Industry Placement Awards recognise outstanding achievements of NTU students and placement providers

I enjoyed obtaining real-world experience within the marketing industry and being able to apply theoretical knowledge gained at university to real-world situations. Working at an agency allowed me to adapt to different clients' marketing and content needs. Furthermore, the skills I have developed during this year on placement have set me up for a progressive future in the marketing industry. Soft and hard skills such as Adobe software design and being personable have allowed me to excel in my final year at university so far. I have built my confidence as I feel accomplished and validated in a professional context, allowing for the exploration of career paths.

It’s clear that the student has ‘hit the ground running’ in their placement year and has impressed many members of staff. They’ve taken initiative and extra steps to ensure the quality of output is always to a high standard, and have been proactive in developing new processes to help the company going forward. Their recommendation shines through from the award entry.

Carter was nominated by Sally Hill, from VolkerFitzpatrick. VolkerFitzpatrick have been supporting NTU placement students for many years. This is the second consecutive year the student employed at VolkerFitzpatrick has been awarded the Placement Student of the Year Award. This achievement is testament to the influential role this employer plays in the employability journeys of our students.

One of the best memories from my placement experience was attending Digital Construction Week in London during my last week of placement (before knowing I would be promoted). I started working on the promotion of this event since my first month with Mission Room and I was so excited about it. It was my first time exhibiting at a trade show and I had the opportunity to meet industry professionals, talk to them, and get good advice. I was able to improve my networking skills and felt more comfortable and confident talking to people.

As the Head of the Live Service at Thrive I oversee the QA team, I am proud to share that we pioneered a placement initiative within Thrive Learning. Being a local business in the education sector, Nottingham Trent University have proven to be an excellent partner for us. The initiative has been remarkably successful, with both students making outstanding contributions last year. Encouraged by this success, we have decided to continue with the same intake this year, anticipating more success stories!

This nomination excels in creating a smooth transition into the workplace, emphasising a welcoming environment, team integration activities, and daily check-ins with the line manager. The employer's involvement in goal setting, dissertation topic selection, and the ultimate offer of a full-time job reflects a high level of support and recognition. Moreover, this nomination effectively demonstrates the practical application of academic knowledge in HR, highlighting the company's commitment to translating theoretical knowledge into valuable contributions to real-world HR processes.

It's one thing for a business to foster young talent but another thing to step forward and really focus on the individual...That's a testament to you and the culture of Vauxhall.

This stood out for me due to the broad scope of work the placement student was able to get involved in and the flexibility for them to really broaden their knowledge included communicating with a range of stakeholders. Furthermore, the company sounded very supportive in helping to achieve the aims of the placement and supporting the students professional development.