Plymouth University invests in alumnus' graduate digital recruitment firm
A fast growing digital company which has revolutionised the graduate recruitment market is planning its next expansion following investment from Plymouth University.
Multinational firms, SMEs and around 40,000 UK students are already using We Connect Students, which enables employers to proactively target the graduate talent they need.
But further expansion is now on the cards after Plymouth, in its capacity as 'the enterprise university', agreed to become a strategic partner in the company.
Professor Wendy Purcell, Vice-Chancellor of Plymouth University, said: “Plymouth University is at the forefront of innovation in the higher education sector. We are excited to become an investor and strategic partner of We Connect Students as part of our enterprising efforts to transform lives and help our graduates reach their career goals.”
We Connect Students was founded by recent graduate Oliver Dickinson during the second year of his International Business degree at Plymouth University. Initially he ran it from his student digs, but it now operates from offices in Battersea and employs 17 people.
“Finding a job can be stressful for any graduate, but it can be equally taxing for companies trying to find the best new recruits,” Oliver said. “It is exciting to know that Plymouth University has recognised the value in our proposition to both employers and students. As a recent graduate it is also encouraging to see how successfully we are transforming a space which up until now has received little innovative attention.”
Clive Banks, CEO and co-founder of We Connect Students, added: “This partnership is a brilliant match. Employers are looking for cost-effective ways to manage their graduate recruitment, and we are already successfully matching students and employers. We’re now looking forward to helping universities achieve their employability targets.”
Dr Maureen Powers, Dean of Students at Plymouth University and formerly from Stanford University, will become a non-executive director of We Connect Students and join its Advisory Panel.
