Presently, the University of Bedfordshire has the largest offer of apprenticeships within SEMLEP (South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership), focusing on skill shortages in the private sector and demand for employment in the public sector, including health and social care.

The University currently delivers approximately 120 apprenticeship programmes to 250 apprentices per year. Despite the pandemic, apprenticeships have continued to be delivered – 49 employers are currently being supported by the University – with 83 new apprentices signing up in the last eight months alone. Bedfordshire’s apprenticeship programme can be adapted to meet the needs of individual organisations to ensure that apprentices gain the most from their combined university and workplace experience.

Recently, the University successfully supported the needs of Central Bedfordshire Council, where nine council employees completed the Social Worker degree apprenticeship. The apprentices re-entered the council’s workforce with enhanced vital support skills for the Central Beds community and were better equipped to promote positive change in people’s lives, improving wellbeing and independence. This has benefited both the local economy and talent growth, with the Council commenting: “The University are well equipped in providing the level of support required to educate and prepare a future pipeline of qualified social workers.”

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Bedfordshire-based lighting company, Levello, registered to receive free business support from the University’s Innovation & Enterprise Service. Through this service, they were matched with a graduate intern via the EU-funded Time2Grow programme. Mohammed Parveys – an Electronic Engineering graduate from University of Bedfordshire – was able to support Levello in their business needs, including modernisation to help drive customer growth, and upon completing his internship the company hired him as a full time member of staff.

Through Time2Grow, the University aims to make businesses more adaptable and resilient to the fast-changing national economy and focuses on making graduates employable through valuable, paid experience in their chosen field.

In any two month period, Time2Grow is able to deliver innovative support to local businesses and facilitate the full-time employment of approximately 25 graduates. Leading up to the first UK lockdown in March 2020, 46% of the Time2Grow graduates went on to permanent employment within their placement company, launching new careers as a result of the short-term employment contract. If the current rate of success is maintained and applied to all current 109 Time2Grow projects, a total of 49 jobs will be created and made available to the University of Bedfordshire’s graduates.

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Wayne Cartmel, a University of Bedfordshire alumnus requested assistance from the University’s Innovation Bridges SME programme in developing his new business platform, MyNewTerm, which automates the recruitment process and connects schools with candidates directly. Designed to be simple to use, the service aims to cut school recruitment costs by up to 90%, compared to more traditional recruitment approaches.

Following initial research and work carried out by Teacher Education academic, Dr Gareth Bates, Wayne was referred to the University’s Business School and School of Computer Science & Technology, where his company received support from a number of interdisciplinary academics, developing the innovative platform into a commercially successful business.

With the continued support from the University of Bedfordshire, the multi-award-winning start-up, MyNewTerm, has steadily grown in the face of the pandemic, helping to address the unemployment issue within local communities and further afield. The company’s bespoke technology connects thousands of job-seekers with schools every month.

Since launching, MyNewTerm has also recruited three University of Bedfordshire graduates – a perfect example of how businesses and university collaborations can support entrepreneurs in developing their commercial ideas, in turn boosting job creation and helping to retain graduate talent within the region.

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Throughout the pandemic, the NHS-approved, tight-fitting FFP3 (filtered face-piece) masks have been a piece of essential respiratory protective equipment, particularly during aerosol-generating procedures in Covid-19 intensive care environments. However, facial hair is considered an impediment for achieving a competent seal – something which impacts health workers who keep facial hair for religious, cultural or personal reasons.

Professor Gurch Randhawa, Director of the University of Bedfordshire’s Institute for Health Research, led a team of experts – including transplant surgeon, Dr Rajinder Pal Singh – to promote an innovative beard covering technique called ‘Singh Thattha’, initially devised by Dr Singh, which enables bearded individuals to safely wear a respirator mask without the need for shaving.

The study found that 25 of 27 bearded trialists had been able to pass the qualitative Fit Test using the under-mask beard cover, and an additional study funded by the Sikh Doctors & Dentists Association (SDDA) had a 100% Fit Test pass rate.

Bedfordshire-based company R45 recently approached the University, looking for expertise to help pivot their business following the pandemic. As they were looking to develop environmentally and culturally friendly PPE, R45 are now learning from Professor Randhawa’s research study in order to commercialise the Singh Thattha product.

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