The Manchester Leadership Programme
Employability
A student at the 2007 MLP graduation
The MLP is an excellent way of developing a practical and theoretical understanding of leadership. The unit and the sports volunteering enhanced the skills that all employers search for to complement a good degree. These skills have helped me to gain a place on a graduate training scheme.
Adam Hill: BA French & Spanish Graduate Retail Trainee - MDS
A recent survey reveals that 43% of graduate recruiters predict a shortfall in leadership skills among graduates (AGR Recruitment Survey 2008). The MLP is an innovative way of addressing this perceived skills shortage.
Working in project teams, and gaining real work experience through volunteering, the MLP helps students put theory into practice. They improve the four essential "personal skills", as identified recently (February 2009) by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills: self-management; thinking and solving problems; working together and communication; and understanding the business.
Rebecca Fielding, Board Member of the Association of Graduate Recruiters, agrees. She says: Because many graduates go on to be the business and community leaders of tomorrow, it is important that they understand key issues of local, national and global concern. The MLP enables students to increase their understanding and subsequent employability.