Why should you do The Bradford Employability Award?

Hi, I'm Jubeda. I'm currently a third-year student on the BEng (Hons) Chemical Engineering course.

Have you heard about The Bradford Employability Award? If not, I will tell you all about it in this blog. 

What is the award?

The Bradford Employability Award is a set of activities you can do while at university to develop various skills and gain experience. The activities you complete are recorded in your Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR), which includes information such as academic achievements and extra-curricular activities endorsed by the University.

How does the award work?

The award works on a points-based system. To complete it, you need to gain 50 points, with at least 25 points coming from core career planning activities. These can include attending careers workshops, booking guidance appointments, improving your CV, or taking part in career-related events. Once completed, you receive formal recognition, including a certificate, alongside your HEAR record.

This is a great way to boost your skillset and show employers your work beyond the classroom.

Why should you get involved?

The list of activities you can do to achieve the award is massive. There are over 40 activities you can do; anything from being an active career planner, doing ambassador work for the Uni, becoming a student representative, taking part in community volunteering, or even participating in international opportunities can help you work towards completing it.

Do one that you enjoy, and you will not even feel that it is a chore.

My journey with the award

I have enjoyed the activities I have done so far. I volunteered as a student representative and a Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) Leader, which gave me a stronger connection with the Bradford community.

I am also currently working as a Careers Skills Champion, which has given me great insight into developing myself for my future career and the paths I can take.

I have also participated in the Turing Scheme, which was so fun that it didn't even feel like a proper activity; I was just enjoying my time in a foreign country and getting immersed in the culture.

How will the scheme help?

Now the big question is, what’s the benefit?

Well, besides getting official recognition for all your activities, the award is designed to help you develop key employability skills such as leadership, communication, teamwork, resilience, and career planning. Through participating in the scheme, you will actively learn so much that will give you loads of transferable skills in the future.

Personally, my activities have made me more confident and resilient, and helped me gain a sense of leadership. They've improved my communication skills massively. Besides, I have also built a great rapport with the staff heading each scheme, which means I can more easily get reference letters for applying for graduate jobs.

Go for it

Seize the opportunity to engage in these extra activities, and you will thank yourself when you graduate.

Your future, sorted.

Career development is part of the package.

The Bradford Employability Award gives you a structured way to make the most of your time here and develop professionally.