First students complete the RED Award

Monday, 21 February 2011

l to r: Vicky Clarke, RED Award Project Officer and the first five students to have completed the Award; Fiona Watson, McLoud Kayira, Sarah Taylor-Rozyk, Pramodh Bonthala, Jessica Brooks. With Margot Bishop, Training and Development Co-ordinator

The Reading Experience and Development (RED) Award is a new University scheme that rewards students for undertaking extra-curricular activities as well as helping students get the most out of their experiences in terms of their professional and personal development.

RED Award was launched during Freshers' Week, October 2010. Since then it has gone from strength to strength; currently over 450 students have registered to take part.

Students have to undertake a minimum of 50 hours of activities in order to achieve the Award. This includes completing either paid work, work experience or volunteering, as well as attending a variety of training and development sessions that are run through both the University and the Students' Union. Having completed the 50 hours, students then register to attend a sign-off session.

The first sign-off session was held at the beginning of February; just four months after the Award began. Five students took part in this session, to become the first students to complete the RED Award. At the session, students identified skills that would be required of them upon entering the work place, reflected on which of those skills they had as well as planning to further develop their employability.

Those that took part had enjoyed the RED Award as an experience. One student noted that the RED Award, "recognises extra effort from students to build a bigger portfolio of skills and interests", whilst another said that it had been useful as, "it helps develop skills for future employment".

The sign-off sessions will continue to run throughout this term, as well as after examinations in the Summer Term. Members of staff from across the University and the Students' Union have been trained in facilitation skills, which has meant that many sign off sessions are on offer, giving students plenty of opportunity to complete their Award.

This is an excellent opportunity to reward students for the things they do outside of their studies, as well as allowing them to recognise the personal attributes and skills that they develop as a result.

The RED Award is open to all University of Reading students whether undergraduate or postgraduate, full-time or part-time, taught or research.

For more information, please go to the RED Award website, www.reading.ac.uk/redaward, or contact Vicky Clarke, RED Award Project Officer, v.clarke@reading.ac.uk