Kingston University’s sector-leading Future Skills approach recognised with two Institute of Student Employers awards

Kingston University scooped two leading accolades at the prestigious Institute of Student Employers (ISE) Awards – recognising the impact of its Future Skills programme in preparing students for career success. 

The University took home prizes in both the Best University and Employer Engagement Strategy category and, for its collaboration with Gradcore, the Outstanding University Employer or Solution Provider Partnership category.

Both awards centred around activity being delivered through Explore – the second phase of the sector-leading Future Skills programme – which sits at the heart of the University’s Town House Strategy. Explore was introduced to more than 4,000 students across the second-year undergraduate curriculum last September.

The Best University and Employer Engagement Strategy award recognised the University’s work with employers, who were brought in to co-create a range of industry-relevant experiences for Explore. These included live briefs, hackathon innovation events, placements, site visits, and work shadowing opportunities.

The judging panel praised the University’s research-informed vision, strong collaboration, inclusive strategy, and exceptional student engagement. They also highlighted the ambition of the Future Skills programme, which is designed to ensure all students are equipped the skills most needed by industry through the development of nine key graduate attributes, and noted its long-term potential.

The University also won the Outstanding University Employer or Solution Provider Partnership category for its work with Gradcore in delivering simulated assessment centre experiences for its students during Explore. These sessions help second-year students hone skills in readiness for the graduate recruitment process through exercises facilitated by industry professionals. They are tailored to the Future Skills graduate attributes and most were held at the nearby Twickenham Stoop Stadium to recreate the head office environment of an employer.

The judging panel said Kingston University and Gradcore’s collaboration exemplified a true strategic and deeply collaborative partnership, aligned to student outcomes, employer needs, and institutional strategy. They also praised the assessment centres for being supported by robust qualitative and quantitative metrics.

Olivia Trodden, the University's Associate Director of Careers and Employability, said the award recognition was a real endorsement of the transformative impact of the Future Skills programme. “Equipping our students with the human-centric skills needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving workplace is not only vital for their future success, it’s also essential to meeting the evolving needs of our employer partners,” she said. “We’re delighted that the hard work and commitment of our staff, in working with employers and with Gradcore to help them develop these core skills, has been recognised in these awards.” 

Natalie Emmanuel, Managing Director of Gradcore, said the success in the Outstanding University Employer or Solution Provider Partnership category reflected the depth of collaboration, ambition and mutual trust that underpins the partnership.

“We’re proud to have played a central role in delivering a high-impact employability experience within Kingston’s sector-leading Future Skills initiative through our large-scale assessment centre simulation,” she said. “Each year, more than 4,000 students benefit from opportunities that build confidence, develop real-world skills, and prepare them for life beyond university, all through a realistic, supportive, and professionally delivered mock assessment centre that brings graduate recruitment to life.”

The final phase of Kingston University’s undergraduate Future Skills programme, Apply, will roll out across the third-year curriculum this September. The programme is informed by the University’s research with industry, including surveys conducted in partnership with YouGov of more than 2,000 business leaders. The University recently launched its fourth Future Skills report at the House of Commons, which features the results of its latest survey of UK businesses alongside research produced by Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.

The awards took place at the ISE Recruitment Conference in Birmingham in June.  

• Find out more about the ISE Awards