Computing Student Turning Career Dream into Reality Through Springboard

When third-year Computing student Iskren Stoyanov joined Birmingham-based supplement manufacturer Ethical Nutrition through the University of Worcester’s Springboard programme, he was taking the first step into a career he had spent years searching for.

The Springboard programme connects employers with talented University of Worcester students whose skills, ambitions and values align with their business needs, creating opportunities for students to gain valuable industry experience while helping employers find the right people for their businesses.

“Ethical Nutrition mainly sells food supplements through its online store,” said Iskren. “I came in on my placement, and I was in charge of updating the website, but they’ve given me so much more responsibility now.”

He continued: “I’ve been able to prove myself here and I’ve been working on automation systems, I’ve taken on roles in marketing, design, whatever is thrown at me. They’ve really treated me with a lot of respect and trusted me to take ownership of important projects.”

The placement has given Iskren the opportunity to apply the skills he has developed through his Computing degree in a professional environment while broadening his experience across a range of business functions.

“For me, building applications, websites and systems is a dream come true,” he said. “It’s really what I want to do with my life, creating a user journey and making it feel as natural as possible for the user.”

The Springboard programme is all about listening to the needs of a business operator and matching them with the right student. Iskren said: “My lecturers could see how I was really working hard on my course and that I was serious about what I was doing, so they recommended me for the placement.”

“Without their help, I don’t know if I would have got the placement,” he added.

Peter Clews, Lecturer in Computing, said: “The Springboard programme is a fantastic initiative which provides our students with opportunities to work on real problems for local businesses without the commitment of a full year placement.”

"The variety of projects available means students can fit these opportunities around their studies while applying their learning in a practical setting and continuing to benefit from University support," he added.

The University of Worcester has been named University of the Year for Graduate Jobs in the Daily Mail University Guide, with judges remarking that it “rivals the best in the country”, and “leaves many of the Russell Group in the shade.”

Peter said he was proud of how well Iskren had done on the placement. “It’s great to see that he has completely devoted himself to the project and has made a massive success of it. He should be very proud of what he has achieved, and I hope this is just the start of what is likely to be a fantastic career for him.”

Read more about the University of Worcester’s Springboard programme here.

For more information on computing courses at the University of Worcester, visit the website: https://www.worc.ac.uk/campaigns/study-computing