MADE GRADs

 

MADE GRADs was set up in response to the increasing expectance for graduates emerging from university, to accept long periods of free work specifically in the built environment sector due to their lack of experience and skills. The MADE GRADs initiative aims to bridge the gap between university and the real world, by providing graduates with real project and client experience, aiding towards a more successful application to paid work in industry. It also helps local organisations and charities with basic design services, they couldn’t otherwise afford.

 

The MADE GRADs name derives from the combination of the two main advocates, who helped us find our feet initially: MADE, a charity organisation which promotes place-making in the Midlands; and GRAD (Graduate Retention and Development) established by Northern Architecture, +3 Architecture and Newcastle and Northumbria Universities in 2010 to give built environment graduates the opportunity to develop their skills whilst looking for work. ArchiGRAD was launched in 2010 in the North East of England, MADE GRADs followed in August 2012 and the approach is currently being trialled in various other locations across the country.

 

MADE GRADs aims to give graduates the opportunity to:

• Meet other graduates who are in similar situations in the Midlands

• Get support and advice from professionals and peers

• Create and improve their CV and portfolio

• Build new skills

• Create links with local employers