University of Wolverhampton launches student skills award

THE University of Wolverhampton has launched a new award to enable students to gain recognition for their skills and experience.

The Enterprise and Employability Award allows students to show employers that they have gained relevant experience through work placements and voluntary activities.

To achieve the award, students need to carry out various tasks which show they have developed employability skills during their time at university.

These include 60 hours of work experience, volunteering or self-employment, preparing a short presentation on their career plan or a business pitch and analysing their own skills and experience and marketing them in a high standard written application such as a CV.

There are three levels of the award – bronze, silver and gold – that students can work towards, enabling students to develop a portfolio that will act as a useful toolkit for future career planning and job seeking.

The university said it had an impressive employment record for graduates, with 94% of 2013 graduates in work or further study six months after leaving.

Professor Ian Oakes, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, said: “In a competitive jobs market, employers understandably want more than a degree – they want evidence that a student has a range of skills and qualities that will make them an asset to their organisation.

“The new Wolverhampton Enterprise and Employability Award enables students to develop their skills and demonstrate their enterprising nature. We continue to work with employers to ensure we provide students with the opportunities to develop the right skills, experience and attributes for the workplace.”

Students will receive support with working towards the Award from Careers, Enterprise and The Workplace at the university.