Education and Skills Creative workspace bridging the gap between study and employment

A university centre in Warwickshire is collaborating with a community-focused workspace in Leamington to help creatives bridge the gap between graduation and employment.

Warwickshire College and University Centre (WCUC) is working with 1 Mill Street to help graduates from its creative technologies courses get a foothold in the industry.

1 Mill Street is a co-working space in Leamington Spa which brings together creatives from across Warwickshire.

The university centre delivers its creative technologies courses from Royal Leamington Spa College, with courses including Graphic Design with Photography BA (Hons), Games Art BA (Hons) and Creative Media and Content Creation BA (Hons).

Students graduating from these courses will have the option to join ‘Millpool’, which will spotlight WCUC graduates and highlight their services to potential customers and employers.

The graduates will have access to the Mill Street app for one year, with a dedicated spotlight page, and will be able to benefit from alumni support at the university centre for the year too.

It is hoped that the graduate introductory programme will help students with the transition from education to industry.

WCUC is the higher education arm of college group WCG. The college group has enhanced its creative technologies facilities over the summer, with spaces now designed to replicate professional studios and help further prepare students for industry.

The first alumni have joined the Millpool programme this month, with the initiative now being marketed to students currently studying on creative degree-level courses at WCUC.

Claire Lapworth, HE Subject Leader for Film and Media at WCUC, said: “This new collaboration project aims to make the transition from studying with us to working in industry smoother and give our alumni the tools to make the perfect start to their career.

“Leamington is a thriving hub of creativity and 1 Mill Street is at the heart of that community. The team there are committed to giving young people opportunities to thrive and showcasing local talent, so they are the perfect partner for this graduate introductory programme.

“Every student that joins us will be alerted to the option after completing their studies to benefit from this new initiative.”