YSJ's contribution
York St John University’s contribution to the City of York and
its region
York St John University is a civic
university located in the city centre with a strong focus on York
and the immediate region.
It has a distinctive vision with a strong
focus on ensuring an excellent student experience.
The University makes a significant
contribution to York’s businesses, schools and faith groups, health
and well-being and cultural life.
These are some examples of how the University benefits the city
and region.
Our students
The University produces around 1,500 highly
employable graduates each year. 91% of graduates are in employment
or further study within six months of graduation.
75% of York St John graduates are retained
in York and the region, working with local employers and thereby
boosting regional productivity.
The majority of the University’s 6,000
students are drawn from Yorkshire and the Humber.
Around 1,000 international students from
more than 40 countries come to York St John University.
Contribution to the Economy
The University contributes an estimated £47m
to the York economy each year.
The University spends almost £4m on goods
and services with York based suppliers each year.
Conferences to the value of £300,000 are
hosted by York St John at its city centre campus each year.
Impact on Employment
It is estimated that York St John generates
a total of 1,142 jobs in York.
The University is a major city centre
employer with over 600 staff. 60% live in York.
All undergraduate programmes include work
experience thus making York St John graduates highly employable and
well prepared for the work environment.
Supporting Businesses
The University works with over 200
businesses and professional service providers each year providing
training and development programmes.
York St John University hosts at least 12
start-up businesses on campus at any one time either within
the Phoenix Centre incubator for businesses in the
creative and digital sectors or at DesignWorks for
product design businesses. The University seeks to help the new
businesses become successful by connecting them to its staff
and students, teaching and research.
The York St John University Business
School’s Acorn programme helps start-up businesses in
their first year with a structured programme of coaching, practical
advice and support to turn business ideas into reality.
The university provides continuing
professional development to the Bar Lane Studios for Fine Arts
businesses in Micklegate.
Working in Partnership
The York St John University
Business School is focused on York’s small and medium sized
enterprises and seeks to strengthen management, leadership and
strategic thinking to ensure successful growth.
The University works with local
major businesses including Nestle, Aviva and CPP.
The University works in
partnership with City of York Council including delivering service
improvement programmes in social care and delivering training for
school governors and teaching staff.
Contribution to Knowledge
85% of the University’s research is rated of
national or international importance in the latest Research
Assessment Exercise.
More than 550 heads of schools and teachers
in Yorkshire and Humber were professionally trained at York St John
University.
The University works with more than 600
primary and secondary schools each year and provides professional
training and development for those working with children in other
areas.
Contribution to Health
The University also works in partnership
with the NHS Trust and hosts its library and its Corporate Learning
and Development team and provides a range of continuing
professional development programmes. The University is a
major provider of physiotherapists and occupational therapists
across Yorkshire and Humber.
More than 300 York residents attend the
exercise and fitness classes held at the University each week.
The University offers a range of supervised
specialist sports for York children and adults with
disabilities.
Cultural Impact
More than 4,000 people a year attend the
University’s free public lectures and concerts held in the
Minster, Ripon Cathedral and on the York St John University
campus.
The University has invested £75m in its
central York campus estate across the last decade and won major
Royal Institute of British Architects awards for the quality of
design.
York St John works across faith groups in
York and the region thereby strengthening understanding and social
cohesion. Its Ebor public lectures, organised in partnership with
York Minster, aim to promote dialogue and insights from different
faiths on matters of social concern and public policy.
The Yorkshire Film Archive is based at York
St John. With over 16,000 films dating back to the 1890s, the
Archive is a major resource containing amateur and professional
films, newsreels, advertising films, documentaries and home movies
capturing life in the region.
Contributions to the Community
York St John University students and staff
contribute over 3,000 hours a year of volunteer work on York
community projects.
Introduction 
Caring for the
Environment
Contributing to
local business
Working with Children
Working with Older
People
Working with the
local community