The University is proud to have been shortlisted for the ‘University of the Year’ award at the inaugural Academic Employability Awards, a national celebration of innovative approaches to embedding employability within higher education.
Organised by the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS) in collaboration with Universities UK, Guild HE, and the Institute of Student Employers, the awards were created to highlight institutions making significant strides in supporting student career readiness. Kent’s nomination was for our groundbreaking work through Education Modernisation 2025, part of the wider Kent 2030 initiative, which is transforming the student experience by placing employability at the heart of academic life.
Kent’s Education Modernisation strategy has redefined employability as a shared institutional responsibility, with clear employability ambition for every programme. By introducing the Equip training programme for academic staff, Kent has begun to develop employability champions, alongside the academic leads for employability, in every academic School. For the new academic year, every module will include explicit mapping of employability skills and attributes, with clear links to career pathways, supported by innovative resources and visual guides.
Professor Ben Cosh, Pro Vice-Chancellor Education Modernisation, said: ‘Being shortlisted for ‘University of the Year’ is a tremendous recognition of the hard work and vision of our academic and professional services teams. We are proud to be leading the way in redefining what employability means in the modern university, ensuring that our students leave Kent not only with knowledge, but with the confidence and capability to build their future.’
With dedicated employer advisory panels and long-term academic leadership for employability in every school, Kent is setting a bold standard for scalable, inclusive, and impactful employability innovation in higher education