December 6th University of Surrey.
Employability Advisors and academics from across the SEPnet consortium meet to discuss and identify barriers and enablers in accessing the SEPnet summer placement scheme for all students, irrespective of background and neurological personalities. This training was facilitated by AbiltyNet and will provide the basis for further employer, student and advisor training.
The annual Students’ Expo takes place on 29 November in London and provides an opportunity for students to showcase their placement projects through presentations and posters to over 150 employers, academic tutors and peers.
This year 91 students from across the SEPnet universities were successful in finding industry and research placements and will present their posters at the Expo.
The event includes morning and afternoon presentations and poster sessions and provides a great opportunity for employers, academics and physics students to network and discuss placements, jobs and collaboration. Prizes, sponsored by Institute of Physics, are offered for the best posters.
This year’s keynote address will be delivered by Paul Ettinger – a physics graduate now entrepreneur and Co-founder of Caffe Nero.
Professor Sir William Wakeham, SEPnet’s Independent Chair, has produced an independent review of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) degree provision and graduate employability.
This independent review looks at the employment situation among STEM graduates and the role of accreditation of courses.
The review focuses on the skills requirements of employers, how STEM graduates’ skills and knowledge relate to labour market demand, and how existing accreditation systems support this.
The report is available here.
SEPnet’s 7th Annual Students’ Expo recently took place at the Royal Academy of Engineering. Over 150 students, academics and employers came together to celebrate the achievements of 84 students who successfully carried out industry and research summer placements on a diverse range of topics from production engineering of a prototype electric motorcycle to mapping of UK innovation clusters.
Professor Martin Earwicker talking on his “Career in four miles”
Former students gave inspiring talks about the benefits of their experiences and their current roles. Professor Martin Earwicker spoke about his varied and successful career as vice chancellor of London South Bank University, Director of the Science Museum and first chief executive of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory.
Students gave 1-minute presentations and displayed posters about their projects. Prizes donated by the IOP were awarded for the 6 best posters.
We will soon put out a call for next year’s summer placements. If you are interested in offering a summer placement to a physics student, email employerengagement@sepmet.ac.uk
Six student posters were selected as winners:
 Brennan Hacket of the University of Surrey |
 Ashley Morahan of the University of Southampton |
 Natasha Westland of Queen Mary University of London |
 Mark Grundy of the University of Sussex |
 David Elcock of the University of Southampton |
 Anna Laws of the University of Southampton |
You can see some of our photos here.
Win a week at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Star City, Moscow to train with NASA astronauts. (Flights included)
SEPnet and University of Kent’s Department of Physical Sciences are offering the opportunity for 2 physics undergraduates or postgraduate research students to attend Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre to develop their team building and communication skills by training like the real Cosmonauts and Astronauts on the same equipment and facilities.
Deadline 12:00 Wednesday 9th December
For more information, please click on the link below:
Funding that supports students to take part in industry-based placements.