SEPnet Nominated for Outstanding Employer Engagement Initiative THE Award

We are delighted to announce that the School of Physical Sciences (SPS) has been included in a shortlisted nomination by the Times Higher Education (THE) Awards 2015 as part of the South East Physics Network (SEPnet). The award is for Outstanding Employer Engagement Initiative with winners to be announced in November.

SEPnet is a consortium of nine Physics departments (including the University of Kent) working together to engage with employers, providing a platform for employer input into student training and delivering a range of employer engagement activities for undergraduates and postgraduates. The nomination is for all the Universities working together as a whole via SEPnet, though needs to be submitted under the guise of a single university so will be accepted by the University of Surrey if won.

As part of this initiative, partner institutions have appointed Employer Engagement Officers (EEOs) to build and maintain relationships with local businesses/industries. In Kent, EEO Steph Astro has worked alongside colleagues within Kent and across partner universities to lead engagement activities for undergraduates and postgraduates and to provide a link between employers and SPS. As part of this initiative, SPS now boasts an Industrial Liaison Committee, and students have access to a wide range of activities including industry visits, employer talks and workshops tailored to their needs. In 2014, sixty students participated in SEPnet summer placements, with employers reporting SEPnet-supported students to be highly beneficial to their companies.

The full shortlist for all 18 categories is published in Times Higher Education and is also available on the awards website: www.the-awards.co.uk.