UK recognition for new student employment initiative

Members of Aberystwyth University’s Department of Careers and Employability receiving the Building Effective Partnerships Award at the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services Annual Conference.

Members of Aberystwyth University’s Department of Careers and Employability receiving the Building Effective Partnerships Award at the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services Annual Conference.

19 July 2024

An Aberystwyth University initiative to improve the job prospects of students less likely to attend university has been recognised at a major UK awards ceremony.

Launched in December 2023, the Employability e-Hub has already generated over 2 million views on social media, with over 100,000 clicks through to the online hub by its target audience.

Described as “impressive” by the judges, the e-Hub received the Building Effective Partnerships Award at the recently held Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services Annual Conference (AGCAS).

Created by the University’s Careers Service in partnership with other Welsh universities and the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW), it builds students' confidence in their skills and employability and guides them towards securing graduate-level employment after they leave university.

Bev Herring, Head of Careers and Employability at Aberystwyth University said:  “It was a great privilege to be able to accept on behalf of Aberystwyth University (Careers Service) the AGCAS Excellence Award for ‘Building Effective Partnerships’. The award recognises one of many innovatively inclusive and collaborative employability approaches undertaken by the University Career Service. 

“More widely, the award also showcases our commitment institutionally towards collaborative working and the use of digital advancements to enhance the employability of our students and graduates as part of the newly launched employability strategy. 

“Special thanks go to Lewis Richards our Careers Readiness Support Manager who led on the e-Hub initiative, our Welsh university partners, and our funding partners HEFCW (now Medyr)”, she added.

Providing a comprehensive support system for students, the e-Hub fosters an inclusive and supportive environment that has 

significantly enhanced employability prospects for underrepresented groups.

Commenting on the winning entry, the judges said: “This commendable partnership is clearly having a transformative impact on students and graduates. The scale of collaboration across multiple institutions and the digital aspect are truly impressive.”

The Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS) is the expert membership organisation for higher education student career development and graduate employment professionals. AGCAS has around 5,000 individual members and affiliates from 165 higher education institutions.