Kendal College launches new project to help graduates and businesses

3 November 2009

Kendal College is running a new project that can give employers up to £2,000 to employ a graduate or professional to develop an innovation project with their company; whilst at the same time helping graduates to develop work ready skills and even set up their own business.

The project, which is being funded by the Higher Education Funding Council through the University of Cumbria, can work in a number of different ways: businesses and organisations can benefit from £2,000 to employ a graduate or professional to undertake an innovative project for a minimum of ten weeks, whilst graduates and professionals can benefit from free information and advice from a specialist adviser, free training to help to develop their work-ready skills and even funding to help with enterprise development.

Project Manager for the Innovation Project, Victoria Emmett said: “This is an exciting new project that has some great benefits for both employers and graduates. Employers can get financial assistance to employ highly skilled and qualified individuals, mould new employees to the shape of the business, upskill existing employees or even retain them if they are at risk of redundancy. At the same time companies can develop innovative projects that can really add value to a business.

“Graduates can benefit from information and guidance that is specifically tailored for them, develop skills that are focussed on employability and get the opportunity to undertake short, tailored training courses.”

Simon Riley, who gained a degree earlier this year, is one of the first graduates to benefit from the project. Simon has secured a place working for Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, where he will be undertaking event research and investigation for the well-known charity prior to the launch of its new ‘Go Walkies’ campaign early next year. In addition to the project, Simon has also signed up for training courses on equality and diversity and customer services, which are particularly pertinent to the sector that he will be working in.

Simon said: "Having recently graduated from university and facing the hardships of the economic crisis, thus finding it difficult to obtain work, I have found comfort in the hands of this project. Helping me to me to not only find a position on their project, but also a position with Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, a route to a career and direction I hope to continue, has certainly created a brighter future".

If you think that your business can benefit from the kind of funded expertise a graduate could bring to your organisation, or if you are a graduate or professional and you think that you can make a bigger contribution, whether it’s to your current employer or not, call Victoria Emmett on 01539 814654, or Kendal College's main enquiry line on 01539 814700.