About the Development Projects Department

We have three projects; Stadia, NSLP and ESECT:

• Stadia is the national network for students’ union officers, students and students’ union staff who organise student activities and development opportunities.
• The National Student Learning Programme (NSLP) aims to disseminate key skills among students through peer-based training. Its purpose is to help build strong students’ unions and develop individual students.
• ESECT, funded by HEFCE is the Enhancing Student Employability Co-ordination Team. On this team, NUS works with a number of different organisations (including the Association of Graduate Recruiters and the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services) to develop practical ways to enhance student employability.

How we do it?

Stadia

• We organise 18 regional events a year giving those involved in organising student activities and development an opportunity to share good practice and receive support and advice.
• We organise the annual Stadia conference. This event consists of 60 x workshops, panel debates, a showcase, discussion forums and entertainments for those involved in student activities and development.
• We co-ordinate the Trainers Network which regularly runs national training days for staff and students who train students.
• We produce Stadium, the student activities magazine, biannually.
• We provide a mailbase with 500 members. All these members organise student activities and development opportunities. This gives them the opportunity to network online. Approximately 60 messages are posted on to this each month.
• We promote the value of student activities and development to employers, the government and external organisations. In particular this year we have been lobbying HEFCE to guarantee continuation funding for the Active Community Fund and to ensure student volunteering remains student led.
• We produce resources that are useful to those who organise student activities and development. Most recently we produced the Clubs and Societies handbook.
• Stadia has an advisory group comprised of students, students’ union officers and staff who advise NUS on the future work of Stadia.

NSLP

• NSLP organises a minimum of 5 Training the Trainer residentials a year across the country during the summer and in February. At these we equip 300 students with all the skills and knowledge they need to become excellent student trainers.
• We then provide student trainers with the support they need to ensure they deliver top quality training in their unions:
• We provide 5 comprehensive training resource packs to unions.
• We organise 10 network days a year across the country. These give student trainers the opportunity to network, share good practice and receive ongoing training.
• We provide student trainers with online support. This enables students to communicate with each other, swap ideas, enter competitions, download training sessions and find out about NSLP nationally.
• Skills Manager - the online personal development planner - is housed on nusonline.co.uk and enables all students to record, plan and audit their key skills in relation to extra curricular activities and work.
• We organise a national network day which brings together all the student trainers from around the country. At this event we hold the Student Trainers of the Year Awards.
• All student trainers are able to work towards a Trainers Award, which they can receive at the awards ceremony. Student trainers receive an Evaluation Cycle, which enables them to record, and reflect upon their development.
• NSLP supports students, students’ union officers and students’ union staff who co-ordinate NSLP in their students’ unions through: Co-ordinators’ Days – events where co-ordinators can network, share good practice and receive training and advice; visits – NUS staff visit unions to discuss how unions can develop NSLP and take student training forward.
• We promote student training and key skill development to employers, external organisations, universities and colleges (including careers services).

ESECT

ESECT aims to enhance student employability. A briefing on employability for students’ unions has been produced. Toolkits, which will enable students’ unions to establish successful employability practices, will be produced next year.

Officers we help and support on a regular basis:

Officers with responsibility for student activities, student development and training

To contact us, please call 020 7272 8900 or email Jenny.Willmott@nus.org.uk