2018
National recognition for UCC Careers Office
Staff from UCC Career Services have been highly commended at the Association of Higher Education Careers Services Awards for Excellence – Employability Award in Dublin recently.
Mary McNulty and Eleanor Donoghue (Career Services) were nominated by Professor John O’Halloran Deputy President and Registrar UCC, and were awarded 'highly commended' for their project “UCC Works Award – Digital Badges: A 21st Century micro-credential that evidence students’ life wide journeys to employers via online platforms. In today’s hyperlinked world; local employability activities gain global reach”
The Association of Higher Education Careers Services (AHECS) is the professional association of careers' advisory and placement professionals in higher education in Ireland. The AHECS Award for Excellence is awarded to ‘best practice employability initiatives’ incorporated into the educational experience of students.
UCC Career Services are the first careers service in Ireland to launch Digital Badges. Digital Badges were formally launched in UCC in January, 2018 and are digital micro-credentials that recognise students’ non-accredited extra-curricular contributions made during their studies. They are designed to be hosted online and shared on websites, blogs, ePortfolios, social networking platforms, email signatures and CVs.
326 UCC Works Awards and Digital Badges were awarded to recognise the learning gained from students involvement in extra-curricular activities in March, 2018. Previously, students received a paper award. UCC Career Services are championing digital change in the HE Career Service landscape.
The UCC Works Award supports students in their professional and personal development whilst encouraging them to participate in the UCC community and to become global citizens. The activities are categorised into four pathways
- Internship
- Student life
- Volunteering and Civic Engagement
- Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Digital Badges help to provide employers with more ‘granular details’ on skills and competencies acquired by students that are not routinely captured on the traditional university transcript.