The Work Ready Award (WRA) is designed to support you in your employment journey. In this blog, we break down what it is, its benefits and the experiences of some of our students.
By April Baniqued. Published 7 October 2024.
What is it?
The WRA prepares our students for the real world of work. You can take part in many employability-related activities which will equip you with the skills and experience recruiters and employers are looking for.
You earn points when you participate in these opportunities, which you can track to unlock award badges: bronze, silver, and gold. For a competitive edge in the job market, display your badge on LinkedIn and add the experiences to your CV.
How does it work?
Our students can sign up to the WRA at the start of their intake. There are a range of opportunities including:
- Lectures
- Networking events
- Professional development activities
- Volunteering
- Extracurricular talks and conferences
- Free eligible online courses
- Student events and activities
You can also earn points by including any part-time jobs or internships you participate in.
Many of the activities are hosted or supported by our Employability team. Sally Docherty, Placements Manager for the Business and Sciences Employability team says:
“The WRA is such a fun and rewarding way for students to grow confidence and new skills. We have been delighted to see so many students making the most of their time at the University and picking up points by attending events, growing their networks, securing work experience and engaging in cultural activities.
“For many, the WRA will be a valuable talking point for future job interviews and an eye-catching feature of their LinkedIn profile to help them stand out as truly work-ready candidates.”
Our students
So far, 85 of our students have enrolled in the WRA and we have awarded 80 badges, 13 at gold level. We spoke to some of them to learn about their experiences and to share their valuable advice.
How has the WRA helped you?
Syed Muhammad Faraz - MSc Project Management
“The WRA was incredibly motivating for me. The structured framework, combined with the opportunity to track my progress, provided a clear path towards achieving my career goals. I found it rewarding to see my skills and knowledge develop over time.
“The recognition and validation I received upon achieving the gold level was a significant boost to my confidence. I'll feature it on my LinkedIn profile, highlighting the specific skills and experiences I gained. This will serve as a visual representation of my commitment to professional development. I'll also incorporate the WRA into my CV, providing tangible evidence of my employability skills. I believe that showcasing my WRA success will significantly enhance my chances of securing interviews and landing my dream job.”
Sam Varghese Sabu - MSc Cybersecurity Management
“My WRA success will serve me well in a number of ways. Employers value this particular certification. I'll include it on my resume and LinkedIn profile to show potential employers that I've actively worked to hone a variety of important employability skills. I will use award-related activities as examples in interviews to demonstrate my abilities in teamwork, communication, and time management.
“I could easily see how I had changed over time by segmenting the award into phases. I remained interested and inspired to keep going forward because the program encouraged me to regularly evaluate my areas of strength and improvement.”
Vinaymohan Khabia - MSc Business Analytics
“It helped me grow my network and attain real-time knowledge enabling me to improvise my current skill sets.
“After every step, your score increases and motivates you to achieve more leading to the gold WRA award. I will surely be adding the WRA to my CV and post on LinkedIn as this is a very prestigious and valuable award that gets noticed by recruiters.”
Decima Fernando - MSc Project Management
"As an international student in the UK, I’ve found that work experience is highly valued by employers. The WRA has been a great opportunity for me to prove that I possess the necessary skills and experience. More than just a certificate, it showed me a clear path to becoming work ready.
“I am determined to continue following the guidance I received through the WRA. To highlight my achievement, I shared my gold medal from the WRA on LinkedIn and added it to my CV. I truly appreciate the support and guidance provided by the University through this award."
What employability activities can students participate in?
Syed Muhammad Faraz - MSc Project Management
“To advance through the WRA stages, I recorded a variety of activities that demonstrated my employability skills:
- Professional development workshops: Attending workshops on topics such as effective communication, time management, and leadership.
- Volunteering: Contributing to community projects and gaining valuable experience in teamwork and problem-solving.
- Part-time work: Holding part-time jobs that allowed me to apply my academic knowledge and develop practical skills.
- Personal projects: Pursuing personal initiatives that demonstrated my initiative, creativity, and ability to work independently.”
Sam Varghese Sabu - MSc Cybersecurity Management
“I was able to record a wide range of activities. These included group projects, internships, and volunteering, all of which helped me build and demonstrate key employability skills.
“I also attended workshops and career fairs that provided networking opportunities and insights into professional development.”
Vinaymohan Khabia - MSc Business Analytics
“The major activities that I was able to record were firstly working part-time, volunteering, attending events related to my course, communicating and understanding cultures of other students of different ethnicities.”
Decima Fernando - MSc Project Management
“Through workshops, training programs, and festivals led by industry experts, I gained invaluable insights. Hearing their personal stories was incredibly motivating. The interview practice sessions also gave me a better understanding of the types of interviews I’ll face in the future.”
Would you recommend the WRA?
Syed Muhammad Faraz - MSc Project Management
“I strongly encourage all new students to sign up for the WRA. It's a fantastic opportunity to develop essential employability skills, gain a competitive edge in the job market and make the most of your university experience.
“The WRA is not only beneficial for securing employment but also for personal growth and development.”
Sam Varghese Sabu - MSc Cybersecurity Management
“I am overjoyed to have received the WRA silver level. I've had a great opportunity to consider and highlight my employability skills thanks to this award. It gave me real-world experience and taught me how to turn my skills into something that would make me stand out to employers.
“To all students hoping to advance in their careers, I heartily recommend the WRA. It's a great method to monitor your development and make sure you're acquiring the abilities that companies value. Don't be scared to venture outside of your comfort zone and try new things.
“In a competitive job market, having this certification can help you stand out.”
Vinaymohan Khabia - MSc Business Analytics
“I would recommend every student to sign up for the WRA because it’s not only an award but also a progression of learning, skill development and networking. This award makes your student journey truly remarkable and all students will surely get benefit by signing up.”
More employability support
The WRA is just one way we support our students in getting ready for the working world. Not only is employability embedded into all of our courses, our dedicated team offer 1:1 support including interview prep and CV writing, provide access to professional career coaching and developing bespoke professional development plans, inspirational events with industry leaders and so much more.
Learn more about our employability support on our Employability hub
