SUSU have today announced plans to open a ‘Job Shop’ on campus to “increase part-time employment opportunities for students”.
The shop will offer “external temporary and part-time work opportunities” as well as “recruitment advice”, taking on part of the service already offered by SUSU’s Advice Centre.
While SUSU are still in the planning stages for the official launch, students have been asked to suggest names for the shop, with early frontrunners including ‘The Recruitment Agency’ and ‘Part Time’.
The policy follows the March 2014 Union Council mandate for the “VP Welfare and Union President to create a business plan for a SUSU run Job Shop”, aiming to “help increase part time employment opportunities for students”
VP Welfare Beckie Thomas told the Soton Tab:
The idea behind the recruitment agency is to bring together opportunities, making it easier for students to find part- time work. Locating this in a prominent space inside the Student Union building will ensure maximum exposure and benefit more students. For those who are not interested in part-time work, the recruitment agency will also be signposting to services/ opportunities which enhance student employability.
The policy, proposed by Beckie Thomas, was justified as some students suffer a “cost of living gap of over £7500″, with only a “small proportion” of advertised University jobs open to current students.
The Union resolved that SUSU should advertise job vacancies to students as “financial difficulties shouldn’t hold back students from getting an education”.
A study was also referenced in the policy suggesting “students who work … show increased cognitive development, critical thinking skills and reading comprehension” than those who do not.
The announcement has been met with following the announcement that the planned location of the shop, in the ‘Pod 1′ area outside The Bridge, would result in the loss of “more of our precious remaining social space”.
What do you think of the Job Shop? A step in the right direction, or a waste of space? Let us know in the comments!
If SUSU have identified a cost of living gap then why do they still not pay their own staff living wage? It’s quite hypocritical to preach about financial costs of university education and living, and not set an example.
Sort of reminds me of the Labour MPs campaigning to end zero hour contracts but at the same employing interns in their constituent offices on zero hour contracts…
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SUSU is for students. Not staff members
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might surprise you to hear this but students aren’t paid anything near a living wage either. sure they’re not in full time employment either but the number of hours you have to work to make a job at susu at all worthwhile definitely end up eating into your degree which kind of puts their justification for zero hour contracts in the toilet too.
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Will students be able to work in the Job Shop? If so, can someone help me with my application pls?
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Perfect for Psychology students then
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More like English.
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This may also help the university find good students to work at various events as Student Ambassadors – this could be great, *if* it’s done properly.
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Appropriating yet more of our social space for a service a tiny fraction of the student population will end up using.
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