NTU and White Rose launch Professional Student Wardrobe giving access to clothing for interviews
Nottingham Trent University (NTU) has partnered with White Rose to launch a Student Wardrobe – offering students access to professional clothing for interviews, assessment days and recruitment activities.
By Sarah McLeod | Published on 7 March 2024
Categories: Press office;
Students are able to select two articles of clothing, for free, to help them get recruitment ready. There is also a specialist team of Employability Fashion Advisers to help them, and once students have visited the wardrobe, they are directed into NTU’s Employability Hub to talk to a Careers Coach or have a practice interview.
What’s more – students will also be able to access the wardrobe for three years after they graduate.
The Professional Student Wardrobe launched last month with an exclusive fashion show curated and managed by students and colleagues. In the first four weeks since launch, 637 students accessed over 1,158 items to support their career related activities.
Donation boxes are present on all NTU campuses for anyone to donate pre-loved items in good condition. Local employers are also lending their support with Gleeds and Hays Recruitment both hosting boxes to collect donations for the Wardrobe.
Nottingham based charity White Rose collects the donations and prepares them to be displayed in the Wardrobe Shop which is currently based on NTU’s City campus, with plans to roll out to other campuses throughout the year.
The project also aims to collaborate with sustainable fashion retailers and manufacturers.
Debra Easter, Director of Employability Services at Nottingham Trent University developed the idea following a trip to the US where the initiative is more commonplace. She says: “Cost of living pressures have led to more students than ever facing financial barriers. Research among our students has shown that three quarters have had second thoughts about applying for a role or attending an interview due to the associated costs.
“This collaboration demonstrates our commitment to empowering all our students, a number of who are from disadvantaged communities, giving them an equal opportunity to find the right role or work experience for them without the worry of financial costs associated with the process. In addition, we’re also helping to recycle and reuse clothing to divert them from the waste stream.”
Bhaavikaa Keshwara, a 2nd year student studying Fashion Marketing and Branding said: “The Professional Student Wardrobe is an incredible initiative that allows graduates and students, like myself, to be able to acquire free professional clothing for our career-related activities. As a student with a limited budget, I was able to access an item of clothing for my placement, which not only meant I looked more professional, but also gave me a confidence boost.”
Gokul Arumugam Chitra, MSc Management and International Business graduate said: “I feel this kind of innovative partnership positively impacts students' lives and is highly impactful for the student's professional career following university. I was able to access a suit from the Wardrobe which I am able to use for my new job to help give me the best start in my professional career.”
Grace Walker, Director of White Rose, and herself an NTU Alumnus said: “White Rose is delighted to be invited to work with the Employability Hub of Nottingham Trent University as pioneers of the Professional Student Wardrobe. This unique initiative provides students with a wide range of free, handpicked, preloved interview apparel and White Rose is thrilled to be able to contribute through this innovative scheme to directly support students facing significant challenges with the rising cost-of-living.”
The project also supports the Aegis Trust through White Rose – impacting genocide affected communities with peace education.
More information can be found at https://www.ntu.ac.uk/c/ntu-professional-wardrobe
Notes for Editors
Press enquiries please contact Sarah McLeod, Corporate Communications Manager, on telephone +44 (0)115 848 8735, or via email.
About Nottingham Trent University
Nottingham Trent University (NTU) has been named UK ‘University of the Year’ five times in six years, (Times Higher Education Awards 2017, The Guardian University Awards 2019, The Times and Sunday Times 2018 and 2023, Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2023) and is consistently one of the top performing modern universities in the UK. It is the 3rd best modern university in the UK (The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023).
NTU is the 5th largest UK institution by student numbers, with over 40,000 students and more than 4,400 staff located across five campuses. It has an international student population of almost 8,000 and an NTU community representing over 160 countries.
NTU owns two Queen’s Anniversary Prizes for outstanding achievements in research (2015, 2021). The first recognises NTU’s research in science, engineering, arts and humanities to investigate and restore cultural objects, buildings and heritage. The second was awarded for research on the safety and security of global citizens.
The Research Excellence Framework (2021) classed 83% of NTU’s research activity as either world-leading or internationally excellent. 86% of NTU’s research impact was assessed to be either world-leading or internationally excellent.
NTU is rated 5/5 stars overall and for Teaching, Employability, Internationalisation, Research and Facilities (QS Stars 2022).
NTU is a top five university for widening participation with 25% of NTU students coming from disadvantaged backgrounds (HESA 2021-22). It was the first UK university to sign the Social Mobility Pledge in 2018 and was named ‘University of the Year’ at the UK Social Mobility Awards in 2019,
NTU is the most sustainable university in the UK and 2nd in the world (UI Green Metric University World Rankings, 2022).