Working with student recruitment and outreach teams: who, what, where and when

You want to start working with universities so you can provide more opportunities for your students, but where do you start? Here is a brief introduction and some top tips for engaging with student recruitment and outreach teams.

Each university will have a team that delivers information, advice and guidance to students about their future choices, but what they’re called can vary. Teams may be called recruitment, outreach, marketing, widening participation, schools liaison – the list goes on. This is understandably confusing when trying to find the right person to contact. A good place to start is UniTasterDays, where you are right now, which lists university events and, most importantly, connects you to the right team.

Teams offer support at higher education fairs as well as presentations on topics such as applying to university, student finance and student life. Additional support includes workshops, subject-specific activities and campus experience days. Some institutions may also be able to provide specialist advice around university interviews or portfolio advice. Increasingly popular since the pandemic are revision, study skills and employability events, as well as confidence- building and wellbeing workshops. We’re always happy to adapt sessions or create new ones, so if you have an idea, just ask!

You can bring your students to campus or we can come to you – the choice is yours! Visiting a university campus can be a great experience for students and it will give them an insight into what being a real student is like. Most teams will also be happy to come out to schools and colleges to deliver activities. Since the pandemic, it’s been fantastic to get back out to schools, but you can also ask us to deliver virtual activities – particularly useful if you want to engage with a university further afield!

Activities are run all-year round but some months are busier than others. March, April and June in particular are very busy and universities get booked up quickly, so book early if you’d like an activity delivered during this time. Teams may also be able to accommodate day, evening and weekend events, so do get in touch to see what’s possible. Most teams will publish the dates for their on-campus events such as Taster Days, Open Days and school visits on their websites, at the start of the academic year, so take a look and start planning.

• Initial contact – look for a generic email address or a section on the website to contact. These are often listed on UniTasterDays too.
• If you have an idea for a workshop, let us know and we’ll do our best to make it happen. If your students find something useful, the chances are others will too.
• Sign up for newsletters and follow recruitment and outreach teams on social media to receive their latest news and events.
• Go national! Invite universities to events from across the country. Many teams have regional officers now, so you’ll be surprised who might exhibit from much further afield.
• Book early if you’d like a talk or workshop delivered, especially during busy months.
• Give feedback – teams are always happy to hear if something has worked, or if it hasn’t!
• We’re always happy to give advice and guidance – and are only a call or email away.