Going Higher: Part-time prospects go west

In Aberystwyth the chances of finding work are slim, whilst in Exeter there is plenty of scope for making extra cash

The opportunities for part-time student work in Wales and south- west England vary according to the location of the university. The scope for casual work in Exeter, Plymouth, Cardiff and Newport is quite good; the prospects in Lampeter, Bangor, Pontypridd and Aberystwyth are less promising.

In Exeter, probably the most prosperous part of Devon, there are plentiful opportunities to work part-time. Campus noticeboards advertise casual student employment opportunities in pubs, hotels (as waitresses, maids and cleaners) bars, shops and restaurants. There are also some opportunities to work in local factories.

In Cardiff, Unistaff, the university-run employment agency, offers casual work to students. It gives the chance of working flexible hours on and around the campus. It also offers part-time work to the children of university staff and to A-level school leavers.

Unistaff employs up to 100 students each week. Between June 1995 and March 1996 it paid a total of pounds 152,622 to students. This was generated from 37,333 hours worked within the university, and 13,540 worked for external clients. A wide variety of work is available, including clerical, cleaning, catering and bar work. In the city itself, part-time work can be had in tele-sales, hotels, restaurants and offices.

There is not a huge number of opportunities to work part-time in the Swansea area, which does not have an especially buoyant economy. However the university does have a Work Link office that puts students in touch with any vacancies. Part-time work can be found in catering, bars and manual employment as well as in more specialised fields such as translation, engineering and marketing.

Part-time jobs are regularly faxed through to the union's advice centre from the town's job centre. The students' union employs around 450 students in part-time jobs in the union during the year. The careers centre at the university also directs students to vocational job placements. Occasionally the city's guild h all will ring up seeking large numbers of students for waitressing duties at a local function.

At Lampeter the student union employs some 80 students part-time in security, bar work, entertainment, catering and cleaning work.

In the town there is limited bar work and shop assistant opportunities in shops such as Organics, Pioneer and Kwik Save. There are also opportunities to work in the university administration and doing light factory work at a nearby industrial estate.

The University of Wales, Newport, is in the process of setting up its own student placement and part-time work office. There has been a lot of Korean investment in industry here and there are opportunities for casual work. TSB is also hoping to employ students at weekends to help man its call centre.

At Bangor the students' union employs 100 students in part-time work and the university itself employs yet more. The public relations department uses students as university guides and for helping out on open days. There are more than 30 pubs in town and many of these offer students the chance of part-time bar work. There is also the opportunity to work in local shops.

The university has its own student employment agency, Job Mart, which finds vacation placements and casual work. There are some opportunities to work in agricultural and chemical industries in nearby Anglesey.

There are quite a few opportunities to work part-time in Plymouth. At the University of Plymouth students can work in shops such as Woolworths on tills and stacking shelves, in garden centres, in bars, and as lifeguards on the beaches during the summer.

Information technology students are sought after for updating databases and IT-related work. There is some afternoon and night work available on production lines at companies such as Toshiba and British Aerospace. Jobs are advertised in the university on a special vacancy noticeboard, in university news bulletins and on a website.

At Aberystwyth there are not many opportunities to land part-time work. The university and the student union employ some students; there is bar keeping work, and some part-time employment in the local shops, waitressing and delivery work.

At the University of Glamorgan the student union employs more than 100 students during the year in bar, catering and other services. There is the customary smattering of part-time opportunities in bars and shops.

Why not wait at table?

Supermarkets such as Tesco and Sainsbury's often have part-time opportunities for students

Local shops offer part-time shop assistant work

Bars and pubs have part-time work

Holiday areas, such as Exeter, have seasonal hotel work such as waitressing, washing up and cleaning

University of Wales, Bangor, runs a job bureau, JobMart, for holiday placements and casual employment

There are opportunities near Bangor for students with the right qualifications to work in outdoor pursuits - for example, canoeing, climbing, walking, rafting, sailing

Anglesey, some 15 miles away, has chemical and agricultural-based industry. Octel, a chemical processing company, employs some students. Ferrodo, the car components manufacturer, some six miles away, has some opportunities for student work

Universities and student unions and guilds employ students in part- time security, bar-keeping and other roles

University of Wales, Cardiff, has its own agency for employing students part-time within the university, Unistaff. Students are limited to 15 hours a week and are employed in and around the campus area