It is widely documented that students from underrepresented backgrounds often achieve lower outcomes at university. We set out to tackle gaps in achievement and employability through interventions that enhance student sense of belonging, support confidence development, and provide opportunities for students to build the many forms of graduate capital. Many of the projects described herein have been co-designed with students as partners. Our approach involved the re-design of skills modules, bespoke career mentorship groups and the launch of large careers events. Alongside this, we worked collaboratively with students to design and deliver a range of extracurricular opportunities to build employability, including an annual Ted-style public speaking competition (Salford PassionFlash), a BioArt competition and a student magazine.

Of those who belonged to a career mentorship group, 83% agreed that this helps them plan their careers. Similarly, 86% of students felt that taking part in the annual careers festival had a positive impact on their career planning. Over the last four years, more than 70 students have taken part in TED-style public speaking. When surveyed, 87% strongly agreed/agreed that the competition is a means to help students realise their potential, over 91% agreed it helps raise aspirations, whilst 70% felt that the competition enhances employability. The student-led Bioscientist Magazine team has grown immensely over the course of three years to include over 80 student publications. Skills obtained include communication, writing, teamwork, digital literacy etc., which are all of course highly transferable to the world of work. Similarly, the annual BioArt competition has attracted many students. When asked to rate the impact of these co-created extracurricular activities designed to build graduate capital, 83% felt that taking part enhanced employability, 90% felt it had improved their communications skills, 76% reported enhanced student satisfaction, whilst 79% reported growth in confidence. These results demonstrate that our interventions are having a positive result from the students perspective. Collectively these activities have been integral to the growth of on-campus community and the development of graduate capital. We have seen significant positive developments in student engagement and graduate outcomes, which may relate to the interventions outlined.