collaboration between Bath’s Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences, Faculty of Science, and Faculty of Engineering & Design.

‘GradVenture’ and ‘Evolve’

For ‘GradVenture’, students supported four local charities - Bath Cats and Dogs Home, Oxfam, NSPCC, and First Steps Bath – tackling issues like donation sustainability and campaign awareness. For Evolve, two teams of students developed a sustainable business strategy for Makeke, a platform that connects online consumers with local shops and sellers.

Following their six weeks of volunteering, the students shared their findings at the initiative’s Celebration Event.

Speaking at the event, Jenniffer Gearheart-Tang (CEO and founder of Makeke), said:

It was an absolute pleasure to see the creativity and dedication of all the GradVenture and Evolve members come to life over the past six weeks.

The enthusiasm and fresh perspectives from the students were truly energizing! The passion in the room was palpable, and I am genuinely excited to see where these brilliant ideas will go from here.

Makeke were involved throughout the project, and the students really benefited from their expertise, as well as insights offered from Bath Enterprise.

The final business strategies involved designing a new database and disrupting the reusable packaging market. The panel were so impressed by both teams that they couldn’t decide on a winner, and instead both were awarded the prize – career coaching from Jennifer.

One of the winners, Priyadarshini Kafle (who studies MSc Artificial Intelligence for Engineering & Design), said:

Evolve was an incredible experience, especially as it was my first time pitching. It gave me the confidence to present my ideas and think critically about sustainable solutions. The support and feedback from the panellists was invaluable, and I’m excited to take this concept further and contribute to a greener future.

Sharon Edwards (Regional Volunteer Development Manager - South West & Channel Islands) from NSPCC said:

Thanks so much for inviting us to be a part of the GradVenture programme and the presentation… I thought it was really interesting and enjoyable – I hope the students all feel proud of themselves.

Emily Richards, Head of Strategic Engagement in the Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences, joined Makeke on the panel and said: 

It was great to be part of this initiative which brings together sustainability and employability, and enables our master’s students to work in interdisciplinary teams with charitable and start-up organisations. I was really impressed with the students’ creative approaches to the challenges set, and the impact that this initiative has had for all those involved.

Offering a platform

Both initiatives are designed to give students the chance to develop a range of transferable skills and experience outside the classroom and build their professional networks ahead of graduating. These include event planning, product design, critical thinking, and presenting.

The Celebration Event was led by Jonny Hodgson (Postgraduate Placements and External Engagement Advisor, Faculty of Science), Victoria Maskell (PGT Employability Manager, Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences), and Alice Horncastle (Postgraduate Employability Coordinator, Faculty of Engineering & Design).