“Addressing the skills gap is a shared responsibility”: How Lenovo put a real business challenge in front of university students

As Lenovo put it, “while academic learning provides an essential foundation, real-world experience is often what helps students build confidence, develop problem-solving abilities, and understand how their knowledge can be applied in a professional environment.” 

They believe in a shared responsibility to close the skills gap, creating meaningful opportunities for students to gain practical experience, and partnering with universities to help prepare the future workforce. This is why they’re giving students at the University of Wolverhampton the opportunity to work on a real business challenge.

The gap everyone describes and few close

Universities are under increasing pressure to close the gap between the skills students graduate with and ever-changing industry expectations. With a lack of resources to provide meaningful work experience, the opportunities tend to go to the students who already have strong connections to employers.

Lenovo stand firm that organisations and institutions must take accountability together, working in partnership to solve the skills gap and ensure that young people have access to genuine, practical work experiences that set them up for the future.

‍"Working with the University of Wolverhampton provided an excellent opportunity to connect students with genuine business challenges. Our partnership with universities is about more than technology. It's about investing in people, encouraging innovation, and helping prepare the future workforce for a rapidly evolving digital world.”

Lenovo's response: set the brief

Lenovo have partnered with Springpod, giving students at the University of Wolverhampton the opportunity to take on a real business challenge through their Micro Internship initiative.

The brief focuses on Lenovo’s new devices, which now ship with dedicated AI features that help with everyday tasks. The challenge is that many AI ideas sound clever without genuinely helping people. Students are asked to research real user needs, analyse competitor approaches and propose features Lenovo could build into their technology.

Every submission is assessed and graded by Springpod’s team, with students walking away with individual feedback and a certificate of completion. Lenovo went a step further, offering to review several students’ work and provide video feedback.

Real, accessible work experience is already valuable on its own, but the added layer of feedback directly from the employer reinforces Lenovo’s, the University of Wolverhampton’s, and Springpod’s commitment to supporting young people’s futures.

What the students gained

• +31.6% uplift in AI literacy
• +24.3% uplift in presentation ability
• +15.1% uplift in problem solving
• +6.3% uplift in confidence in consulting

Satisfaction averaged 4.5 out of 5

“Projects like this reinforce the fact that there is an incredible pipeline of talent coming through our universities."

What the students had to say

"The most valuable thing I gained from this experience was practical exposure to solving a real business challenge using a consulting approach. I improved my understanding of how AI can be applied responsibly in business, strengthened my research, critical thinking, report writing and presentation skills, and learned how to develop solutions based on client needs. This experience has also increased my confidence in applying these skills in future academic and professional opportunities."

Employers as part of the solution

Universities are expected to close the skills gap, but it’s not something they can or should do alone. Institutions, organisations, schools and government all have a shared responsibility to play when it comes to a solution.

Lenovo says:

‍"Employers have a critical role to play in bridging the gap between education and employment. By working closely with universities, businesses can provide practical insights, industry expertise and hands-on experiences that complement academic learning. Ultimately, addressing the skills gap is a shared responsibility, and collaboration between universities and industry is one of the most effective ways to achieve it."

Not only is it effective, but there are benefits to all sides. Young people get the opportunity and access they deserve, universities meet their graduate outcome goals, and employers are reaching the next generation of talent long before they hit their pipelines.