Queen Margaret University College in Edinburgh has launched a multi-pronged campaign to boost students' career opportunities without hampering their studies.
A key element of QMUC's Investors in Students strategy is a JobShop launched with £150,000 sponsorship from Intelligent Finance, a division of Halifax plc.
Students can register either in person or online for part-time and seasonal work related to their degree courses. The work offered through the JobShop covers evenings, weekends and holidays.
Joan Stringer, QMUC principal, said students could apply what they were learning in the workplace, develop business skill, and earn a good salary to support them through university.
She said: "Where many universities have created hardship funds to ease the financial burden on students, Investors in Students is... helping students to benefit financially from their ideas and their ability." More than 200 students have already signed up, and QMUC predicts that more than a third of all its students will be registered by Christmas.
The QMUC strategy includes a student enterprise programme, Step. Students who lack the funds to turn their ideas into reality can seek advice and funding from a panel of academics and business people.
Leisure industry giant Whitbread is funding three scholarships in food, hospitality management and retailing.