Since coming into my role in July this year, supporting students through more accessible placement and internship opportunities has been central to my work and discussions with the Universities and FXPlus. Increasing the availability of paid student opportunities such as part-time work and internships, as well as removing barriers to accessing placements, and boosting student confidence in their own skills and experience are all ambitious targets I’m aiming to achieve this year. 

In our Getting Started Survey this year, 47% of you said you plan to or are struggling to find employment, and for the 26% of you who do work alongside studying, it was clear that for most, financial necessity drives employment rather than enrichment. Students are feeling the pinch of an increasingly challenging post-graduation job market alongside tighter finances during their studies; therefore, providing students with accessible, supported, and meaningful employment experiences can transform student confidence and success during their time at university and beyond. 

Increasing student confidence in their skills and abilities 

Being able to understand and translate what you’ve done, and how you’ve developed as a person from it, into CV and interview-speak is a real skill. Through many conversations with the University, I have: 

• Been working with the University’s Curriculum for Change team to help shape a model which allows students to easily identify the skills learned from particular assignments and modules. 

• Advocated for centralising all student employment, volunteering and internship opportunity advertisements under one new, more efficient online careers platform. 

As my next steps, I plan to: 

• Work with University of Exeter Career Zone to launch workshops to help students identify specific, transferable skills from volunteering, society involvement, and other non-paid activities to boost their applications and confidence in interviews. 

• Collaborate with societies and committee members to boost wider student community engagement, particularly with academic societies and student reps to enhance student feedback. 

Embedding employability into the student experience 

It’s clear that for most students, having the extra time to spend undertaking placement/internship experiences in addition to your degree (and balancing other life commitments!) is a luxury fewer students can afford. This is why this term, I have been: 

• Exploring how employability opportunities can be embedded greater into university teaching, through meeting with departments to understand existing structures like placement modules in the Business School. 

• Speaking out in the relevant meetings for inclusion of financial support for students when designing credit-bearing, mandatory placements as part of modules, as all hands-on learning opportunities should be meaningful AND accessible to all. 

By incorporating employability experiences directly into courses, this will allow for more students to graduate with additional skills, network connections, a sense of direction following their degree, and increasing chances of success in post-graduate career applications. 

Supporting students with increasing living costs 

As demonstrated by the Getting Started Survey results above, many students are working alongside studies out of financial necessity, and even more are struggling to find work to support themselves during their time at university. On top of this, not all internship experiences are created equal, and many students face financial barriers in accessing non-paid opportunities. This is why throughout this year, I will continue to: 

• Research funding options with University staff and advocate for a bursary scheme to help students cover the hidden costs of unpaid placements (like travel or equipment). 

• Push for more paid student experiences with the University and FXPlus, such as part-time jobs on campus or research/project-based internships with academics and local partners. 

So far this term, I have raised the idea of including considering if students could be hired in certain positions as part of HR policy in creating job roles across our campuses, alongside similar ideas of incorporating paid student internships as a condition within research funding applications and university business partnerships. 

Why this matters 

This isn’t just about getting a job — it’s about feeling confident in what you bring to the table. Whether you're organising events for a society or working a weekend shift, you're gaining valuable skills. But not everyone has the same access to paid work or placements. The changes I’m pushing for are designed to level the playing field, so your background doesn’t determine your future career path. 

Accountability Check: 

I’ll be sharing updates on progress and student opportunities through our SU channels and newsletters throughout the year, including posting new updates and wins on our website and @supresidents Instagram page! 

Your Turn! 

Want to get involved? Here's how: 

• Stay Updated: Follow updates via SU Instagram and weekly newsletter. 

• Get in touch: I’d love to hear from you! If you’d like to, please share your experiences and/or barriers around part-time work whilst studying, unpaid (or paid!) placements and internships, and your thoughts around them! Email me at isabel.brinkley@thesu.org.uk or DM the @supresidents Instagram. 

• Take Action: Ask your academics/department if they offer any short-term internship opportunities if you’re interested (and let me know how it goes!), and for now, keep checking Handshake for opportunities to apply for. Speculative applications for part-time work or internships are always great for local businesses in Penryn/Falmouth too! 

Got questions, ideas, or just want to chat over a cuppa? Reach out to your Officers via presidents@thesu.org.uk or @supresidents on Instagram – we’d love to hear from you!