Add event to calendar
2021 sponsors
We wouldn't be able to put on much of a show without our sponsors. They all have a real passion for exceptional graduate recruitment. Read their stories here.
Founding sponsor
Teach First
Teach First is a charity working to end educational inequality. We believe inspirational teaching and leadership is key to helping every child succeed, regardless of their background. Since 2002 over 7,000 graduates have joined the Teach First Leadership Development Programme (LDP) in schools across England and Wales and have helped change the lives of thousands of young people in low-income communities.
The LDP is a personalised programme that encompasses high-quality training, supportive coaching, work experience and a PGCE qualification. The skills and experience gained can be taken forward into any career. That’s why many businesses recognise our programme’s ability to effect change and develop leaders for the future. Put simply, they know that graduates who can engage, stimulate and inspire in the classroom can handle pretty much any situation in any organisation.
As founding sponsors, we are delighted to have the opportunity to share our theory of change and celebrate best practice with our colleagues in the graduate recruitment industry.
Research partner
Trendence UK
Sponsoring the most popular graduate recruiter in law award
Leading independent research bureau Trendence UK host the largest annual student careers surveys in the UK.
This year, almost 20,000 school students (from over 2,700 schools and colleges) and 72,000 undergraduates and recent graduates (from 140 universities) have taken part.
We’ve captured a broad range of opinion from them on the early careers market, including awareness and attractiveness of employers, relocation and mobility information, how and why students are making choices about careers, key demographic intel including: social profile, gender, year and subject of study, ethnicity, nationality and data on sexuality and disability.
Our team of MRS accredited researchers and analysts cut this data to get bespoke findings unique to individual employers. We consult with you on your competitive position, attractiveness amongst target group students, methods of engagement, help you to develop a school and campus strategy, help you to recruit a more diverse profile and get you to understand where and why you are missing out on relevant and ‘right fit’ talented young people.
Our methods can include quantitative, qualitative and focus group research, we offer year round data support, we have our own survey platform and can execute bespoke surveys or snap polls getting you the answer to a single issue of strategic importance or help you solve a problem. We are adept at reviewing a range of data sources as well as our own, offering you practical and actionable advice to help you build an informative picture and develop an early careers strategy that really works.
Trendence's data is the source of the sector awards at the TARGETjobs National Graduate Recruitment Awards.
The Trendence UK Graduate Study also sits behind The UK 300 rankings, with 100,000 copies of the publication distributed to the UK’s top universities every year.
To get a demo of our data and to find out more go to trendence.co.uk or call Eimear McNabb, UK Business Lead, on +44 (0)20 7654 7234
Premium partner
SHL
Delivering talent innovations and proven results for over 40 years
We help companies transform productivity through deeper people insight. Powering the future of business, our data and tools are proven to drive stronger, more sustainable business outcomes.
We are people experts
We understand, and measure, the things that make people successful at work. Most importantly, we show you if individuals will be a good fit for a particular role and whether they’ll flourish in your organisation.
With this sort of insight – derived from our complex people science, data analytics and deep expertise – you’ll be empowered to make confident, timely decisions about hiring, managing and developing people.
Unlocking productivity
It starts with your people. Leaders face tremendous pressure to achieve organisational goals and make their businesses more efficient. Having the right people is key to improving productivity for today, and the future.
How do you know if you have the right people? What skills and capabilities are needed to succeed in your firm? Are you giving the right people career growth? We can provide you with the resources to identify and develop your employees' potential.
Media partner
Global
Global is one of the world’s leading Media & Entertainment groups. It is Europe’s largest radio company and one of the leading Outdoor companies in both the UK & Europe. Global is home to respected, national, market leading media brands including Capital, Heart, Classic FM, LBC, Global’s Newsroom, Smooth, Radio X, Capital XTRA, Gold and Global Player. Our Global Player allows listeners to enjoy all of Global’s radio brands, award-winning podcasts, and expertly-curated playlists, in one place in app, on web and on smart speakers.
With an extensive and diverse portfolio, Global is also the leading Outdoor company in the UK & one of the largest in Europe with over 235,000 sites reaching 95% of the UK population.
On-air, on Global Player and with our outdoor platforms combined, Global reaches 51 million individuals across the UK every week, including 25 million on the radio alone.
Global created and operates DAX (Digital Ad Exchange), the market leader in digital audio advertising and a pioneering platform in programmatic outdoor advertising. DAX connects advertisers with an audience of more than 130 million people worldwide listening to music streaming services, digital radio and podcasts. DAX launched in the U.S. in 2017 and in Canada in 2018. Alongside digital audio, from February 2020, advertisers will have the ability to buy digital outdoor campaigns through DAX.
