The Careers Group (University of London) organises the Guardian Graduate Fair which last November exhibited numerous companies including BAE Systems (the worlds largest weapons producer. Students and campaigners protested in front of the BAE stall and at their presentation and an open letter signed by student representatives was presented to the Careers Group and The Guardian asking for the company to be excluded from future events. (To read open letter see 
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2010/12/470099.html). We have received a vague response from the Careers Group defending the inclusion of the arms company at the event and we have responded with another letter, both of which are available to read here.
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2010/12/470099.html). We have received a vague response from the Careers Group defending the inclusion of the arms company at the event and we have responded with another letter, both of which are available to read here.
Protesters unite under the Ban BAE banner
On 21/12/2010 10:57, Anne-Marie Martin wrote:
Dear Abi
Many thanks for your letter of 7 December, 2010, concerning the presence of BAE Systems at the Guardian London Graduate Fair From The Careers Group, October 2010. Please accept my apologies for the delay in responding.
The Careers Group, University of London, is required to maximise the provision of graduate career opportunities for students. BAE Systems exhibits at the recruitment fair as a major, legitimate employer of graduates from UK Universities. Given the continued demand for BAE Systems graduate recruitment places from graduates, The Careers Group could not justify refusing them a presence at its events.
Best regards
Anne-Marie
Anne-Marie Martin
President, Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS) and Director,
The Careers Group, University of London
Stewart House
32 Russell Square
London
WC1B 5DN
www.careers.lon.ac.uk
Tel: 020 7863 6002
The University of London is an exempt charity in England and Wales and a charity registered in Scotland (reg. no. SC041194)
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OUR RESPONSE: SENT 24.01.11
Dear Anne-Marie,
Many thanks for your response to my letter concerning the presence of BAE Systems at the Guardian Graduate Fair.
I would like to again query your stance in relation to the Careers Group's Code of Practice, which states that it “reserves the right not to advertise vacancies for employment of a nature it deems might be liable to bring the University into disrepute.”
BAE trade with what the Foreign Office's Human Rights report classes as “major countries of concern” such as Saudi Arabia, Israel and Pakistan. It has admitted to poor ethical standards (1) and to charges of false accounting and making misleading statements (2) in relation to allegations of corruption, resulting in a $400m (£257m) criminal fine in the US.
More recently in December 2010 BAE was fined £30million and the Judge Mr Justice Bean made damning remarks in closing. He expressed surprise that although the accounting "mistake" to which the company pleaded guilty was "the result of a deliberate decision by one or more officers" of BAE and the appointment of the marketing advisor, to whom huge payments were made, "was approved personally by the chairman of BAE" (Sir Richard Evans), no individual was charged.
The judge accepted that there was no evidence that BAE was party to an agreement to corrupt. But as he noted, they "did not need to be" because the company had explicitly structured its payments to the marketing adviser in Tanzania via offshore companies so that they "placed them at two or three removes from any shady activity".
If the Careers Group does not see that the association and the financial gain it receives from BAE Systems being part of the exhibition is liable to bring the university into disrepute, please could you explain exactly what type of company would be refused a presence at one of your events?
You state that BAE Systems is a major employer, which seems an exaggeration given that they only offer 200 graduate places each year, which is small in comparison to companies like PwC or Deloitte that offer 1000. A mere 0.2% (3) of the UK workforce are employed by arms companies to produce weapons for export – therefore BAE Systems cannot be seen as a major employer as the numbers they employ constitute only a small percentage of this figure. Furthermore BAE Systems announced 9,000 (4) job losses in 2010 – again this shows that BAE Systems is not the best choice to 'maximize the provision of graduate opportunities'. Indeed the company is actively moving jobs to new home markets like the US. (5)
You also say there is a major demand from graduates for opportunities to meet BAE Systems so could you elaborate on how this is this assessed? Surely exhibiting at the fair creates a demand? Why not provide a platform for employers that provide socially productive and responsible careers like rather than promoting the arms trade? For example, alternative energy demands many of the same technical skills the arms industry requires which Sandy Wilson, MD of General Dynamics UK (6) (a major arms company boss) has acknowledged.
We will be pursuing this campaign through the media and other outlets and would remind you that student representatives have lent their support to this initiative.
