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Graduates need more than academic knowledge and skills to stand out from the crowd in today’s competitive global job market.
Will you help promote the employability of our graduates?
The issue
Competition in the global employment market is fiercer than ever.
Employers expect much more from prospective graduate recruits than a good degree. Taking part in extra-curricular activities encourages students to develop a range of skills, such as leadership, organisation, communication and teamwork - great preparation for the world of work and a way to stand out from the crowd.
Our solution
The Nottingham Advantage Award offers students the chance to develop the competencies, learning and evaluation skills that employers seek in graduates. Launched in 2008, the Award is voluntary and is open to students at our UK, China and Malaysia campuses.
Students choose modules, which focus on developing key attributes, such as oral and written communication, teamwork, self management and learner autonomy, problem solving and critical thinking, commercial awareness, information technology and numeracy, environmental citizenship and employability and a global perspective.
The emphasis upon reflective practice is built into all modules and allows students to develop greater self-awareness and techniques for self-improvement. Over 75% of the modules are delivered in collaboration with employers, helping students to associate academic learning with the professional context of the global employment market.
Our impact
The Nottingham Advantage Award provides formal recognition of the student’s employability skills, promoting them as flexible, adaptable employees of the future to support their transition into the global job market.
What will your Impact be?
Your support for
Nottingham Advantage Award will have a genuine impact on the success of our students in today’s fiercely competitive
global job market.
Quotes
Nottingham Advantage Award allows you to demonstrate core competencies in something other than your academic programme. We encourage students to stand out, to embrace opportunities like.
Kate Wigglesworth, Group Training Manager, Enterprise Rent-A-Car
We’re proud to be associated with the Nottingham Advantage award - it is a great way to develop skills over and above other students.
Imogen O'Mahony, Student hire, PwC.
Nottingham’s Advantage Award is a great opportunity for students to develop their skill set to aid them in any recruitment process. We often find that candidates who have attended employability sessions outperform those who haven’t, giving them the much sought-after edge in today’s competitive market.
Lizzie McCoy, Marketing Executive - Midlands KPMG.
We really value students who have been involved in the Award - it gives you great experience to put on your CV.
Rachel Kershaw, Graduate Recruitment, Teach First
As part of the Advantage Award we work with students to explore what it takes to lead. Research has shown us that leaders who are aware of themselves and their impact perform better than those with a high IQ coupled with low levels of self-awareness.
Jenni Smyth, Talent and Development, Experian
Save the Children is delighted to be involved in the Advantage Award. We’re extremely keen to engage with an audience that can truly make a difference. We believe that students and young people have this power. The key skills that you will gain will stand you in good stead to make a real impact in the workplace when you leave University.
Paul Grundy, Community Fundraising Executive, Save the Children.
Nottingham Advantage Award provides you with opportunities to identify your skills and reflect upon what you are learning, which is great preparation for the world of work. Deloitte are actively involved in delivering workshops as part of the Award to help students develop the kinds of skills that will appeal to potential recruiters.
Darren Page, Graduate Recruitment, Deloitte LLP.
The Nottingham Advantage Award is a great opportunity for you to demonstrate that you've taken a proactive approach to develop and expand your skills and will be extremely attractive to future employers. Taking part in extra-curricular activities is great but it is the reflection on your learning and how these activities have improved your skills in teamwork, organisation, communication and leadership that will help you stand out from the crowd.
Zoe Dunnett, Graduate Attraction Manager, BT
We really believe in the value that the Advantage Award can add in helping students to gain essential skills/competencies to help them obtain the career they want.
Tab Ahmad, Managing Director, Employability
Martineau is delighted to be involved in the Nottingham Advantage Award module, which provides students with an invaluable insight into work practice in specific areas of legal practice, at a crucial time in their careers.
Claire Darley, Senior Associate, Family Group, MARTINEAU
A graduate today can fully expect to still be in the world of work in 2058. The one thing we can be certain of is that we will be applying skills that we haven’t even thought of today. We will have to relearn and relearn and relearn. Being able to think laterally, having good analytical skills, being an effective communicator… employers are beginning to ask ‘Where are we going to find these skills?
Carl Gilleard, CEO of the Association of Graduate Recruiters, Times Higher Education (January 2009)
We believe that when people take steps to manage their money better, they can live better too. Our ambition is that money management becomes the norm for people in our society. The Advantage Award teaches essential life and employability skills such as better money management that will help you secure the best possible future.
Julia Owens, HE Specialist, Consumer Financial Education Body (CFEB)
In addition to acquiring the strong academic and technical knowledge required for many roles, our graduates and postgraduates also need the employability skills and positive attitude that employers value in every new recruit.
Employers will train their employees to do their jobs but they expect graduates to have the broad range of abilities to make a smooth transition to the workplace. Graduates should be willing to learn and develop, bring new ideas and contribute to the business’ development and future growth.
The majority of businesses say employability skills are an important factor they consider when recruiting graduates and ensuring universities provide their students with the opportunity to develop in this area should be a priority.
Today’s graduates are not just competing for jobs with their counterparts from the university in the next county or city, but those from other countries and continents.
Richard Lambert, Director of CBI, Future Fit Report 2009