Thursday 28-05-2026 - 16:19

When I took on the role of Vice President for the School of Science and Engineering (SSE) at Glasgow Caledonian University Students' Association, one thing stood out clearly from conversations with students: employability mattered. Not just in theory, but in a practical, tangible sense. Students wanted real opportunities to build experience, develop skills, and connect with employers, without having to sacrifice their degree timeline to do it.

Here is a look at some of what we have been working on this year, and what it means for you.

Credit-Bearing Placements: A Big Step Forward

One of the changes I am most pleased about this year is the significant expansion of credit-bearing placements within SSE.

This year, following sustained conversations with the deans and vice deans, the School increased credit-bearing placements to 60 students across SSE. The placements ran for around three months alongside coursework, meaning students gain genuine industry experience that counts towards their qualification without having to extend their degree. For many students, that last point is what makes the difference: extending your studies by a year is simply not a realistic option for everyone, financially or otherwise.

But this is very much a starting point rather than a destination. Those conversations with the School are continuing, and the aim for next year is to reach 60 placements per department across all three departments within SSE. The Vice Dean has said she will do her best to make that happen, and that she sees the benefits clearly for students, for employers, and for the university. That kind of backing from senior leadership is encouraging, and it reflects how the case for these placements has landed.

Better Support for Course-Based Societies

Societies are one of the most underrated parts of university life when it comes to employability. They are student-led spaces where you can develop skills, collaborate with peers, and engage with employers in a way that feels genuinely organic rather than forced.

This year, I worked with the School to increase its support for course-based societies in SSE, and the results have been encouraging. Across societies including the Computing Society and Ethical Hacking Society, funding has increased to cover things like employer events, skills workshops, and equipment. The Racing Society and Rocketry Society have continued to receive School funding as well.

In total, funding for course-based SSE societies has increased by over £2,500 this year, with a commitment from the School to continue supporting them in future years. That is not a one-off gesture; it is a recognition that these societies do something worthwhile and deserve sustained backing.

The goal behind this is simple: give students more spaces to connect with each other, to connect with employers, and to develop the kind of skills that do not always show up in a lecture. Whether that is working on a technical project, competing in a hackathon, or just getting into a room with someone who works in your field, these experiences add up.

Getting the Right Opportunities in Front of the Right Students

One thing that came up repeatedly in conversations with students was not that opportunities were not happening, but that students were not always hearing about them in a way that felt relevant to them. This year I have been working with the School to shift how employer events and on-campus workshops are communicated, moving towards more targeted messaging that helps students understand why something is worth their time before they decide whether to go.

The difference this makes is practical: employers get better engagement from students who are genuinely interested, students get more out of events because they arrive with context, and the School builds a stronger reputation with employers as a result. Everyone benefits when the communication is done well.

A good example of this in practice was an early careers workshop with JP Morgan, focused on technology and computing roles within the firm. Students had the chance to speak directly with hiring decision makers and get real insight into what it takes to get a first job in the industry. Participation was notably stronger than in previous years, and a lot of that came down to how the event was communicated and framed beforehand. It was not just "employer event on campus"; it was clear to students in computing and related disciplines why this was specifically relevant to them.

Alongside events like this, I have also been working with the School to bring more employers on to campus, whether through job fairs or early careers workshops of this kind. The goal is to make that kind of access a regular feature of studying in SSE rather than an occasional occurrence.

Student-Led Employability: Societies Taking the Lead

As well as School-organised events, I have been working with course-based societies to develop their own employability offerings. The Computing Society hosted a workshop with Scottish Water this year that is a good example of what this can look like. Students received an introduction to the kinds of roles and opportunities available at Scottish Water, followed by a hands-on problem-solving session that gave a real sense of the kind of work involved. It was practical, relevant, and student-led, which made it feel quite different from a standard employer presentation.

This kind of initiative sits alongside the broader increase in society funding described above. The two things work together: more resource for societies means more capacity to run events like this, and students benefit from having spaces that are genuinely theirs to shape.

Looking ahead to next year, I will be working with students across SSE to expand these kinds of initiatives so that every department within the School has access to similar opportunities. The aim is to make sure that employability support feels relevant and accessible regardless of which course you are on.

Looking Ahead

None of this would have been possible without students raising their voices about what they needed, and without colleagues in the School who were willing to listen and act. The progress this year is real, but it is a foundation rather than a finish line.

If you have thoughts on employability, on what more the School or the Students' Association could be doing, I would genuinely like to hear from you. The best outcomes come from students being involved in shaping them.