Warmest regards,
Abi
(1) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/industry/2789469/BAE-Systems-admits-to-ethical-shortcomings.html
(2) http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/21/bae-fined-illicit-payments-middleman
(3) http://www.caat.org.uk/issues/jobs/
(4) http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/nov/28/bae-9000-uk-job-cuts
(5) http://www.caat.org.uk/issues/jobs/bae_jobs_graph.php
(6) http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmselect/cmdfence/c451-i/c45101.htm
Dear Abi
Many thanks for your letter of 7 December, 2010, concerning the presence of BAE Systems at the Guardian London Graduate Fair From The Careers Group, October 2010. Please accept my apologies for the delay in responding.
The Careers Group, University of London, is required to maximise the provision of graduate career opportunities for students. BAE Systems exhibits at the recruitment fair as a major, legitimate employer of graduates from UK Universities. Given the continued demand for BAE Systems graduate recruitment places from graduates, The Careers Group could not justify refusing them a presence at its events.
Best regards
Anne-Marie
Anne-Marie Martin
President, Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS) and Director,
The Careers Group, University of London
Stewart House
32 Russell Square
London
WC1B 5DN
www.careers.lon.ac.uk
Tel: 020 7863 6002
The University of London is an exempt charity in England and Wales and a charity registered in Scotland (reg. no. SC041194)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OUR RESPONSE: SENT 24.01.11
Dear Anne-Marie,
Many thanks for your response to my letter concerning the presence of BAE Systems at the Guardian Graduate Fair.
I would like to again query your stance in relation to the Careers Group's Code of Practice, which states that it “reserves the right not to advertise vacancies for employment of a nature it deems might be liable to bring the University into disrepute.”
BAE trade with what the Foreign Office's Human Rights report classes as “major countries of concern” such as Saudi Arabia, Israel and Pakistan. It has admitted to poor ethical standards (1) and to charges of false accounting and making misleading statements (2) in relation to allegations of corruption, resulting in a $400m (£257m) criminal fine in the US.
More recently in December 2010 BAE was fined £30million and the Judge Mr Justice Bean made damning remarks in closing. He expressed surprise that although the accounting "mistake" to which the company pleaded guilty was "the result of a deliberate decision by one or more officers" of BAE and the appointment of the marketing advisor, to whom huge payments were made, "was approved personally by the chairman of BAE" (Sir Richard Evans), no individual was charged.
The judge accepted that there was no evidence that BAE was party to an agreement to corrupt. But as he noted, they "did not need to be" because the company had explicitly structured its payments to the marketing adviser in Tanzania via offshore companies so that they "placed them at two or three removes from any shady activity".
If the Careers Group does not see that the association and the financial gain it receives from BAE Systems being part of the exhibition is liable to bring the university into disrepute, please could you explain exactly what type of company would be refused a presence at one of your events?
You state that BAE Systems is a major employer, which seems an exaggeration given that they only offer 200 graduate places each year, which is small in comparison to companies like PwC or Deloitte that offer 1000. A mere 0.2% (3) of the UK workforce are employed by arms companies to produce weapons for export – therefore BAE Systems cannot be seen as a major employer as the numbers they employ constitute only a small percentage of this figure. Furthermore BAE Systems announced 9,000 (4) job losses in 2010 – again this shows that BAE Systems is not the best choice to 'maximize the provision of graduate opportunities'. Indeed the company is actively moving jobs to new home markets like the US. (5)
You also say there is a major demand from graduates for opportunities to meet BAE Systems so could you elaborate on how this is this assessed? Surely exhibiting at the fair creates a demand? Why not provide a platform for employers that provide socially productive and responsible careers like rather than promoting the arms trade? For example, alternative energy demands many of the same technical skills the arms industry requires which Sandy Wilson, MD of General Dynamics UK (6) (a major arms company boss) has acknowledged.
We will be pursuing this campaign through the media and other outlets and would remind you that student representatives have lent their support to this initiative.
Warmest regards,
Abi
(1)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/industry/2789469/BAE-Systems-admits-to-ethical-shortcomings.html (2)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/21/bae-fined-illicit-payments-middleman (3)
http://www.caat.org.uk/issues/jobs/ (4)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/nov/28/bae-9000-uk-job-cuts (5)
http://www.caat.org.uk/issues/jobs/bae_jobs_graph.php (6)
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmselect/cmdfence/c451-i/c45101.htm 
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