School of Physics and Astronomy joins the White Rose Industrial Physics Academy

The University has officially joined the WRIPA, and been awarded a £30k grant to develop activities for Physics students to enhance their employability.

The White Rose Industrial Physics Academy (WRIPA) aims to increase awareness of technical career opportunities for physicists and help students prepare for success in finding placements and graduate jobs. 

WRIPA organises collaborations between companies and physics students from the Universities of York, Sheffield, Hull, Nottingham and Leeds.

It hosted the massively successful Physics Futures Careers Fair at the University of York with over 30 employers and a number of panel discussions. All the employers had year-long placements and/or graduate jobs on offer, specifically for physicists.  Over 600 students attended the event, including over 100 students from Leeds.

One student who attended the event said:  "It really opened my eyes to the possible career options where I can use my Physics" and, "It gave me some new ideas for what I might do when I graduate."

The WRIPA team at Leeds is made up of Samantha Pugh, Annmarie Rye and Alison Voice, with the support of the Head of School, Helen Gleeson.

The team is working with WRIPA on delivering more industrial speakers, possible site visits and an increase in the number of industrial research projects for undergraduates. There is also extensive sharing of careers and professional development resources across the network, bringing benefits to all students.

WRIPA will help to address the national STEM skills shortage by encouraging more graduates to stay in the technical sector upon graduation. Raising awareness and working with employers on skills development will be a step in the right direction.

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