Employability Development

The Universities Business Challenge framework matches the needs of the hybrid working space to the skills students need for the best employment outcomes.

The UBC – designed to develop employability

Student employability skills & simulation-based learning

The UBC is a competitive experiential learning challenge supported by leading universities and corporate partners all committed to improving graduate employability skills. The UBC’s format and content develop skills required for the corporate and public sector: employment as well as for future entrepreneurs:

  • Analytical skills
  • Commercial awareness
  • Influencing and communication skills
  • Leadership
  • Planning and organising
  • Time-management
  • Team-working
  • A results-driven approach
  • Financial awareness
  • Innovation in problem-solving
  • Managing the customer relationship

The UBC - helping with preparation for the workplace & enterprise

  • UBC employer partners support the UBC because it develops the skills and behaviours that they believe graduates entering business should aspire to.
  • When it comes to employment, we encourage UBC participants to use their experience in the Challenge at assessment centres and interviews – and the feedback from both students and employers is that this can be excellent evidence of motivation, personal development and a reflection of qualities and skills required in the workplace.
  • We are in touch with participants who truly believe that having taken part in the UBC made the difference between getting the placement, internship or onto the graduate programme ahead of other candidates.

With the future requirement for hybrid working, the UBC content and format - designed around Learning Dynamics online business simulations develops key virtual strengths employers are looking for in graduates:

  • remote collaboration between team members 
  • ability to make decisions virtually by consensus
  • ability to communicate ideas in a persuasive way remotely
  • ability to use a range of online tools
  • provides an employability learning experience that cannot be achieved in class

    ‘UK employability skills are lacking’

    ‘According to British businesses, postgraduate employability skills are lacking. CareerBuilder, the online job search site, surveying UK graduates, found that the skills that were most lacking were problem-solving (40%), creative thinking (39%), and interpersonal skills (49%). Critical thinking is also a desired competency for graduates, and many businesses have highlighted concern about students’ inability to think critically’.

    Quote from: University Business

    Effective way of developing employability

    ‘The carefully designed online simulations in the UBC with learning outcomes mapped against employment skills are an effective way of developing employability and enterprise skills. The UBC is an initiative we have supported for 8 years because we see the direct benefit in our students’ employability skills’.

    Clare Taylor, Course Leader UG Business Management, Senior Lecturer in Human Resources & Organisational Behaviour, and Professional Lead – CIPD

    Department of Management and Finance, University of Worcester

    ‘Teams just love the experience’

    ‘The Dundee team had a great time last week, as ever, they are posting it all over LinkedIn. I’m always interested to see that the teams never care if they don’t win, they just love the experience’ – Caroline Smith, Careers Adviser, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh