Essex University has invested almost £100,000 in creating dozens of jobs for students as a means of helping them during the cost-of-living crisis.
Essex University says it will fund at least 7,500 hours of paid work in part-time roles on its campuses in Colchester and Southend, amounting to at least 30 jobs from January to June 2023.
The move was sparked by warnings from the Institute of Fiscal Studies, which said that the financial squeeze on students is going to be even more serious than originally feared.
Pro-vice chancellor of education Madeline Eacott said: “This is one more way we are working with our Students’ Union to help our students at this incredibly difficult time.
“These new job opportunities will help our students develop skills for their future careers while supporting them to continue their studies.
“Being able to find part-time jobs on our campuses helps them fit their work around their studies more easily.
“We want to offer our students ‘real jobs’ which they know are making a difference by improving the student experience, offering extra support and ensuring students get everything they can from their time at Essex.
“We hope these roles will be really rewarding for our students while adding an extra level to the transformational education we already aim to deliver.”
The university anticipates it will spend more than £3 million this academic year on keeping on-campus rents down and on extra hardship support.
Students’ Union president Nashwa Alsakka said: “We welcome further funding and support at a time when many students have been especially impacted by the cost-of-living crisis.
“I hope that the students that most need these roles are able to access them and benefit from the income and experience.”
Students will be working in administrative and creative roles across the university, focused on improving the student experience further and helping the university bounce back from the impact of the pandemic.
