Agenda… What is the Ulster Edge Award? What do I Need to do? When will I receive the Ulster Edge Award? FAQ’s

Career Development Centre Visit our Information Room 13G01 (UUJ), H214 (UUC), MF226 (UUM) Find out who your Career Development Adviser is – http://careers.ulster.ac.uk Make use of Career Development Centre Resources

Factors to consider Did you know that there are over 85 applications for every graduate job Employers are recruiting graduates who not only have a degree but also key transferable skills View what EDGE graduates say

What is the Ulster EDGE Award? An employability Award for F/T Undergraduate Students Provides official recognition and evidence for activities outside your programme of study Taken in addition to your degree You have up to 4 years to complete the award. You will receive it with your degree at graduation

How do you achieve the EDGE? There are 3 steps to complete: 1, 2, 3 Register for the Ulster EDGE Award 2. Choose and complete activities (during the length of your degree programme) a) EDGE Award: complete 4 activities which are NOT all from the same category b) EDGE Excel:  complete 6 activities across 3 categories (no separate registration) **Ensure that each activity is verified within the academic year that you complete the activity**. 3. Apply for the Award (in final year) once you have completed activities Ulster EDGE Award: Written application – (end of April) Ulster EDGE Excel Award : Written application & Employer-led panel interview – (mid April) **Gain the EDGE Excel Award – You will be considered for the ‘EDGE Award student of the Year’**

How do you achieve the EDGE? EDGE: Complete 4 activities (they CAN’T all be from same category) EDGE Excel: Complete 6 activities from across 3 categories Category 1: Accredited co-curricular modules Category 2: Work Experience, Study Abroad and Enterprise Category 3: Internal & External Opportunities Category 4: Formal University-wide Opportunities

Category 1 Category 2 Category 3 Category 4 Accredited co-curricular modules Work experience, Study Abroad and Enterprise Internal and External Opportunities Formal University Wide Opportunities Open to 1st Year students Building your skills PPD105  Developing Skills for Work PPD104  Graduation- what next? PPD102 Open to all students Skills Development through Student Representation Open to Law, Psychology, Pharmacy, Built Environment, Computing and Engineering students Peer Assisted Study Skills 1 PPD037 Peer Assisted Study Skills 2 PPD051 Open to Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences students National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) Student Champion PHA001  Open to Criminology, Politics and Social Policy Student Global Village PPD196 Open to Nursing Students Reflect on Me PPD131 Open to Creative Arts students Design Portfolio and CV Production PPD240   P/T job Work Experience Skills Builder Module PPD 184 Year long Placement – DPP(I)/DIAS Year Long Placement Study USA Study Abroad International Student Exchange Programme (ISEP) Language Assistant Ulster Sports Outreach Educational Placement Programme Erasmus Short-term placements (listed below)- only if you complete module 'Employability through work experience' PPD100 Washington Ireland Program IAESTE Placement Short-term placement (open to Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences students) Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science Spanish Summer Placement Project PHA506   Preparation Module (only open to computing students) Placement Preparation PPD120 Open to all Sports/Students Union Club or Committee Member Student Union Rag Volunteer Volunteering with External Organisations Open to Social Work students Social Work Individual Practice Development Days Open to Sports students Ulster Sports Outreach Education Induction Training Programme Ulster Sports Outreach Sport for LIFE programme Open to UBS students Entrepreneurship Competitions CIMA Accredited SAGE certificate Open to Nursing students Disaster Risk Reduction Immediate Life Support Open to Computing & Engineering Stem Ambassador Open to Media, Film & Journalism Student Innovation Competition (with EDGE) Open to Sports and Creative Dance Dance for Life Programme Open to Biomedical Sciences Students Developing job application and interview skills Open to Law Students Street Law Programme Open to Engineering students Formula Student Tutoring in schools Students Union Enterprise Competition Team Member Sciences and Ethics: Debates and Dilemmas Developing Digital literacy External opportunities Business Enterprise Academy Business Bootcamp Leaderhsip Development Programme Module 1 &2

FAQ’s Do you have to complete a certain amount of activities in a year? No the amount each year is up to you, as long as you have four activities completed before you graduate. Can activities I completed last year count? No, Only CPPD modules from last year can be counted as this will already be recorded onto the universities database. How much time do I need to volunteer for it to be included as an activity? You must volunteer for at least 30 hours.

FAQ’s What steps do I need to take if I volunteer for an organisation outside of the University? You need to check that the organisation you are volunteering has signed up with the SU (check SU website). You need to fill out a log book from the Students Union to record the hours and the activities you took part, has to be signed off by your volunteering supervisor and verified by the SU What if the voluntary organisation is not registered with the SU? You need to encourage the organisation to register with the SU otherwise if you are doing 40 hours over a year with the organisation you can engage with ‘work experience skills builder module’ CPPD module

Students Union Activity Logbook

Targeting Your CV Can activities I have completed during vacation periods throughout my degree be used? Yes, any activity that is completed during your degree can be counted towards the award provided that it has been approved by the EDGE award team. How do I get my activity credited towards the award? Once you have completed the activity it will be your responsibility to hand in your log book so that staff can go online and confirm successful completion within that academic year. Can part time/short term employment count towards this award? No, unless you engage in the CPPD module ‘work experience skills builder’ allowing you to reflect on the skills which you have developed

FAQ’s Jordanstown: edgeJN@ulster.ac.uk How do I check my progress on EDGE? Email the Ulster EDGE Team: Jordanstown: edgeJN@ulster.ac.uk Belfast: edgeBT@ulster.ac.uk Magee: edgeMG@ulster.ac.uk Coleraine: edgeCE@ulster.ac.uk I have completed all four/six activities… now what? Once all four/six activities have been completed you must then apply for the award. You will receive an email prompting you to do this when the time comes. What happens if I withdraw my application? If you decide you no longer wish to participate in the award, contact a member of the Ulster Edge Award team. Drop into the Career Development Centre for more information