Swansea University celebrates renewed partnership with Santander Universities

Swansea University is delighted to announce it is extending its partnership with Santander Universities for a further three years, promising more invaluable opportunities and resources for students on their journey towards career success.

Since being founded in 2014, the partnership has provided funding of more than £822,700, supporting 875 Swansea students.

The next three years will see further development of Swansea University’s career-related services and opportunities, including travel bursaries, enterprise prizes, internships, as well as:

• A Brighter Future Grant to fund ten £1,000 bursaries per year for students to pursue training and personal development.
• The Santander Scholarships Programme, which will see a student awarded £10,000 per year to assist in their academic journey, from books and digital equipment to rent and tuition fees.

To mark the continuation of this key partnership, the University recently held an event at its Singleton Campus, bringing together Lucy Griffiths, Head of Swansea University Employability Academy (SEA), Professor Deborah Youngs, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education and Peter Manion, Interim Head of Student Life.

Also in attendance were Santander’s Nick Davies, Deputy Relationship Director and John Powell, UK Partnerships Director, as well as several student Santander recipients.

Lois Owumi, a recipient of Santander internship funding who studies MSc Management (Business Analytics), said: “It’s been amazing getting to build work experience and soft transferable skills through my current internship with Discovery – made possible by Santander funding. As an international student, SEA has been immensely helpful, allowing me to intern in at least three different capacities, which has, and still is, training me for the job market once I graduate. It’s fantastic to know other students will be able to take advantage of similar opportunities thanks to the University’s continuing partnership with Santander Universities.”

Speaking on the impact of the partnership, Lucy Griffiths, Head of SEA, said: “We are thrilled to continue the close relationship with Santander Universities. Our partnership has been instrumental in equipping our students with the tools they need to realise their full potential and succeed in the competitive job market, and we look forward to building on our shared commitment to enhancing employability and fostering a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship.”

Matt Hutnell, Director of Santander Universities UK, added: “At Santander Universities, we believe education is today’s solution to a prosperous tomorrow. We’re proud to continue our partnership with Swansea University and provide even more opportunities for students, staff and the local community to develop skills to build a brighter future and achieve their future potential.”