Industry Support Enhances Employability Awards

EY NZ Campus talent Acquisition Manager Holly Whatnall describes the AUT Edge and Beyond AUT Awards as an inspiring event and fantastic initiative that prepares students for the working world post study and offers a myriad of new experiences.

Holly attended the awards graduation ceremony on 14 November to present the EY sponsored Leadership prize to recipient Sheldon Hall.
“We need inspiring authentic leaders who can bring their own unique perspectives and experiences to the world of work. Those leaders of tomorrow are the students of today and we clearly see the value and support the AUT Edge Award and the Leadership category brings in helping students develop their voice,” says Holly.

Sheldon Hall, who pushed himself to discover his leadership potential during the AUT Edge Award, says he learned that challenges are not to be feared, but embraced and learned from.
“Challenges have helped shape my own leadership skills and capabilities, teaching me a greater understanding of who I am as someone who is Māori, Pasifika, a designer and an aspiring leader,” says Sheldon (right with Holly Whatnall)

The graduation ceremony honoured the success of 93 AUT Edge Award graduates and 21 Beyond AUT graduates who collectively contributed over 7,000 hours of volunteering and 6,500 hours of leadership to their communities while doing the awards.

The leadership prize is one of four prizes offered to students who have gone over and beyond within specific aspects of the award programme, including volunteering, leadership and employability.

MYOB Emerging Talent Program Consultant Anna Dyer says MYOB love the awards’ emphasis on growth through volunteering, leadership and employability activities.”
“The ability to be open minded, adapt, embrace change, be curious and grow, are all skills that will serve you regardless of your choice of career path and the disruption we continue to face,” she says.

MYOB sponsor the Personal Growth prize for the student who demonstrated the greatest growth or change through the award. This year the MYOB Personal Growth prize went to Karan Patel (left with Anna Dyer).
Karan says doing the award has helped him step out of his comfort zone and approach new challenges, no matter how hard.
“I have grown from a can't do it attitude to can do it.”

As an organisation that helps connect people to volunteering opportunities, SEEK Volunteer has been delighted to regularly sponsor the Volunteering prize for the AUT Edge Award.
“We are very committed to the volunteer community and delighted to support AUT in all the great work they do with their students and the volunteer community,” says SEEK NZ Country Manager Rob Clark.

The Volunteering prize recipient Khooshi Patel did a remarkable 550 hours of volunteering during the AUT Edge Award – the minimum requirement was 50 hours. She says receiving the volunteering prize was a joyful moment and acknowledgement.

“The AUT Edge Award has been an absolute roller-coaster of a journey through which I have come out as a better, well-rounded individual. I’m proud of what I’ve been able to achieve for the community,” says Khooshi (right with Rob Clark)

Cordis Auckland sponsored the overall Beyond AUT prize to the postgraduate student who went over and beyond in all aspects of the award. Cordis Auckland Human Resources Director Carey White praised the students, saying it was great to recognise their efforts.
“We want to support any leadership initiative at AUT as we look for potential leaders to be employed at our hotel.”

Overall Beyond AUT winner Etienne Tapueluelu, who completed both the AUT Edge and Beyond AUT awards, was a mature student determined to make the most of every opportunity.

Becoming the postgraduate and year three Business, Economics and Law student representative pushed him to find his voice to support others, and he gained a huge amount of confidence from this and other activities.
“It has been a road of personal self-growth, helping me to learn my self-worth and the value I can offer to employers,” says Etienne (left with Carey White)..

AUT Student Employability Director Anna Williams acknowledges the generosity of MYOB, Cordis Auckland, EY and SEEK Volunteer sponsorship.
“Through this sponsorship we are able to recognise not only the achievements of all our award students, but also those students that go beyond expectations. We truly value these industry partnerships,” says Anna.

Community benefits of awards

Over the seven years the awards have been running, a phenomenal 60,000 hours of volunteering and 38,000 hours of leadership have been carried out by students. These hours have helped organisations as diverse as Red Cross, SPCA, Greenpeace, Girl Guiding, Conservation Volunteer NZ, Recreate, City Mission, Sunday Blessing, NZ Olympic Committee, TEDx Auckland. The award students have also participated in student ambassador and RUOK programmes, AUTSA clubs and events and other aspects of AUT’s academic and social calendar.

No other university in New Zealand offers or acknowledges such a comprehensive programme of activities done outside of study.
"Being enrolled in an amazing free programme like the AUT Edge Award or Beyond AUT Award really complements students’ study - and gives them a competitive advantage when looking for work," says Employability Awards specialist Logan Carr.

Learn more about the awards

Find out more about the AUT Edge Award or Beyond AUT Award?
Contact our employability awards specialist  AUTedge@aut.ac.nz

Read other blogs on the awards and recipients of prizes.