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Pugwash News Wednesday 12th October 2011
Online
Careers website wins national award Sam Balls
The University Careers and Recruitment website has beaten off competition from eight other universities to claim first prize at the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS) Excellence Awards. The website was shortlisted for the ‘Best Website category’, amongst other universities such as Manchester and Nottingham; however, it was Portsmouth who
impressed the awards panel the most. The website was launched in March 2011, and statistics have highlighted that an increasing number of students are using the site and taking advantage of having access to many career resources. The site was created as a reaction to popular demand for the University to provide somewhere for students to have easy access to employability resourc-
es, faculty placement offices, research and knowledge services and Student Finance.
The website scooped first prize for demonstrating good design, high quality content, interactivity and sustainability. It contains a wealth of useful information to students and graduates alike, supplying employability guidance and advice on a ‘twenty-four-hour’ basis. Head of Employability, Julia Hughes, said that the accolade was a reflection of the hard work put in by Employability, Marketing and the Department
of Curriculum and Quality Enhancement (DCQE) who worked collaboratively on the project. She said “Feedback from students has been overwhelmingly positive. The website’s design is based around a flexible homepage, designed to keep it up-todate and topical, which includes nine quick link tiles which take visitors directly to popular areas of the site, which can be easily changed to reflect key sections of the site throughout the year.”
Student Finance
Cost of living for students outside London rises Anthony Strzalek Head of News
The NUS has revealed that for the average student living outside of London, the gap between student support provided by the government, and the cost of being a student, has drastically increased. The shortfall has risen by 10% from last academic year’s gap of £7,310, indicating a need for the government to increase the sup-
port available to students during their years of study. The average cost for a student living outside of London this year is £16,279 and the average income provided by the government through loans and grants is just £8,242. Third year Mechanical Engineering student, Alex Tuson said, “The reason that I am so far into my overdraft is that the money I receive from my loan barely covers the cost of my
rent. Luckily I have some money saved from previous jobs, but others might not have this and could be dealing with an even worse financial situation.” The NUS are set to launch a new Student Financial Support Commission to analyse the costs faced by students and what can be done to support the right people. The commission will convene for the first time on 17th October. Liam Burns, NUS
President, said “Not enough of the student support in the higher education system is getting into the pockets of students and there is a real danger that the situation is getting worse.” He continues,“There has been a shocking leap in the gap between Government funding and the cost of being a student. The kinds of wages available to young people at the moment mean that many students with-
out family support would have to work virtually full-time jobs or take on huge commercial debt whilst they study.” He adds, “It is important that we get a full picture of where the failings are. Of course tuition fees are a major disincentive for many students, but it is the support funds available at university that define its affordability and whether or not many can last the course.”