Annex A
KEY YOUGOV
SURVEY RESULTS
Which three of the following do you look for MOST
when recruiting a new graduate?
1. Relevant work experience—46% (public
sector—57%; private sector—40%).
2. Degree subject (vocational relevance,
type, range of modules studied)—41% (public sector—47%;
private sector—40%).
3. Good "work ethic" attitude—43%
(Public sector—25%; Private sector—50%).
Which of the following best describes your reasons
for recruiting new graduates?
1. They bring a fresh outlook and innovation
into my workforce—34% (public sector—33%; private
sector—35%).
2. They have a proven level of intelligence—34%
(public sector—25%; private sector—39%).
3. They have a proven ability to learn quickly—31%
(public sector—25%; private sector—37%).
Do you think graduates who have undertaken a work
placement as part of their degree, or have relevant work experience,
adjust to work life more or less easily than those without such
experience?
1. Yes—75 % (public sector—86%;
private sector—71%).
What do you think graduates without relevant work
experience mainly struggle with?
2. Having unrealistic expectations—52%.
3. Professional behaviour—29.
4. Office politics—29%.
On average how long does it take for new graduates
who have done work placements or have other relevant experience
to settle down into their first jobs
Up to 3 months—41% as opposed to 12% without
work experience.
Does the organisation offer work experience for
undergraduate students
1. Yes—60% (Public Sector—78%;
Private—53%).
2. We would consider doing it—19%
(Public Sector—33%; Private—35%).
3. No—12%.
How important is the relationship between your
organisation and the local university?
1. Very/Fairly important—31%.
2. Do not have any relationship—29%.
3. Not very/ not at all important—24%.
Do you expect to have a more important relationship
with your university?
1. Yes—25%.
2. No—50%.
Do you think your organisation should have an
important relationship with you local university?
1. Yes—46%.
2. No- 37%.
EXTRACT FROM
THE UNIVERSITY
OF HERTFORDSHIRE'S
ECONOMIC AND
SOCIAL IMPACT
STUDY 2005—RELATIONSHIPS
WITH BUSINESS
AND OTHER
ORGANISATIONS
Introduction
In line with government policy (Lambert Review),
the University is emerging as an important stakeholder in the
local economy with an increasing commitment to local economic
development. A key way in which this happens is through the links
with business and other organisations. This chapter examines these
links based on interviews with University staff, other organisations
closely associated with the University and a survey of local businesses.
Key issues and questions
— How does the University interact
with business—what are the links?
— What is the impact of University
and business interaction?
— How important or useful are these
links to businesses?
— What are the links between the University
and the health sector?
University activity
The University engages with local businesses
in many different ways.
Interactions with industry are many and varied
including:
— Some 300 full time professional placement
students in industry;
— An extensive programme of short courses
and training;
— Consultancy and exchange of knowledge
and research through programmes such as the KTP (Knowledge Transfer
Programme);
— Student projects undertaken for business;
and
— University staff and students working
with and for local business such as the local film industry—for
example making sets and models for Bond and Harry Potter films.
Links with business take place in all Faculties
and subject areas, including less obvious areas. For example,
the School of Art and Design works with the car industry and the
School of Psychology works with a range of companies assisting
with recruitment profiling and stress management.
The University's formal mechanisms for business
links:
Business Partnership Office:
This acts as a gateway for businesses to approach
the University, referring, business enquiries to relevant Schools.
In 2004, it received 980 enquiries.
— Almost 50% were from Hertfordshire
business.
— These come from all sectors but with
business services (24%) and computer services (15%) being the
main ones.
Innovation Centre:
Set up in 2003, as an incubation centre for
fledgling knowledge based companies, this now has 12 tenants with
40 employees.
Polyfield Services:
Set up in 1984, it provides quality assurance,
health/safety and environmental consultancy. In 2003-4 it had
150 clients of which 45% were in Hertfordshire. Most are small
and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and long term clients. Since
its creation, it has worked for 600 businesses and run over 400
training courses.
