Future Space team host first virtual assessment centre
Last month marked another first for Loughborough University London when three rapidly scaling employers came together for its Virtual Assessment Centre.
This event offered students a valuable experience and the opportunity to practice and develop their employability skills through a series of events typically used at assessment centres.
The Virtual Assessment Centre was based on a typical graduate assessment centre – a method which lots of employers use to recruit. The event was designed to prepare students for this method of recruitment and as part of their application students were asked to complete an application form and video interview. Those applicants who were successful then proceeded to the Virtual Assessment Centre.
Grace Baird, Digital Skills Project Assistant at Loughborough University London, has said:
“The current employment market is tough, so it is great to be involved with this experience for our students to give them an opportunity to practice and prepare for graduate recruitment. It is fantastic that 3 of the employers who took part in the Virtual Assessment Centre are recruiting students providing real-life opportunities and experiences for our students”
Throughout the event students completed a task whilst being observed by a team of assessors. Some of these assessors were employers recruiting graduates for this summer therefore the event also presented students a useful opportunity to network with employers and showcase their talents.
The virtual assessment centre allowed students to put important skills such as teamwork, time-management, and project management into practice in a real-world setting through two assessed tasks. Firstly, students were allocated into small groups and were presented with their task to address a specific business challenge, working together to prepare and develop a solution whilst being observed and assessed. The second half of the assessment saw all groups present their response and solutions to the business challenge to a panel of assessors. Finally, after completion of their presentation, all groups had to respond to a Q&A session with assessors with questions about their presentation.
Abbey Oladapo, Director at Three Sixtee, has said:
"Loughborough University is world renowned, so the opportunity to potentially hire talent from their pool of students by attending the assessment centre the Future Space team put together made sense. The event was well organised and it was great to see and assess the diverse range of talent that were involved through the event" .
A key objective of the assessment centre was to provide students with the opportunity to practice and develop their skills, and all students who participated in the assessment centre received individual developmental feedback about their performance to enable reflection along with tips and resources to support future development.
“This was a fantastic opportunity to sample an online assessment centre and an opportunity that I have been able to take many learnings away from. Whilst this is the first assessment centre I have undertaken, I strongly feel as though LUL and the Future Space team have prepared us very well for these sorts of situations”.
The Future Space team at Loughborough University London is here to help students achieve their goals, pursue their dream career, and push themselves out of their comfort zone. This virtual assessment centre was one of many events and activities designed to enhance employability skills.
The Future Space team would like to thank all the assessors who participated in the virtual assessment centre and supported this valuable experience for our students. If you would like to become a talent plus partner and be involved in future activities with The Future Space Team, please contact futurespace@lboro.ac.uk
Loughborough is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.
It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme, named the best university in the world for sports-related subjects in the 2020 QS World University Rankings and top in the country for its student experience in the 2018 THE Student Experience Survey.
Loughborough is in the top 10 of every national league table, being ranked 4th in the Guardian University League Table 2020, 5th in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2020 and 8th in The UK Complete University Guide 2020.
Loughborough is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’ and is in the top 10 in England for research intensity. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, Loughborough has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes.
Specialising exclusively in postgraduate-level study, Loughborough University London is based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and offers cutting-edge master’s and PhD degrees, as well as business collaboration, research and enterprise opportunities.
The seven specialist institutes at Loughborough University London include: Design Innovation, Digital Technologies, Diplomacy and International Governance, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, International Management, Media and Creative Industries, and Sport Business. Close industry partnerships with a wealth of leading businesses and creative organisations means teaching and learning is informed by real-life challenges and driven by true industry pressures.