Women working at Nottingham Trent University have the chance to inspire the next generation. One great example is Nottingham Trent University's facilitation of a futures-focused creative expo, LEAP, which connects industry expertise and opportunity with student talent.

Addressing the need for skills and innovation

The LEAP Expo concept was devised by Nottingham Trent University employees at the School of Art & Design, in partnership with the University’s Employability team. The Expo was established to address the increasing need for skills and innovation within the UK’s creative economy, which, as the fastest growing sector, is currently worth in the region of £100 billion annually.

With an established design history dating back to its formation as one of the UK’s earliest art schools in 1843, Nottingham Trent University employees benefit from outstanding links with industry, professional organisations and partners in the creative and digital sectors on local, national and international levels that they can use to help support their students.

Over 1,000 students and 50 regional and national companies and professional organisations attended the LEAP event at Nottingham Trent University's flagship Newton building in the City Campus. These businesses brought recruitment and work opportunities, career advice and guidance across areas such as graphic design, film and animation, IT and digital skills, branding, fashion and knitwear design, marketing, merchandising, product design, photography, theatre and performance, architecture and interior design. 

Support from Nottingham Trent University employees

Much of the event's success was thanks to employees at Nottingham Trent University working together to support the students.

Nottingham Trent University employees offered a group of postgraduate students from visual communication courses the opportunity to develop the design of the event and chose the theme of ‘Alchemy: a Career Catalyst’ on which to base promotional material.

Nottingham Trent University's industry Partnerships, Local Engagement and Commercial Services (PLECS) team also hosted an after-event network gathering for the exhibitors who attended the day, offering a chance to give feedback, talk to academic subject experts, and find out more about working with Nottingham Trent University across creative subject areas.

“This event is a fantastic opportunity for our creative partners to meet our students in person. In an informal and relaxed setting, students across all years of study can get information and insight into a wealth of creative career and work experience opportunities, from an impressive range of companies and organisations they would be hard pushed to find under one roof anywhere else," says Maggie Burnett, Strategic Partnership Manager for Creative and Digital.

"It’s also a chance for our creative contacts to gain significant awareness of the talents and skills on offer from Nottingham Trent University, and to start conversations that may lead to new collaborations and ways of working together.”

Inspire the next generation at Nottingham Trent University

Search and apply for your next career move with Nottingham Trent University today and join impressive women making a difference in their careers.

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