Mission and vision
University of Bath employability vision
Empower Bath students to be future-focused, impact-driven, and socially minded.
University of Bath employability mission
To enable Bath students to fulfil their potential, graduating with the knowledge, skills, experience, and confidence required to achieve career success and lifelong employability.
Careers vision
Enable students to become career confident, with a sense of purpose, ambition, and future direction.
Careers mission
Empower you to develop and personalise your career journey, engage with employers, explore possibilities, and find career fulfilment in alignment with your values, aims and goals.
Our values
- Empowering
- Innovative
- Curious
- Aspirational
- Collaborative
Our goals
- Empower all students to develop their skills, build experience and make informed career decisions, now and in the future.
- Facilitate access to impartial, tailored and quality-assured careers information, relevant to students' individual needs and choice.
- Work in partnership with our university colleagues to raise awareness of Careers, promoting the benefits of early and active engagement.
- Attract a diverse range of employers and organisations, who want to work with us, recruit our students, and create opportunities.
- Create strong external links with our alumni community, engaging them in our drive to inspire, motivate and inform students.
Our aims
Empowering students and graduates
To equip students and graduates with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to take control of their career development. We will provide personalised guidance, resources, and opportunities that enable individuals to make informed career choices and achieve their professional goals.
Fostering innovation in careers
To innovate and adapt Careers to meet the evolving needs of students and the global job market. We will leverage new technologies, introduce creative programmes, and explore cutting-edge practices to strengthen the career readiness of our students.
Cultivating a learning mindset
To encourage curiosity and a commitment to a lifelong learning mindset among students, graduates, and staff. We will create a positive and dynamic working environment, which values and promotes learning, knowledge, and enquiry.
Striving for excellence
To deliver high-quality, impactful careers services that exceed the expectations of students, graduates, and employers. We will uphold the highest standards of professionalism and continuously seek feedback to improve and refine our offerings. Careers will model proactive, agile mindsets to its stakeholders by embracing change and new technologies.
Building collaborative partnerships
To foster strong, collaborative relationships with academic departments, our university partners, employers, alumni, and other stakeholders. Through these partnerships, we will enhance the range of opportunities available to students and ensure that the career services offered are comprehensive, relevant, and aligned with the needs of the job market.
Our stakeholders
- Students and graduates
- Employers and professional organisations
- Academics
- University colleagues and partners
How we work with students and graduates
1. Trusted source of information and guidance
Known as a source of impartial, professional, and quality assured information, advice, and guidance. Delivered by friendly and engaging staff, committed to providing the best service to students and graduates, tailored to need and relevant to their career stage.
2. Instant-access support
Ensure students can receive in-person careers advice and information on a drop-in basis, helping resolve their queries at the point of need. This is complemented by access to 24/7 digital and online careers resources, frequently updated to reflect sector changes and trends.
3. Peer-led support
Provide relatable, accessible, and immediate advice through our Student Employability Coaches, who offer applications and employability support in the Careers Centre and in workshops.
4. Digital resources and AI
Ensure digital resources are available, to match student preferences for mode and immediacy of content, to support them in their employability journeys. Include proactive and responsible use of AI in career research and employability activity.
5. Data-informed approach
Use a range of data, internal and external, to shape and refine our offer, identify students in need of more support, and help to achieve a balance between bespoke and scalable provision.
How we work with employers and organisations
1. Labour Market Intelligence (LMI) and emerging industry priorities
Actively gather and analyse labour market intelligence (LMI) to stay informed of emerging industry trends, economic shifts, and future workforce needs. Utilise this data to anticipate and respond to the evolving priorities of employers, ensuring our students are well-prepared for the graduate job market.
2. Understanding recruitment needs and trends
Engage with employers to identify current and anticipated recruitment needs and monitor industry trends to inform our careers practice. This will allow us to align our resources and activities with the skills and qualifications in demand, thereby enhancing the employability of our graduates.
3. Employer-focused events, career fairs, and income generation
Organise and manage a portfolio of employer engagement events, including career fairs, events, and panels. Leverage these events to generate income for the department while providing employers access to top talent and creating valuable information and opportunities for our students.
4. Identifying gaps, sourcing opportunities and exploring funding routes
Conduct regular assessments to identify gaps in employer engagement and uncover opportunities for collaboration, including potential funding sources. Focus on securing internships, grants, and other avenues to support experiential learning opportunities for our students.
5. Development and enhancement of employability skills
Collaborate with employers to understand the key employability skills they seek and integrate these insights into our resources and guidance, in line with the Employability Strategy.
How we work with academics
1. Trusted source of expertise
Work with Directors of Studies, Directors of Teaching, and module convenors to suggest suitable modules, content and timing for surfacing employability in the curriculum. This includes advice on employment-authentic assessments.
2. Packaging and promoting careers and employability support
Liaise with Academic Advisers, Research Supervisors and Directors of Studies to ensure all academics are aware of how students can access career support and the full range of curriculum-adjacent employability opportunities that students can undertake.
3. Link between the curriculum and employers
Use sector expertise and links with employers to source appropriate employer partners to inform academic content and design. Our employer links and LMI support academic departments by extending their course portfolios, responding to market and industry trends.
4. Interpretation and dissemination of employability-related datasets
Analyse and interpret national and institutional employability datasets (including Career Readiness, Graduate Outcomes, NSS) sharing insights with academics, contributing to course development and enhancement, enabling students to make informed choices.
5. Supporting academics with careers and employability conversations
Source of advice and expertise for Academic Research Supervisors, to help prompt and guide career conversations, offering support, resources and training for those academic staff who may provide career insights and advice to students.
How we work with University partners
1. Employability and Placement teams
Collaborating with our Employability & Placements colleagues, understanding the complementary but distinct functions of the Careers and Placements Teams. Creating and communicating a coherent and consistent employability journey for students.
2. Skills Centre
Developing a vision and shared approach to delivering high-quality employability skills, within and outside the curriculum. Optimising resources and collaborating to share expertise.
3. Students' Union
Building a strong partnership model, with a shared understanding and commitment to consolidate where needed and change where necessary. Co-create and deliver employability provision for student leaders.
4. Student Support and Safeguarding
Sharing professional knowledge, insights, and expertise, and working within appropriate boundaries and referral mechanisms. Developing joint approaches and provision where needed.
5. Advancement
Understanding areas of strategic alignment, and finding opportunities for alumni to engage, inspire and develop our students. Cultivating and leveraging alumni networks.
Our approach
We are supportive and inclusive in our approach, professional and friendly in our manner, ethical and impartial in our operations, data-informed and technology-embracing. We welcome all students with any questions, whatever the stage. We are here to guide, inspire and help.
View the AGCAS Member Code of Ethics
We will demonstrate excellence by:
- seeking and responding to student feedback, maintaining high levels of satisfaction
- remaining adaptable and responsive to change
- being visible and influential within the University
- external engagement and recognition - informing and leading sector developments
- contributing to the achievement of University KPIs