Student Employability Achievement Award

The Student Employability Achievement Award celebrates a student who has purposefully enhanced their employability through engagement in a variety of activities both at the University of Newcastle and in the wider community. The recipient will have evidence of their involvement in these activities, and have demonstrated ability to reflect on their employability skills in relation to their career plan.

Selection Criteria

The award recognises the personal and professional development and insight gained from involvement in activities above and beyond a student’s academic studies.

For example, the student may have undertaken a combination of the following:

• participation in extra and co-curricular activities available within the University of Newcastle, such as leadership programs, mentoring programs, etc.
• volunteer opportunities either on campus or in the wider community, e.g., with a sporting club, government, school, charity, or community organisation
• employment held during their studies whether casual, part-time or full-time
• active involvement in clubs and societies within the University
• participation in elective or directed Work Integrated Learning courses which may have involved placements, project-based learning, fieldwork or similar
• enhancement of their personal branding through the creation of an e-portfolio, LinkedIn profile or career blogging
• creation of their own business
• participation in global mobility programs such as study abroad or international study tours
• active networking through involvement in discipline related associations
• completion of additional professional development courses to support their employability knowledge or enhance their discipline knowledge

Eligibility

Nomination is open for all students from the University of Newcastle. This includes students who completed their studies at the end of Semester 1, Trimester 1, or Trimester 2. Nominations must reflect the following definition: “Graduate Employability means that higher education alumni have developed the capacity to obtain and/or create work” (Kinash, Crane, Judd et al., 2015). Employability, therefore, is not just about gaining employment, it is about a broader set of skills and attributes that will enable a graduate to be successful throughout their working life.

For a nomination to be eligible a nominator must be a business/industry/community partner, University staff member or current student.

View our Nomination Guidelines and FAQs for more information on the nomination process.