Empower Your Future: Join the 2025 Impact Challenge for Birmingham Scholars!
The Impact Challenge is back for 2025 and applications are now open!
"Getting work experience is essential for enhancing career prospects and understanding of the working world."
Davi Walker - Diversity Project Officer | Careers Network Team
I’m Davi, and I’m the Diversity Project Officer within the Careers Network. I started in May 2024, so was lucky enough to support with the Impact Challenge delivery last year. This year, I'm leading the organisation and delivery of the entire programme (eek!) and I am really pleased to say that applications are now open.
The Impact Challenge is an exclusive work-experience programme for Birmingham Scholars and widening participation students in their penultimate or final year of study, taking place between Monday 16th - Friday 20th June 2025. Students who take part on this week long programme will receive a payment of £125 after completion.
To find out more about it, please visit: Impact Challenge
What else do you plan to do alongside getting a good degree?
You may have seen in last month’s article from Lisa Shaw about the importance of work experience, but just to emphasise again that getting insight into the working world is so important with getting a good degree, as it helps you to develop your professional standing and awareness of what is needed to take you down your chosen career path.
Although we know that the Easter break is important for revision and much-needed rest, it’s also essential that you use the time to be productive in readiness for the next stage of your journey.
Employers want more than a degree from their graduates. They want students from diverse backgrounds who have undertaken valuable work experience, have committed their free time to give back to their communities or have consistently dedicated themselves to professional and personal development.
Careers Network supports with all this, and more.
Here’s a snapshot of other opportunities you can pursue:
If you’re not sure about what might be right for you, you can book an appointment with me, or get in touch with your College’s careers team for more subject-specific career support.
In the meantime, please read below the feedback from one of our Impact Challenge participants last year:
“Programme schedule was well designed with flexibility. Enjoyed project management talk. Found most of the ice breakers accessible and fun. All presentations and materials had been emailed to me in advance as per my adjustments. Lovely celebration event. Team talks very useful and midpoint employer meeting. I am glad I applied and am really grateful for the opportunity.” This is but one comment from one student, but aptly summarises the elements of the Impact Challenge.
If you have any questions or would like to hear more of last year’s feedback, you can email us at P2C@contacts.bham.ac.uk.