University of Leicester
Sponsoring the best social mobility strategy award
At the heart of the UK, Leicester is a leading university committed to international excellence, world-changing research and high-quality, inspirational teaching. We are re-defining the impact a university can have in the 21st century and are proud to be one of the most socially inclusive of the UK’s leading universities.
We consistently attract high numbers of students from under-represented groups, but our commitment to an inclusive and accessible culture goes much further than providing a first-class education. We work with employers and graduate developers to help the brightest talent – regardless of their background – understand, work towards and access, the most sought-after graduate roles.
We firmly believe that the greatest impact on social mobility comes through employment. By sponsoring this award we want to celebrate employers that not only share in this vision but, like the University of Leicester, are leading the way to make this happen.
For more information visit www.le.ac.uk/employers.
Lloyd's
Lloyd’s is the world’s only specialist insurance and reinsurance market that offers a unique concentration of expertise and talent, backed by strong financial ratings and international licences. It is often the first to insure new, unusual or complex risks, providing innovative insurance solutions for local, cross-border and global risks.
Its strength lies in the diversity and expertise of the brokers and managing agents working at Lloyd’s, supported by capital from across the world. More than 90 syndicates are underwriting insurance and reinsurance at Lloyd’s, covering all lines of business from more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. Lloyd’s is regulated by the Prudential Regulatory Authority and Financial Conduct Authority.
Clyde & Co
Sponsoring the apprentice of the year award
Clyde & Co is a leading, sector-focused, global law firm with 415 partners, 2,200 legal professionals and 3,800 staff in total in nearly 50 offices and associated offices on six continents. Its core global sectors position it at the heart of global trade and commerce: insurance, trade & commodities, energy, transport and infrastructure. With a strong emerging markets focus, the firm has achieved compound average annual revenue growth of 12% over the last five years, making it one of the fastest growing law firms in the world with ambitious plans for further growth.
Guided by its senior partner, chief executive and the management board, the firm has transformed from a mid-tier City firm to a top-tier global powerhouse. Clyde & Co was named Transatlantic Law Firm of the Year 2017 by The American Lawyer/Legal Week.
NFU Mutual
Sponsoring the most popular graduate recruiter in banking, insurance and financial services award
NFU Mutual offers a wide range of products, including general insurance, pensions and investments. These products and services are delivered through the agency network, as well as through a direct sales and service centre.
With over 300 offices located in rural towns and villages throughout the UK, NFU Mutual has become part of the fabric of rural life and remains committed to serving the needs of people who visit, live or work in the countryside.
We welcome graduates into our organisation every year across all areas of the business, from customer services, marketing and HR, through to potentially becoming one of our sales agents of the future.
We are really proud to sponsor the award for the most popular graduate recruiter in banking, insurance and financial services 2021.
Symphony Talent
Sponsoring the graduate employer of the year award
Thoughtful, useful creativity. Global, credible expertise.
At Symphony Talent, we know what we’re about when it comes to recruitment marketing, employer branding, content creation, social media and websites. Our experience in the school leaver, graduate and experienced talent markets helps us partner clients across sectors, across countries and across the FTSE 100.
In the early careers sector, we use our expertise and creative insight to make campaigns, branding and experiences that capture the essence of each client’s offering. From the legal sector to the cosmetics industry, from aeronautics to consumer goods, we help big and small companies attract the best in graduate talent. That’s why we’re the award-winning creative agency for employers.
To get to know us and find out what we can do for you, visit symphonytalent.com/en.
Lidl
Sponsoring the rising star award
Lidl GB is delighted to be part of the 2021 TARGETjobs National Graduate Recruitment Awards and, in particular, to be associated with the rising star award.
For more than 25 years now, we’ve been working hard to change the British retail landscape, proving beyond a doubt that shoppers can have the very best quality at an incredible price. Today, our brand is endemic up and down the nation. And it’s all down to our people.
We’ve taken a proactive approach to championing, promoting and supporting talent wherever we find it – meaning you’ll find rising stars at every level in our organisation. With all of our current GB board having joined Lidl as graduates, we really do recognise, reward and encourage the value and potential of our graduates.
We are passionate about developing grassroots talent through every stage of their careers, from educational achievement through to professional ambition. It’s what has shaped our diverse and committed workforce, and what will ensure we continue to be an agile, quality-driven business.
GTI Recruiting Solutions
Sponsoring the most popular graduate recruiter in scientific research and development award
Extending Customer Success, if you need additional support or resource, we offer a range of services as either one-off projects, platform implementations or ongoing support.
Our experience of graduate and apprenticeship strategies and hiring comes from our work as recruiting outsource partner for many leading organisations.
Platforms
- Applicant Tracking System. ATS platform.
- Virtual programme management platform. TARGETconnect for Employers.
- Video interview and assessment platform.
