‘Putting knowledge to work’ – the University College Birmingham strategy that drew her back to education

On this International Women’s Day, WM News is proud to feature Vickie Pargetter-Garner – a dynamic business leader helping young people move effectively from education into the workplace.

After more than a decade working in higher education, Vickie Pargetter-Garner stepped away from the sector, convinced she wouldn’t be returning any time soon.

That changed when she spotted a role at University College Birmingham (UCB) which appeared that, as she puts it, “looked like it was made for me.”

Following a brief spell in the tech sector, Vickie has now returned to higher education, having been appointed UCB’s new Director of Business and Employer Engagement.

While the remit of the role is broad, the overall objective is simple: Helping UCB bring its “putting knowledge to work” strategy to life.

By viewing itself unashamedly as a production line of high-quality employees for organisations looking to hire, UCB is creating a proposition that stands out from those of its competitors.

‘A real-life understanding of what businesses really want’

“UCB may not have the reputation to mirror that of Russell Group universities, but what it does have is a real-life understanding of what businesses really want and access to a wealth of employment-ready, diverse talent,” says Vickie.

“We know would-be employers like to get involved with potential employees at an earlier stage, so we’re making that happen. We’re helping businesses access talent from people aged 16 and over via our Sixth Form, our Further Education students and our University offer.”

Mother-of-one Vickie, 45, was born in Coventry and has lived in Birmingham ever since she moved to the city to study at the University of Birmingham (UoB).

She spent 13 years at UoB in increasingly senior business development roles before moving to TechWM as director of skills and commercial impact. Then she happened across the UCB job advert.

“I’ve always been hugely passionate about education, especially from a social mobility point of view,” she says.

“Some of the students at UCB are the first people in their families to go to university, and around 70% of them commute to us. That’s a huge indicator of students who have other responsibilities such as work or caring for others, to fit around their studies. I believe education opens up new opportunities and, literally, changes lives.

‘Passion led me back to education’

“I’m a proud Brummie, born and raised in the Midlands, so it’s great to be able to make a difference in this space.

“I had no immediate plans to return to the world of higher education, but the UCB job description just jumped out at me – it felt like it was written for me.”

Vickie’s passion led her back to the sector in which she cut her teeth, and it’s fair to say she’s relishing the challenge.

She is overseeing UCB’s student work placements and work experience programme, and careers support under the “Ronseal (does what it says on the tin)” mantra of putting knowledge to work.

In addition to devising and delivering a business development strategy for the whole UCB institution, from students aged 16 to 70 (and older – there’s no upper limit), Vickie oversees UCB’s Unitemps scheme, a de facto recruitment agency for firms seeking temporary workers – “experience for the students, and extra pairs of hands for businesses.”

‘Exciting offer for the business community hiding in plain sight’

The practical, business-focused approach of UCB – getting students into work swiftly and effectively – was what won Vickie over.

“I was unaware of the full breadth and depth of the UCB offer,” she says.

“Access to talent, skills, and a range of commercial propositions across diverse industry sectors – it’s an exciting offer for the business community that’s been hiding in plain sight. In fact, for these reasons, I’ve described UCB as Birmingham’s hidden gem.”

The market is challenging currently for the university sector, not least due to visa changes making it harder for international students – a lucrative income stream pre-Brexit – to join.

As in many sectors, challenges breed innovation, and UCB is positioning itself not just to survive but to thrive and is bucking the sector trend by going through a period of significant growth. 

‘Can you articulate your USP?’

With AI now making it easier than ever to draft CVs and cover letters, students themselves are also having to adapt to an evolving market as they step into the jobs market.

“These days, to stand out from the crowd, more than ever it’s about the human skills of telling your story,” says Vickie.

“After a period of everything being overly digitised, things are coming back to the basics … Can you communicate clearly and confidently? Do you have the right attitude and aptitude? Can you articulate your USP?”

With its unrelenting focus on making students workplace-ready, Vickie and the UCB team are on the pulse of such changing trends and are pressing ahead with the task of equipping the current intake to flex to what’s required and stand out from the pack.