Cimtech:
This grew out of university research and now
provides electronic documentation consultancy.
Software Development Services
This is a commercial operation within the School
of Computer Science.
The University has formed a number of other
wholly owned subsidiaries, which are listed in Section 1.1, Figure
2.
Major strategic initiatives to enhance links and
services available to SMEs
In the summer of 2005 The University of Hertfordshire
became the first University to merge its business services with
its local Business Link, which is operated by Exemplas Ltd. This
is a major strategic initiative by the University. It is designed
to enhance the links and services available to SMEs and to benefit
local industry, addressing the issues raised in the McPherson
and Lambert reports.
LINKS WITH
INDUSTRY
Data sources
This section is based largely on the survey
of 303 Hertfordshire businesses supported by interviews with 20
local firms. The survey results have been weighted to reflect
the size and structure of the area's 49,300 businesses. These
businesses account for 40% of the County's employment.
10,600 businesses say they have had links with
the University in the last three years.
22% of businesses in Hertfordshire say they
have had links with the University in the last three years.
Table 1
BUSINESSES WITH LINKS WITH THE UNIVERSITY
IN THE LAST 3 YEARS
|
| % of businesses with Links
| % of County's linked businesses
|
|
| Welwyn Hatfield | 24
| 9 |
| Rest of Hertfordshire | 21
| 91 |
| Total | 22
| 100 |
|
Source: PACEC business survey, March-June 2005.
A further 5,400 businesses have had links with other universities
but not with the University of Hertfordshire.
While larger firms are more likely to have links, the majority
of links (95%) are with small firms.
Table 2
FIRM SIZE AND LINKS WITH THE UNIVERSITY
|
| Employment | % of Group with University Links
| % of All Linked Businesses
|
|
| Less than 50 | 21
| 95 |
| Over 50 | 31
| 5 |
|
Source: PACEC business survey, March-June 2005.
Of those firms that had links with the University, 65% of
have under 5 employees.
REASON FOR
LINKS
The main objectives of businesses for developing their relationships
with the University vary.
Recruitment, skills and technology are the main reasons given
by firms who use the University.
Figure 1
MAJOR OBJECTIVES FOR USING THE UNIVERSITY
Recruitment, skills and technology are the main reasons given
by firms who use the University
PERCENTAGE OF
HERTFORDSHIRE BUSINESSES
Source: PACEC business survey, March-June 2005.
The business survey clearly indicates that firms value the
University as a source of graduates and the role it plays in improving
workforce skills and training. The role of the University in enhancing
the technology of business, product development and business strategy/marketing
was of less importance overall to businesses but found to be important
to the smaller firms interviewed.
NATURE OF
LINKS
Businesses were asked in the survey to define how they sought
and made links with the University
University links are many and varied
Informal contacts with staff are the most widely quoted university
link. The business interviews show these can lead to more "productive"
links.
Figure 2
THE NATURE OF LINKS WITH THE UNIVERSITY
PERCENTAGE OF
HERTFORDSHIRE BUSINESSES
Source: PACEC business survey, March-June 2005 .
The survey also identified links are via training courses
(7%), attending seminars/conferences (6%) and recruitment are
also common. This shows that the facilities and other training
and learning resources that the University provides are important
to local business. Other than facilities and training courses,
businesses have used the academic capability through sponsored
research, academics or KTPs but to a lesser degree.
Figure 3
INDIVIDUALS' LINKS WITH THE UNIVERSITY
14% of Hertfordshire business people say they have had some
links with the University in the last three years
PERCENTAGE OF
INTERVIEWEES
Source: PACEC business survey, March-June 2005.
IMPACT OF
LINKS
Businesses were asked in the survey to define how links with
the University impacted their business performance.
29% of local businesses with University links have experienced
a positive impact on business performance
Table 3
IMPACT OF LINKS ON BUSINESS PERFORMANCE:
|
| % of Hertfordshire Businesses
|
|
| Increased Sales | 19
|
| Increased Employment | 12
|
| Improved Profitability | 6
|
| Other beneficial effects | 7
|
| No beneficial effects | 71
|
|
Source: PACEC business survey, March-June 2005.
