Employer Engagement Policy

Opportunities managed by Employability only are within the scope of this Policy.

If you would like to discuss:

• Volunteering opportunities, please contact volunteering@ntu.ac.uk.
• Apprenticeship opportunities, please contact apprenticeships@ntu.ac.uk.

Vacancies

The university will promote the following opportunities to our students and graduates:

• High-skilled graduate opportunities, paid at graduate level, as defined by the university
• Undergraduate placement opportunities (short to year-long), subject to course requirements and university approval
• Fixed-term graduate internships
• Undergraduate fixed-term summer internships
• Part-time work for students
• Vacation work for students

Recruitment activities

The university will facilitate opportunities for organisations to connect and engage with our students and graduates, both virtually and in-person, subject to university approval and based on student and graduate demand, and the volume and/or quality of opportunities.

Career development activities

The university will actively engage in and promote activities with organisations that provide career development opportunities such as mock interviews, skill development workshops, Insight opportunities and competitions.

Vacancy opportunities

We do not handle any vacancies that discriminate against the 9 protected characteristics. These are:

• age
• disability
• gender reassignment
• marriage and civil partnership
• pregnancy and maternity
• race
• religion and belief
• sex
• sexual orientation

If there is a genuine occupational requirement, covered by the relevant legislation, which permits exemption from this legislation,

• The university will ask for confirmation that the advert is not unlawful and ask for reasons why it meets the positive action test or Genuine Occupational Requirements.
• Organisations must provide evidence and quote the relevant section of the Equality Act within the vacancy.

Taking positive action is legal if people with a protected characteristic are at a disadvantage, have particular needs or are under-represented in an activity or type of work. Evidence must be provided to justify any positive action related to a vacancy.

Social mobility and inclusivity

The university actively supports organisations that:

• Are taking steps to create employment or career development opportunities for students from disadvantaged and lower socio-economic backgrounds.
• Wish to promote career development opportunities for students from underrepresented groups and black or ethnic minority backgrounds.

The University is working to put sustainability at the heart of everything we do and maintain our position as a pioneering university for sustainability. The university actively promotes and advocates for working with organisations who share the same sustainability values and credentials.

Whilst the university will not exclude any organisation from promoting their opportunity, as long as the organisation and the vacancy is approved in line with all other requirements and exclusions, the university will:

• seek ways to showcase and champion organisations and vacancies that promote sustainability
• support students and graduates to make values-driven career decisions
• make resources and support accessible for organisations to develop their sustainability strategies and to reduce their carbon footprint

We will advertise vacancies on behalf of Recruitment Agencies.  However, the following considerations should be noted;

• Both the Recruitment Agency and the client they are representing must meet the vacancy handling policy requirements.
• Agencies will be asked to disclose their client’s name.
• The university will not disclose in advertising the name of the client if instructed by the agency.
• If an agency submits a vacancy already advertised by the university on behalf of the client, the university will advertise the client vacancy, unless otherwise instructed by the client.
• We reserve the right to refuse to work with an agency.

The university reserves the right to decline expressions of interest from Recruitment Agencies to attend the fairs.

The university has identified a number of preferred Recruitment Agencies and agency partners.  These partners specifically provide opportunities to our students that meet a particular recruitment need.

All opportunities are advertised at the discretion of the university, and we reserve the right to edit listed vacancies and promotional copy, where necessary.  To advertise an opportunity:

• Employers can login and register using our vacancy portal MyEmployability.
• Vacancies will be approved before they go live for students and graduates to view.
• Placement opportunities – both year-long and short-term placements can be advertised on our vacancy portal.
• The university aims to ‘approve’ all vacancies within 3 working days.
• If there is a query with a vacancy, contact will be made.
• If we are unable to advertise a vacancy, we will reject it and inform the organisation.
• Vacancies will be advertised until the specified closing date.
• If any details change on the vacancy, it is the responsibility of the organisation to inform the university, e.g., changing a closing date.
• Opportunities may also be promoted by the university on social media, vacancy bulletins, learning rooms and in the Employability Centres as appropriate.

• Placements are undertaken as part of a requirement for a course.
• All placement vacancies and confirmed placements must be submitted for approval by the university.
• The team reserve the right to reject a placement vacancy or a placement.  Reasons for nonapproval will be disclosed where possible.
• We encourage placements over 2 weeks duration to be paid.  Please refer to the university statement below on Unpaid Placements.
• All approved placements that are considered ‘high-risk’ by the university, require the placement provider to sign the University Placement Partnership Agreement.

If you would like to discuss a placement opportunity, please contact talent@ntu.ac.uk.

Unpaid Sandwich placements (duration of between 36-48 weeks)

Whilst Sandwich Placements which do not exceed 52 weeks are legally exempt from the National Minimum Wage (NMW) legislation, we believe all placements/work experience/internships should be paid at least the NMW.

• The university will make our expectation clear to prospective and current employers.
• The university will promote unpaid placements/work experience that are a required part of the course.  Unpaid opportunities will appear in a separate section on InPlace, so that a distinction is clearly made to students.
• Unpaid opportunities will not be promoted in Bulletins.
• The university will proactively work to reduce the number of unpaid placements undertaken by our students.
• The university will actively support legitimate and responsible campaigning groups.

Unpaid Short Placements (less than 36 weeks)

• Where placements are a professional/statutory requirement, such as in teacher training, social work and vet nursing, they are unpaid.
• Where the placement exceeds two weeks and the student is undertaking a real job, unless otherwise stated, the university will encourage payment, as well as travel and other expenses.

The above does not apply to students who are performing work that is not related to their course, such as employment to help finance their studies or during a gap year

The university will not engage with any organisation that, by association, risks reputational damage to the university e.g., the business is seen to be irresponsible or unethical in its practices. We will not advertise any vacancy that does not comply with employment law.

• Does not meet the legal National Minimum Wage.
• Promotes or endorses potentially illegal activity e.g., pyramid selling schemes.
• Pays on a commission-only basis - either wholly or principally commission only.
• Involves writing academic essays or personal statements for use by other students.
• Has misleading, incomplete or inaccurate job descriptions.
• Is not from a legitimate business.
• Working in private/non-business registered households.
• Opportunities to work within a household, e.g., Carework, will only be considered if the following criteria are met:
  • The work is supervised by a legitimate business that is an appropriately licensed agency and relevant liability insurances are in place.
  • There is an established and/or risk-assessed partnership with the University.