Skills development alongside your studies is essential to prepare for today’s world of work and employers are increasingly looking for graduates that are proficient in ‘softer’ transferable skills in addition to specialised knowledge from a degree.
The BU Graduate Skills Programme is free and available to all current BU students. It provides a structured approach to your career development and helps you build confidence in the personal and professional skills that employers are looking for and how to apply them to a job, placement, or graduate position.
Find out below how the programme can help you to get the most out of CareersBU resources alongside your studies and showcase your development to employers:
Attend employer-led Graduate Skills Masterclasses
Free and open to any BU student to attend, the CareerBU Graduate Skills Masterclasses are a great chance to network with employers and other students whilst developing the employability skills that will make you stand out when applying for placements and graduate jobs
These in-person sessions run throughout the year and are co-delivered with industry speakers and academics to provide insight into different industries. Topics covered in our masterclasses are based on skills that are in growing demand within industry.
Companies represented this academic year include IBM, LUSH, BBC, Gaia Card, Teach First, Get Set for Growth, AFC Bournemouth, 3-Sided Cube and DICE.
A full list of Graduate Skills Masterclasses open for booking is available via our website. Each session has a limited number of spaces so don’t delay and book today!
Book Graduate Skills Masterclasses now
New to this year: Sign up for Graduate Skills+
The employer-endorsed BU Graduate Skills+ is your extracurricular skills award. This award is designed with employers in mind and will give you a structured way to develop and articulate the employability skills you gain whilst at BU.
Open to all BU students - you will attend Graduate Skills Masterclasses, take part in a diverse range of extracurricular experiences, engage with group challenges and network with employers.
You must complete three activities per stage including attendance at one Graduate Skills Masterclass per stage to receive your Graduate Skills+ Certificate. You will also be invited to our end-of-year awards ceremony to celebrate your achievements.
You can find out more about the new Graduate Skills+ Award on the BU website.
Sign up for the award now on MyCareerHub
Explore the “My Graduate Skills” tab on Brightspace
Browse the “My Graduate Skills” tab on Brightspace, where you can access a variety of e-learning resources, events and LinkedIn Learning pathways. Resources in this section are mapped to nine key skill groupings and are organised so you can learn at your own pace and effectively fit in development around your studies.
You can find more information about the Graduate Skills Programme on the BU website.
