The University of Kent today (6 September) welcomed the news that its Employability Points Scheme (EPS) has been shortlisted in the Outstanding Support for Students category of this year’s Times Higher Education (THE) Awards.
These awards, now in their seventh year, celebrate the excellence and achievements of the UK’s higher education institutions.
Launched in September 2010, EPS was designed to encourage, support and enhance the extracurricular personal and work-skills development of individual students through active engagement in a range of self-selected activities such as student mentoring, volunteering, part-time employment, international study and language study. Points are awarded for each activity and at an end-of-year ceremony students with the highest points are presented with prizes such as training programmes, paid internships and vouchers, all of which are sponsored by organisations or companies.
Between July 2011 and June 2012, almost 2,000 under- and post-graduates and 86 sponsor companies (including Tesco, Penguin Books, National Trust, Kent County Council, Canterbury Cathedral Trust and Coca-Cola Enterprises) have participated in the Scheme. Its uniqueness and rapid success have attracted the attention of the government’s Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), as well as FE colleges (Canterbury College) and international HEIs such as the University of Marburg.
EPS is managed by Kent Enterprise Hub within the University’s business services unit (Kent Innovation & Enterprise), with input from its Unit for the Enhancement of Learning & Teaching, Careers & Employability Service, and Kent Union.
The University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dame Julia M Goodfellow, said: ‘We are all very pleased that the Employability Points Scheme has been acknowledged in this way. In a short period of time it has become extremely popular with students and sponsors alike, all of whom recognise and are excited by the many opportunities and benefits it provides. We offer our congratulations to all those who have helped make the Scheme such a success, and wish them all the best for the forthcoming awards ceremony.’
The winners of the 2012 THE Awards will be announced at an event to be held on 29 November.