Endorsed by some of the UK’s leading graduate recruiters who look for 'transferable' skills gained outside of a degree in addition to higher-level qualifications, the scheme will help students gain significant professional and life skills through extra-curricular activities.

Run by the University’s Careers Service, the awards are available at two levels: the Bristol PLuS Award and the Bristol PLuS Award (Outstanding Achievement). Once registered, students are required to record evidence against their selected award. This includes a minimum of 50 hours’ work experience or voluntary work, a 200-word reflective report, an intensive skills-related activity, and attendance at interview practice and job-market awareness workshops. As an alternative, students can also register for the Bristol Sporting PLuS Award, which recognises particular employability-related skills developed through sporting activities.

Charlotte Ball, Careers Adviser at the University’s Careers Service, said: “Often we find that students going through the job selection procedure do not realise the importance of the skills they gain outside of their degrees, nor do new students understand the importance of gaining such skills.

“Employers tell us that they look for potential employees who have been involved in extra-curricular activities and so in the process have gained life skills and professional skills. The Bristol PLuS [Professional and Life Skills] Award scheme will formally recognise these skills providing students with a record of their achievements that they can show prospective employers.”

Further information on the scheme is available on the Bristol PLuS Award scheme website.