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The UEA Award certifies our students' achievements in ways employers value – giving you a competitive advantage in your chosen job market.
UEA students build their employability throughout their time at the university – through their studies, extra-curricular activities and work experience. The UEA Award gives you recognition for the academic and extra-curricular activities you undertake that help develop skills and attributes for employment and life.
Developed in collaboration with academic employability leads, careers professionals and graduate employers, the Award aims to prepare our students for graduate recruitment practices and working life after graduation. It helps you identify what you have to offer to employers and communicate that confidently and effectively in applications and interviews.
How it works
The UEA Award has four levels: Bronze, Silver, Gold and the Award Fellowship. Students complete a certain number of hours of activity to reach each level, and receive a certificates from the university marking their achievements.
What do our students do on the Award?
Bronze level is a series of online activities and related quizzes introducing you to transferable skills and self-reflection, and giving you the foundation for completing the other UEA Award stages.
Silver and Gold levels require short reflections on activities that fall within four categories: Academic, Work-related, Campus and Personal, and Career Management.
The Award Fellowship has been created in response to Gold Award alumni expressing an interest in continuing their reflective journey. It offers the opportunity to learn about other reflective models and offers advice and mentoring to Award students.
How long does it take? And how can students fit the Award around their studies?
We understand the life of a student is busy and their time is precious. We've therefore designed the Award to fit well into busy schedules, with only one submission (minimum) to be made every three months. In working on submissions, students can draw on activities completed up to two years ago so they will already have a wealth of experience to reflect on.
The Award team are on hand to support you as you complete and move between levels, and industry professionals are involved at different stages to offer guidance and feedback.
There are also no deadlines set at any stage of the UEA Award; once students sign up, they have up until three years after graduating to complete it. UEA graduates can also begin their Award journey at any time in the three years since graduation.
What experience do students need to do the UEA Award?
There are no requirements for joining the Award - the programme is open to all UEA students, no matter what stage they may be at with career planning, employability-awareness or self-development.
Some students join with a range of prior experience that they can already reflect on, while others use the Award as motivation to get involved in activities they have not considered before. Either way, although each Award journey is different, those who sign up gain the same benefits.
How does the UEA Award help with long-term job prospects?
The Award gives you a framework to reflect on the academic and extra-curricular activities you take part in during your time at UEA. Students who complete the Award have enhanced confidence and self-esteem, and understand just how much they have to offer to prospective employers. They are self-aware, understand their strengths and are able to communicate them confidently to employers. They are also able to identify areas for development and have the motivation to seek out opportunities to address those.
Award students have essential understanding of recruitment processes, develop a CV that does justice to their experience, and know how to respond to and act on feedback from employers and careers professionals. The involvement of industry professionals also helps those doing the Award to build their own networks and useful contacts. All of these things contribute to building UEA graduates who are more confident and prepared for their future careers.
As well as the career benefits, the process of doing the Award helps students connect with other people and get involved in activities on and off campus, ensuring they get the most out of their university experience.
How do I join the UEA Award
Current students and recent graduates can register to join the UEA Award on the university’s dedicated careers platform, MyCareerCentral.