UoG wins new national award celebrating excellence in higher education for trailblazing initiative

University of Gloucestershire has won a new national award celebrating excellence in education in recognition of a trailblazing initiative supporting students to develop skills for global careers.

The University’s School of Business, Computing and Social Sciences received the International Employability and Global Skills Award at the inaugural Academic Employability Awards for the positive contribution of its annual Make An Impact initiative.

Launched in 2021, Make An Impact was originally designed to support Small and Medium-sized Enterprises by providing research-based, business-focused solutions to real-world challenges. 

Run over two days, the initiative has since proved so successful that it has been expanded beyond business-related courses to provide opportunities for all international undergraduate and postgraduate students to work collaboratively on a live client brief tailored to the students’ academic disciplines.

Examples include Human Resource Management students working with Müller to develop initiatives for its graduate internship programme, and International Business Management students collaborating with International Trade Matters to explore innovative approaches to sourcing critical minerals essential to the UK economy. 

International students who have participated in Make An Impact said benefits included improved problem-solving, leadership and communication skills, while employers welcomed the innovative solutions and unique insights that emerged to support their business.

In the citation for the University’s award, the judges said: “This initiative provides employability skills development to new Postgraduate international students, it has a good amount of impact through student and employer contributions.”

Professor Cathia Jenainati, Head of the University’s School of Business, Computing and Social Sciences, said: “We’re absolutely delighted and immensely proud that the success of our Make An Impact initiative in enhancing the learning experience of our students has been celebrated at the first ever Academic Employability Awards.

“The positive difference made by Make an Impact is rooted in the strong collaboration between our academic staff and leadership teams to ensure our students receive the support they need to develop their talents and fulfil their potential.

“Spearheaded by Dr Emily Beaumont, Associate Professor of Enterprise and Entrepreneurship, in partnership with our Student Futures team, this fantastic initiative empowers students to collaborate effectively on a live client brief, showcase their professional skills, and enhance the quality of their project outcomes.

“Our international students play a vital role in shaping our welcoming and inclusive university community. Their presence enriches cultural diversity across our campuses and offers all students meaningful opportunities to explore new perspectives and broaden their global outlook.”

Transforming student futures

The Academic Employability Awards are a prestigious new set of awards for the higher education sector in the UK and Ireland. The awards celebrate excellence in teaching employability skills in the curriculum and provide a platform to share good practice across the higher education sector.

The awards are delivered by the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS), in partnership with Universities UK, GuildHE, and the Institute of Student Employers, and corporate sponsors Gradcore and Virtual Internships.

Martin Edmondson, CEO of AGCAS, said: “The exceptional standard of submissions underscores the pioneering work being done to integrate employability into teaching, assessment, and curriculum design.

“These initiatives are not only transforming student futures but also addressing the skills needs of employers and the wider economy.”

Featured image: Professor Cathia Jenainati (centre) with the International Employability and Global Skills Award