Theme 1: Students and Work
Younger students and study-leavers face higher levels of youth unemployment than for many decades; are more likely to work for low pay and on insecure terms than in previous years and amongst older age groups, and are increasingly employed at below their skill level. This theme investigates the key issues in the job market and how they affect students and study-leavers, and consider the potential influence of students and students’ unions in improving the number, nature and quality of jobs available.
How can students’ unions led employment campaigning and employability programmes complement each other and change the job market for a generation and support individuals to follow their career wishes? Are there differing approaches required for different parts of the UK, or across different levels and forms of education?
Such issues are not only affecting our members now, but if left unresolved will have a scarring effect upon our economy, society and perhaps students and potential students’ attitudes towards the value of education itself. If students do not get a decent job as a result of their studies, does this change what education means to them?
Download the Key Theme report on Students and Work
Theme 2: Students in their Communities
The community theme explores the connection between students and their local areas and the key role they can play in organising for positive change for both local student and non-student communities.
What are the shared issues that bridge both student and non-student communities, and what practical ways can students and students’ unions become catalysts and hubs of activism in partnership with their local communities? And in particular, what is the role of students in local democracy and what impact would student voter registration on a mass scale have?
How can we make the student voice heard loud and clear in forthcoming votes, whether they’re European elections, local elections, the Scottish independence referendum or the General Election in 2015?
Download the Key theme report on Students in their Communities