The close partnership between the University of Aberdeen Careers Service and global energy giant Shell has been recognised with a prestigious national award.
Shell International Ltd has won the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS) Award for Excellence in Careers Service Engagement at the Target Jobs Awards. Shell was nominated by the University's Career Service for the award which was announced last night (March 20) in London. The Target Jobs Awards are the largest graduate recruitment awards in the UK.
Dr Zac Hickman and Dr Joy Perkins have led this partnership from the University side. Dr Hickman said: “This is a great example of how working closely with a major global employer can give our students a head start in an increasingly competitive jobs market.
“We are delighted that Shell has won this award in light of the successful partnership we have built over a number of years. Shell has contributed to all three strands of our employer engagement programme, which are enhancing student employability, supporting our curriculum, and recruiting students and graduates.
“Students tell us how much they value the opportunity to interact with professionals with decades of experience in their own relevant fields, whether subsea, mechanical engineering or geosciences. They are very aware of how this develops their graduate attributes and their skills for the workplace, including discussing technical issues among experts.”
Shell’s contribution to the development of Aberdeen students includes offering dissertation projects for postgraduate Masters students, participating in the career mentoring programme, and contributing to the University’s Careers Service Employer Board which enables employers, professional bodies and community stakeholders to feed in views on graduate skills, employability and the academic curriculum. Shell also delivers curriculum-based sessions including the Malampaya Business Game to engage students directly with real-life business priorities.
The partnership includes events such as student skills development workshops and prizes as part of the University’s STAR (Students Taking Active Roles) awards, supporting female students entering the oil and gas industry through Women’s Technical Careers Speed Networking events, organising a Working with a Disability event, evening presentations to highlight career options for maths and physics students, and participation in the annual Engineering & Technology Careers Fair.
Shell also offers a wide range of work placements and graduate positions for students from a breadth of subject areas.
Clare Brennan, Shell Graduate Recruiter added: “Shell was delighted to be nominated by the University of Aberdeen. We have a great relationship with the University through our Campus Ambassador programme, a relationship we will continue to strengthen given the ongoing importance of employing high calibre graduates to meet the challenges and opportunities we face both in the North Sea and around the world.”