Higher education award to give students the edge

A new higher education award is set to make students from Oaklands and University Campus St Albans stand out from the crowd when they meet potential employers.

The Aspire Higher Education Employability Award combines work experience placements and training in skills like CV writing and interviewing, which will give students the edge when they look for a job after finishing their studies on higher education programmes.

The award is a collaboration between business adviser Wenta, Clydesdale Bank, Oaklands College and University Campus St Albans (UCSA), which is a joint venture between the College and the University of Hertfordshire.

Stephen Fox, Director of Higher Education at Oaklands and UCSA, said: “We want our students to stand out from the crowd. We know that the combination of a good education and relevant work experience will give our students the edge when it comes to getting the job they want. This award will help give our students the skills and real life work experiences they need to broaden their career opportunities and make them more desirable to employers.”

Kelly Sapwell, Wenta’s Education Support Co-ordinator, said: “We are very proud to be involved in this project. With employers continually looking favourably towards applicants with real life work experience this will be a fantastic opportunity for students to earn while they learn. We are excited to be part of a project that will really benefit students in their careers for years to come.”

David Clarke, Head of Clydesdale Bank’s Business and Private Banking Centre in St Albans, said: “Clydesdale Bank is delighted to be supporting the Aspire Award which seeks to ready dedicated and talented students for the workplace by honing their employment skills and placing them in the best possible position to obtain employment within their chosen career.”

Sian Green, 20, who is studying a Foundation Degree in Business, said: “I signed up to the scheme because I want to improve my employability and improve my CV, which is quite important given the current job market.”