This academic year Talent Bank, with the support of Quintin Hogg Trust (QHT), has offered 60 jobs to 115 students, providing them with employment, a sense of belonging, a chance to develop their skills, inspire confidence and earn money to help support their studies.
With Talent Bank, the University of Westminster has created a place where students’ ambitions are nurtured and their talents celebrated, helping them not only learn but thrive. Since 2021, the initiative, fuelled by the QHT’s support, has created over 150 paid part-time positions, totalling more than 14,000 hours of paid work for students.
Talent Bank offers current Westminster students paid part-time jobs within the University itself, adhering to the minimum London Living Wage. These roles, ranging from administrative to creative and research-oriented positions, are designed to complement students' studies while providing real-world experience.
With dedicated staff members, expanded resources and ongoing support from the QHT, the programme has seen unprecedented growth, boasting a record-high membership of over 1400 students from diverse backgrounds. From this academic year, students can join Talent Bank at any time through completing an online training course.
One participant, Hannah Blackwell, a Motion Designer at Westminster’s Careers and Employability Service (CES), started her Talent Bank journey when she applied for the CES Content Creator role.
Reflecting on her experience creating gifs for the Talent Bank newsletter and honing her skills in social media marketing, she said: "Talent Bank is a really good way for students at Westminster to get a job." Thanks to the support she received from her team she believes future employers will be impressed by the work experience she has obtained.
Another current Talent Bank member working as a Content Creator at the CES, Mariana Chavolla, was not deterred by her international student status from seizing opportunities through Talent Bank. From developing logos to pitching innovative ideas like the Easter Egg Hunt, Mariana’s journey exemplifies the programme’s ethos of empowerment and creativity. Working within the University allowed Mariana to develop crucial professional skills that she believes will improve her career prospects after graduation.
She said: “Having the freedom to suggest ideas has given me more confidence.”
The impact also extends to University departments. Eduardo Lees, Head of Global Mobility at the University of Westminster, speaks of the transformative effect the initiative and the students’ work have had on enhancing student support and engagement on a global scale.
He said: "We're privileged to host three Talent Bank students in our Global Mobility team, thanks to QHT's bursaries. Their presence transforms our support for international students and boosts student engagement in global experiences. They excel in marketing, improving communications and enhancing student support, bringing invaluable diversity to our team. They are also giving us a chance to provide informal line management experience to our staff."
Jay Nugent, Employability and Projects Manager who oversees the expansion of Talent Bank, said: "It's a safe space to try something new and it’s a community and a place to learn and grow no matter where you are from. The Talent Bank wouldn’t work without my colleagues Joanna and Nisha, who care about what we do, provide unrelenting support to both students and colleagues.”
This initiative directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 3: Good Health and Wellbeing, 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth and 10: Reduced Inequalities. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.
Register for Talent Bank if you are a Westminster student.
Learn more about Employability at the University.
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