The Employability Project Fund was a one-off pot of money student groups could use to improve their members' employability.
Led by QMSU Employability, the Employability Project Fund 2015-16 was a one-off pot of money which student groups could bid for to improve the employability of their members. Supported by Queen Mary Annual Fund, a variety of creative and practical projects were funded from jazz workshops and drawing classes to a course on how to save a babies’ life.
18 groups were granted a total of £4,897.38 to complete these innovative employability projects. Working closely with design tutors and alumni from the School of Engineering and Material Science, Design Society used the grant to deliver a series of new workshops and events with professionals, including drawing classes with guest alumni and an exploring 3D scanning workshop.
QMUL Music Society ran a jazz workshop with St Paul's Way Trust School performing an incredibly difficult and rare recording of the 1930s opera ‘Porgy and Bess’, whilst encouraging local school children to explore the Arts. This hugely improved the society members’ employability as it gave them a valuable opportunity to perform as well as experience working in an educational setting.
Chloe Pritchard, Music Society President 2015/16 said:
"I really enjoyed participating in the music society jazz workshop we ran with St Paul's Way Trust School as it gave us all a chance to utilise our musical ability for the good of the community. It was incredibly uplifting to see the young teenagers becoming inspired by the music we brought to their school. This workshop helped our members who are looking for a potential career in education gain some valuable experience working with school children. In addition, this workshop gave our members crucial leadership experience and gave our members the chance to demonstrate their ability to work together effectively as a team, skills which are hugely valued by potential employers."
The Bart’s Lifesavers Society organised a course called Saving a Baby’s Life delivered by the Royal Life Saving Society, which aimed to train students on to how to save a new-born babies’ life in possible hazardous situations such as drowning, choking and respiratory distress. The course provided a qualification to medical students who participated, allowing them to instruct new mothers on these skills.
Amandi Sirimanna, Bart’s Lifesavers Society Treasurer 2015/16 said:
“The impact of this project has been huge, with not only the medical students benefitting but also the public. The Saving a Baby’s Life Workshop has allowed medical students to reach out to the community, allowing the public to learn vital skills that can save a baby’s life. Since the workshop, our members have been travelling to different parts of the Tower Hamlets area to teach the skills they learned. It has also allowed members to improve their chances of getting into competitive specialties, as it shows their passion to help the local community, to share their knowledge through teaching and their interest in emergency care.”
If you would like to find out more about how you can improve your employability, visit the QMSU employability page here.