- Candidate experience strategy
- Virtual event facilitation
- Recruitment delivery
- Candidate experience management
- Analytics
- Social media management
HSBC
Sponsoring the best student marketing campaign (for organisations recruiting fewer than 50 hires a year) award
HSBC is the world's leading international bank.
Headquartered in London, HSBC is one of the largest banking and financial services organisations in the world. HSBC's international network comprises around 6,300 offices in 75 countries and territories in Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, the Americas, the Middle East and Africa.
The HSBC Group's values describe how the Group interacts with each other internally, with customers and with the wider community. All employees are expected to have and reflect the Group's values.
The following three statements summarise the Group's values. HSBC's culture is among its signature strengths: It has been and is key to the Group's past and continued success.
Open to different ideas and cultures
Connected with our customers, community and each other
Dependable and doing the right thing
The HSBC Group is committed to the following business principles:
- Outstanding customer services
- Effective and efficient operations
- Strong capital and liquidity
- Prudent lending policy
- Strict expense discipline
In the UK, HSBC provides over 300 graduate jobs each year in commercial, global banking and markets, group private banking and retail banking and wealth management. We also offer over 190 internship placements to undergraduates. HSBC is committed to developing people so they can perform to their potential.
TJX Europe
Sponsoring the most popular graduate recruiter in consumer goods – manufacturing and marketing award
You might not have heard of TJX Europe, but you’ve probably heard of our brands – TK Maxx and Homesense. We’re part of the world’s leading off-price apparel and home fashions retailer – TJX Companies Inc.
Our story began in the United States in 1977 with the opening of two TK Maxx stores in Massachusetts. Now, 40 years later, we have over 4,000 stores in nine countries across three continents (plus three e-commerce sites) – all staffed by more than 249,000 associates. Combined with our unconventional off-price business model, we are a truly global retail force.
We have an annual global turnover of over $35bn and our business just keeps on growing.
While our story begins in the United States, TJX Europe now has over 600 stores across Europe as well as a successful online retail business. We’re growing at a fantastic pace globally, which makes TJX Europe the perfect place to launch your career.
We’re an international business, so there are openings for your career in a range of different countries across Europe, and maybe even further afield. With our support, you’ll be perfectly placed to launch a truly international career.
L'Oréal
Sponsoring the best student marketing campaign (for organisations recruiting more than 50 hires a year) award
With 32 world-famous brands selling in 130 countries, it’s easy to see why L’Oréal is the world’s number one cosmetics group. Even our brands are household names in their own right. From Ralph Lauren to Diesel; Maybelline to The Body Shop, if there’s a name you love in cosmetics, there’s a good chance it’s ours. That’s because we have the best talent in the business, constantly working to invent and revolutionise the industry.
We believe every day is a new day to explore, start new adventures and lead the change, and that’s reflected in the talent we recruit for our management trainee schemes, industrial placements, summer internships and spring insights. You’ll be inventive and passionate; driven and talented. And we’ll help you do great things with that talent, challenging you to push yourself and hone your skills. Wherever you are and whatever you do, you’ll work on real projects for global brands and make a palpable impact on our international success story.
Blackbridge
Sponsoring the most popular graduate recruiter in logistics, transport and supply chain award
Blackbridge Communications is a specialist people communications agency that helps clients attract and engage talent.
We work with a wide range of leading organisations such as Rolls-Royce, Capital One, Aviva, Heathrow and Clifford Chance. Our expertise lies in creative concept development, digital channels, early talent attraction, employer brand research and internal communications.
As a member of the OneAgent global network, the world’s largest network of employer branding agencies, we can also help our clients implement their people strategies internationally.
To find out more, visit: www.blackbridge.co.uk
Rolls-Royce
Sponsoring the best work experience programme award
Rolls-Royce is one of the world’s leading industrial technology companies, pioneering cutting-edge technologies that deliver clean, safe and competitive solutions to our planet’s vital power needs.
We have always championed innovation and quality and we owe this to the spirit, passion and expertise of our people. Throughout our history, they have helped us to break new ground, establish new standards and shape the world we live in. This has taken us from our founding expertise in internal combustion engines to the world’s most powerful and efficient aero-engines.
Today, our core businesses are Civil Aerospace, Defence and Power Systems.
Great businesses need great talent and we are committed to attracting and developing people from diverse backgrounds and providing an environment where they can be themselves and be their best. Our early careers programmes provide the opportunity to contribute, develop and excel. We value the insights and fresh perspectives of young talent and recognise them as future leaders.
To find out more, visit: careers.rolls-royce.com
University of Exeter
Sponsoring the most popular graduate recruiter in construction, civil engineering and surveying award
As a leading international and Top 10 university, the employability of our students is a major strategic priority for everyone at Exeter. The huge investment and commitment in embedding career and employability support internal and external to the curriculum continues to impact on the success of our graduates across all sectors of the graduate labour market and related league tables.
