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The careers team at Æß²ÊÖ±²¥ Leicester (Æß²ÊÖ±²¥) has been named the best in the country. 

Æß²ÊÖ±²¥ beat nine other nominees to be awarded the title of Higher Education Careers Employability Team of the Year at the 2024 targetjobs National Graduate Recruitment Awards. 

Richard Bowden, Head of Careers and Graduate Success at Æß²ÊÖ±²¥, said the recognition was particularly significant because of the scope of the awards. 

He said: “This is a well-respected award ceremony, not just in higher education but widely across the country. The standard and scale of the organisations involved is very high. 

“And then there’s the nominees: we were up against the best university careers teams in the country, services and staff we very much admire.   

“So, to take home the title is a real achievement for the whole team and I think it reflects the work we’ve done to evolve and improve what we do. 

“It shows us that the initiatives we have developed, which have been quite new, are actually what industries are looking for and this means we are offering careers support which genuinely makes a difference for our students and graduates.” 

The category recognises the significant impact that a university’s employability team has made in the last academic year. The 2022/23 academic year was particularly exciting for the Æß²ÊÖ±²¥ Careers Team as it launched its Careers Hub, a drop-in centre located in the Hugh Aston Building designed for students seeking advice in boosting their career prospects. 

The team has also created an Employer Advisory Panel, comprising 20 employers based in the East Midlands who congregate twice a year to discuss recruitment trends and employability themes. This cohesion between industry and academia has enabled the Careers Team to identify skill gaps in the region’s economy and support graduates looking for work in Leicester after they graduate. 

A new initiative, Training Day, was also launched and saw employers conduct training sessions with 166 students in areas including coding, project management, resilience and leadership, and interpreting stats and data.