The creation of seven new roles marks a significant step forward in UCB’s external engagement approach and supports the university’s strategy, ‘Putting Knowledge to Work’.

Led by Vickie Pargetter-Garner, director of Business and Employer Engagement, the team will help curate the full breadth of UCB’s offer to business, from student talent, placements, work experience and apprenticeships, to CPD, enterprise, consultancy, commercial services and access to specialist facilities.

The new roles include a head of Business Development, a school-facing Business Development manager for the School of Health, Life Sciences and Education and another for the School of Computing, Engineering and Built Environment, a Business Development executive, a Marketing and Events manager, a Systems, Data and Insights manager, and an Enterprise consultant.

Vickie joined UCB with extensive experience across higher education, business development and the regional skills landscape.

In her role, she leads the university’s refreshed approach to business engagement, with responsibility for employer partnerships, student placements, work experience, careers and employability, alumni engagement and Unitemps (UCB’s in-house recruitment agency).

Vickie said: “This is an exciting period for University College Birmingham.

“We already have a strong offer for employers, but this new team will give us the structure, focus and capacity to take that offer out to market with much greater confidence.

“Our ambition is simple: we want employer engagement to sit at the heart of our University experience.

“That means building partnerships that benefit students, support businesses, inform our curriculum and contribute to the economic and social prosperity of the region.

“The team will help us work more strategically across our academic schools and professional services, bringing together talent, skills, enterprise, commercial services and sector expertise in a way that is much easier for businesses to access.”