These achievements are formally recognised through multiple accolades and national awards including Exeter becoming the first and only University to receive the AGR’s (now ISE) ‘Best of the Best’ Blue Ribbon award.
In the seminal and critically acclaimed paper on the future of higher education “An Avalanche is coming” the authors referred to Exeter’s employability services as “A great example of the future”. Our aim is to build upon this reputation and become the University of choice for employers and career-minded students alike.
If you would like to work with us on developing and recruiting world-class student and graduate talent visit our website to find out more: www.exeter.ac.uk/careers/employers
Meet & Engage
Sponsoring the best on-boarding experience award
Meet & Engage provide a complementary suite of candidate experience technology, giving employers and candidates the best of both worlds- personalisation and automation – delivered by an award-winning team of experts. With our Live Chat Q&A platform you can create branded, moderated live chat events to engage at every stage of the recruitment process. Our Candidate Experience Chatbots enable employers to enhance the relationship with candidates online 24/7 and automates elements of the recruitment process. Candidate Experience Bots can do everything from helping candidates understand more about your roles to managing the screening process.
TARGETconnect
The most popular graduate recruiter in investment banking and investment award
Helping universities to deliver world-class graduate outcomes
Built in collaboration with world-leading universities, TARGETconnect puts the technology in place to boost the efficiency of busy student services to enhance the student experience, maximise career readiness and improve employability outcomes.
For employers, we offer TARGETconnect Link – the UK’s only national graduate job distribution network. This services lets employers distribute their vacancies directly to over 75 leading university job boards through careers services.
ICAEW
Sponsoring the best university employability strategy award
There are over 1.8m chartered accountants and students around the world − talented, ethical and committed professionals who use their expertise to ensure we have a successful and sustainable future. Over 186,500 of these are ICAEW Chartered Accountants and students. We train, develop and support each one of them so that they have the knowledge and values to help build local and global economies that are sustainable, accountable and fair.
What sets ICAEW Chartered Accountants apart are the skills they gain through completing the ACA qualification. These skills allow our members and students to be make a positive impact on the organisations they work for, and the people they work with.
That’s why we’re excited to be sponsoring the award for Best University Employability Strategy, which recognises those universities who are focused on developing their students’ academic knowledge alongside those skills that are the key to success in accountancy and so many other professions.
PeopleScout
PeopleScout is the World’s largest RPO provider, managing talent solutions that span the global economy. We deliver results through a seamless balance of superior technology and proven expertise that gives clients the edge in the talent market.
We operate across more than 70 countries supporting over 300,000 annual hires. Our commitment to innovation ensures that our clients have the people, processes and insights needed to succeed now, while continuing to anticipate what’s next in talent solutions.
We are proud to bring the next generation of RPO to the UK. Inspired to deliver the talent our client’s need, we start with their objectives, not our process. We do what we promise by combining creative thinking, a nimble yet disciplined approach and best-in-class technology to move RPO solutions forward.
Havas People
Sponsoring the best school leaver programme award
Havas People is a global, full-service agency with a single-minded focus on creating meaningful brands for the changing world of work and study. Our work spans the entire ‘People Agenda’ concerning organisations: from employer branding to talent attraction; from learning & development to employee engagement; from recruitment technology services to digital solutions.
Simply put, through every interface, interaction and encounter along the employee journey – we design communications solutions that enhance the Employee Experience. We captivate early talent with content that is personalised, engaging and thoughtful, and we do it for some of the world’s biggest names, government departments, universities and charities.
Find out more at www.havaspeople.com
AstraZeneca
Sponsoring the best diversity and inclusion strategy award
Skyscanner
Sponsoring the most popular graduate recruiter in IT and technology award
We’re the travel company who puts you first.We’ve gone from a flight search engine to a global leader in travel. We're proud that more than 100 million people across the world (that's quite a few!) rely on our app and website each month to help them with their travel plans.
Next stop: Leading the global transformation to modern and sustainable travel.
Travel is about new experiences and creating memories that last. Working at Skyscanner is just the same. We’ve got amazing opportunities for people starting out in their professional lives. From flights to hotels and car hire, Skyscanner works side-by-side with the biggest names in travel to bring over 100 million users all the options they need to plan and book their perfect trip. We’re already a market leader and we’re just getting started.
Skyscanner is big enough to offer scale, small enough for you to make impact. Here, if you build it, you run it. And right now we’re creating the next-generation of apps, products, systems and services to connect travellers across the globe.
What do we offer:
- A supportive, trusting and transparent working environment
- Real responsibilities and opportunities to make impact from day one
- A place to look at things differently, stretch yourself on a daily basis, challenge and offer solutions
- An opportunity to learn, master and develop your craft in a community of experienced mentors
- An environment of experimentation, where each squad has autonomy
Start your journey at: www.skyscanner.net/jobs/earlycareers