Swansea University Employability Academy (SEA) has won the Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity category at this year's Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS) Awards for Excellence.
The AGCAS Awards for Excellence encourage, celebrate and share good practice amongst higher education (HE) careers and employability practitioners, and their partner organisations.
The Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity category, supported by Symplicity, acknowledges initiatives that identify areas of under-representation and are making a difference.
SEA has been recognised for its involvement in the RE:Action 24/7 programme, a collaboration between several UK universities and TG Consulting, an agency that connects educators, students and employers.
RE:Action 24/7 supports the ambitions and aptitudes of those from lower socio-economic backgrounds looking to advance their career.
The programme provides vital support for students as they compete for graduate-level jobs and offers a wealth of resources, including:
- Training on inspirational themes, such as 'Accepting who you are and harnessing your diversity' and 'Cultivating a winning mindset and building resilience'.
- Talks from aspirational and representative figures.
- Workshops and reflection sessions.
- Employer-led Q&As.
Through RE:Action 24/7, more than 3,000 students facing socio-cultural bias have experienced a sense of belonging and increased their confidence.
Of the winner, the AGCAS Final Judging Panel said: "The RE:Action 24/7 programme really stood out for the judges in a competitive category for its collaborative approach, the strength of the feedback from participants and the strong impact measures.
"The judges were particularly impressed by the way the students responded to the programme and they liked the focus on improving feelings of confidence and belonging."
Lucy Griffiths, Head of Swansea University Employability Academy, said: "Equality, diversity and inclusivity is at the heart of all we do in SEA, so we were delighted to win this award following on from our five AGCAS nominations.
"The outcomes achieved during the first iteration of the RE:Action 24/7 programme are outstanding and testament to the leadership of TG Consulting, sponsorship by Enterprise Rent-A-Car, and incredible partnership working of Swansea University alongside Leeds Beckett University, Aston University, Edge Hill University, Middlesex University, Queen Mary University of London and the University of Greenwich.
"I'm pleased to say that we will continue this fruitful partnership with Tonia Galati and the team and look forward to seeing where this takes us."
Tonia Galati, TG Consulting Ltd Director, said: " We are delighted that our RE:Action 24/7 partnership has been recognised through the AGCAS Awards for Excellence.
"The programme has enabled us to provide opportunities for lots of students across our partner universities, and we know it has made a really positive impact. We at TG Consulting can't wait to run the programme again this autumn."
Winners were announced at the AGCAS Awards for Excellence presentation on 22 June 2022, a complete list of which can be found on the AGCAS website.