Of all Hertfordshire businesses, 7% describe their links
with the University are either "critical" or "very
important". This is particularly true for small firms. Our
interviews confirmed that the University's assistance can have
a significant impact on SME development.
Businesses employ 1,300 additional staff as a result of links
with the University (other than as suppliers)
1,300 businesses note that their links in the last three
years have helped increase employment. This is in addition to
employment impacts on the 700 businesses which supply goods and
services to either to the University, students or staff.
The business survey identified 2,200 businesses which state
that the University had some influence on their decision to locate
all or part of the business.
Most businesses without any links to the University have not
considered the opportunity
Of the 38,600 Hertfordshire businesses with no links with
the University in the last three years:
— 89% describe that they have never considered using
a university;
— 2% have considered or used other universities,
but have never considered the University of Hertfordshire; and
— A few businesses noted that they tried and failed
to make contact with the University.
BUSINESSES WITHOUT
LINKS
Extrapolating the data, 4,500 businesses currently do not
have any links with the University but would consider using the
University in the future.
4,500 businesses with no links with the University say they
would consider using the University
Of these businesses 90% have fewer than 50 employees and
90% are in the part of Hertfordshire outside Welwyn Hatfield.
Their three main requirements are advice (28% of businesses),
recruitment (14%) and student placements (10%).
BUSINESSES PARTNERSHIP
OFFICE
All businesses were asked about the University's Business
Partnership Office:
Just 13% of local firms say they know what the University has
to offer
Of the companies willing to express a view, 7% said they
were aware of the Business Partnership Office. Almost all (92%)
of these businesses who had heard of the Business Partnership
Office have links with the University.
Of businesses aware of the BPO, 18% say they understand its
purpose and 6% say it has a good image.
IMPORTANCE OF
THE UNIVERSITY
TO BUSINESS
Nearly half of all businesses consider that the university
plays a key role in local economic development and that it enhances
the range and attractiveness of the area.
Figure 4
VIEWS OF HERTFORDSHIRE BUSINESS
Businesses generally consider that the University has contributed
positively to local economic development
PERCENTAGE OF
HERTFORDSHIRE BUSINESS
Source: PACEC business survey, March-June 2005.
Note that the survey indicated some bias: Businesses in Welwyn
Hatfield and those with university links are more likely than
those in the rest of the county and those without university links
to perceive positive impacts.
FUTURE IMPACTS
The impact of the University on local businesses will increase
in the future.
The University is doing much to further develop its links
with local industry including the design of new foundation degrees
more aligned to the needs of their employees, academic structures
better integrating with industry and marketing via, for example,
sector champions.
Almost all businesses interviewed realised the potential
business benefits of closer links and were keen to develop them.
To establish more widespread links, companies believe ongoing
change is required
Businesses noted that the University needed to:
— Better understand the financial pressures on business
and see them more as a customer;
— Ensure top level commitment is translated into
action throughout the University;
— More explicitly recognise the two-way nature of
knowledge transfer; and
— Make it easier to access the University.
At the same time, businesses recognise they need to adapt
and work harder to get the most out of links with the University.
Companies believe student placements could be more widely used
Most (90%) of our interviewees had used and appreciated year
long student placements.
— They were seen as a good means of tackling longer
term recruitment;
— Most use placements to undertake a specific tasks;
— For young businesses and SMEs, placements are
a valuable low cost/risk means of achieving flexible growth; and
— Most SMEs see them as more useful than formal
mechanism eg KTPs.
However, to increase uptake in placements businesses also
believe:
— Mechanisms need to be found for making placements
more accessible to SMEs;
— The University needs a more systematic means of
making placements which depends less on personal contacts into
specific Faculties; and
— The administrative workload imposed on businesses
in order to take placements on needs to be reduced.
December 2006
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