Universities
CAPTURING STUDENT ENGAGEMENT WITH LEEDS TRINITY AND CODE FIRST GIRLS
By Paris Fawcett
Since the pandemic, student engagement has become more complex for universities. We have been told by many of our partners that traditional approaches that once reliably attracted students have become unpredictable for many institutions and their career departments. In this blog, we’ll delve into the success story of Leeds Trinity University, one of our partner organisations, as they promote CFG’s courses to their students, and provide practical tips for effectively communicating the Code First Girls offer to students.
What Leeds Trinity Did
Leeds Trinity wasted no time in making their partnership with Code First Girls a success. This year they embarked on a series of initiatives that not only encouraged unique student engagement but provided the opportunity for their students to upskill for free.
Pop-Up Student Events
- Leeds Trinity independently organised a pop-up event to launch their partnership with CFG in style, raising the profile of coding opportunities among both students and staff.
Radio Loves CFG!
- Following the success of their pop-up event, Leeds Trinity were invited onto the radio to discuss their commitment to bridging the gender gap in tech and being D&I leaders. This broadened the awareness of CFG’s courses and highlighted Leeds Trinity’s commitment to driving change.
Opening up space for conversation
- Leeds Trinity facilitated rich conversations and challenged stereotypes during in-person events. This approach provided tailored support and encouragement to those who were curious about technology.
Q & A with Leeds Trinity
Why is it so important to offer your students the opportunity to equip themselves with future tech skills alongside their full-time degree?
“Levelling the playing field and addressing the gender gap is a huge priority for us. Being able to upskill students that have unique skillsets and subject interests is brilliant. It’s important for us that our students are ready to compete and secure high skilled jobs that they’ll enjoy, and tech skills allow them access to a whole range of interesting and exciting opportunities.”
Why is it important that Code First Girls’ training is free for your students?
“Our student population truly reflects our diverse society and includes people from a range of socioeconomic backgrounds and personal circumstances, including mature students and those with caring responsibilities. Particularly with the cost-of-living crisis, it’s so important that we’re not adding pressure to that and that we’re equipping students with the skills that will allow them to thrive in the working world. To truly address that gap, and support women and non-binary people into roles, we’ve got to remove barriers and make things accessible.”
Why is it important that Code First Girls’ training can be done at the same time as full time studying?
“The pressure on students to earn money once they graduate can sometimes lead them into jobs after graduation that don’t give them the progression opportunities they want. By allowing students to top-up their skills and feel career-ready by the time they graduate, they can confidently step into a high-skilled tech role as soon as they’ve graduated! It also gives them a chance to try out tech without the pressure of feeling like they are changing their career pathway and stalling their chances!”
CFG’s Five Tips for Maximising Engagement from Students
Although we’d love for all of our partners to shout about us on the radio, here are five easy methods to secure maximum engagement from your students.
1.Clue up your whole careers team on CFG. Involve your team in our mailing list and thought leadership webinars to prepare them for engaging with tech-curious students from all departments.
2.Utilise our partner toolkit. We’ve designed this toolkit based on feedback from our partners, offering a wealth of engagement resources, from social carousels, to email templates, key quotes and more.
3.Invite your students along to our regional student webinars. These events, which we ran in October and will bring back next year, offer insights into Code First Girls while providing tips for enhancing CVs, improving portfolios, and preparing for diverse career paths.
4.Highlight the buzzwords for students. Code First Girls provides free coding education that is designed to be done alongside studies, equipping students with sought-after digital skills. This can lead to guaranteed job opportunities with some of the UK’s top employers through the CFGdegree.
Remember that coding isn’t just for STEM students. Code First Girls aims to make tech opportunities accessible to all students, regardless of their degree background. By presenting this opportunity to a diverse range of students, you can foster rewarding and empowering conversations.
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