Reckitt may be a company you've never heard of. But, as one of the largest companies in the world, and the name behind brands such as Finish, Vanish, Dettol, Nurofen and Strepsils, you’ll have some of their products in your bathroom cabinet or under your kitchen sink.
The School of Chemistry has been partnering with Reckitt since 2015 to run the Reckitt Challenge. The aim is to improve the employability of our students and to show them the relevance of the material that they’ve been studying in their core chemistry modules. The Challenge runs in the two weeks after summer exams, with between 60 and 80 students taking part.
Reckitt devise challenges based on their product portfolio, and students work in teams to solve them. The challenges involve students understanding the science behind the products and coming up with solutions to real problems that the Reckitt teams have encountered in their work, and at least one student idea has led to a new product. Many challenges incorporate a creative aspect, such as making a consumer-facing video.
Tasking students to work in teams to solve commercially relevant problems helps them to develop many of the key skills essential to the world of work, and the Challenge provides a real boost to the students’ CVs. Careers Network supports the Challenge by running reflective sessions. It’s very rewarding to see the Challenge bearing fruit, with students building on their experiences to secure industry placements and jobs.