Careers award for innovative partnership

Edge Hill University's Careers Centre has won a prestigious award for leading the way in employability through a unique partnership with Enterprise Rent-A-Car (ERAC).

The University and the second largest graduate recruiter have scooped the award in the AGCAS Careers Service Partnership Employer category for their innovative approach in working together over the last 10 years.

AGCAS awards encourage, reward and share good practice amongst Higher Education careers practitioners by promoting high-quality, creative and collaborative projects and high professional standards across the full range of HE careers work.

The award has been given to Edge Hill and ERAC for their shared goals, values, good practice and the benefits that this partnership brings to everyone involved.

Head of Careers, Jacqui Howe, said: "We are delighted to receive such a prestigious award that acknowledges our continued dedication to enhancing the career prospects of our students. Here at Edge Hill we always strive to ensure our students are a step ahead of the rest in securing that graduate job. By having unique partnerships with companies like Enterprise Rent-A-Car it really benefits everybody involved and I'm glad that this has been recognised through winning this award.

"When we first formed our partnership over 10 years ago, we were both small, but we have grown together and this is reflected in our achievements. For example, Edge Hill has been shortlisted, for the third time in five years, in the Times Higher Education Award for the UK's University of the Year 2011 title, while ERAC has won numerous accolades and is now one of the largest graduate recruiters. Progressing from one-off visits, ERAC are now integrated into the University's curriculum across departments including Sport, Geography and Business. They deliver modules, they assess and validate and give lots of support. The partnership's extraordinary efficacy is most clearly illustrated by the positive feedback from staff, students and the company."

Donna Miller, European HR Director, ERAC, added: "Instilling employability across the curriculum is key to an undergraduate/graduate's success and career direction. Through developing their knowledge and theory of transferable skills, we can give students an invaluable ‘real life' perspective of the commercial environment and expectations of the ‘world of work', which in turn increases their awareness of what they need to do to be successful and gain a graduate-level job at the end of their degree."

Staff and students have been full of praise for the organisation's unique way of working with the University, especially around developing employability skills.

Jacquie said: "As a result of this partnership, our students have gained first-hand knowledge of what employers are looking for. We are a leader in the way we work with employers and to win this national award enhances our reputation further across the Higher Education sector."

For further information about the Careers Centre and the services provided, visit www.edgehill.ac.uk/careers.