University of Staffordshire has been named University of the Year at the Academic Employability Awards 2026, recognising its sector-leading approach to preparing students for successful careers.
Organised by careers and employability charity the Graduate Futures Institute, this year’s awards attracted more than 200 submissions from universities across the UK and Ireland.
Judged by sector experts, the awards recognise the outstanding partnerships, ideas and approaches that bring employability to life in the curriculum and shape how students learn, grow and prepare for their future careers.
University of Staffordshire received the prestigious University of the Year award in recognition of its “strongly embedded approach to employability with strong outcome and inclusion focus”.
Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Raheel Nawaz said: “Being recognised at the Academic Employability Awards is a significant achievement and reflects our commitment to preparing students for successful careers. By embedding employability across everything we do, we are helping students succeed from day one and beyond.”
The University’s Curriculum Framework provides a structured, evidence-based approach that ensures students gain academic knowledge alongside the practical skills, professional competencies, and real-world experience essential for career success.
The framework has been developed collaboratively by academics, professional services, students, and industry partners, ensuring teaching and assessment remain aligned with professional practice and employer needs.
Its impact is reflected in strong graduate outcomes, with 80% of graduates in positive destinations in 2025, a 6% increase over three years. The University was also ranked 3rd in the UK for careers prospects at the Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2025, voted for entirely by students.
Carolinas Salinas, Head of Employability & Graduate Outcomes, commented: “This award recognises our strong collaborative approach to integrating career readiness into curricula, assessment, and student development. From first-year to graduation, employability is integrated across all programmes ensuring students are prepared for the job market well before graduating.
“The Curriculum Framework continues to evolve in response to student feedback, labour market trends, and emerging technologies to ensure that every student, regardless of background, benefits from an employability-led learning experience aligned with employer expectations and evolving industry needs.”
Work-based learning is a structured component of all degree programmes, with the Curriculum Framework requiring a minimum 70-hour micro placement activity in every course.
More broadly, employer engagement is embedded through guest-lectures, live-briefs, business challenges, mentoring, and networking events.
The University’s annual GradEX event also showcases the work of hundreds of graduating students to industry professionals, helping to bridge the gap between education and employment.
The University delivers a high volume of paid internships for students/graduates from disadvantaged backgrounds through its Access and Participation Plan. This includes the ‘Student and Graduate Project Officer’ initiative which provides real professional work experience, with more than 300 students and graduates benefitting in recent years.
The innovative ‘Graduate-Accelerator’ programme also delivers internships annually, enabling more than 300 students to access paid professional experience in the last three years. These programmes develop understanding of professional environments, deadlines, client expectations, and have already generated multiple graduate roles.
Plus, enterprise initiatives support students interested in self-employment and start-ups, for example is the ‘Be-Inspired’ start-up programme which supports 50 graduates each year through grants.
International opportunities further enhance global employability. Through the Turing programme, more than 200 students have undertaken study and work across the USA, Europe, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Morocco, and beyond, developing intercultural skills and global career awareness.
A strong example of this institutional approach to employability is the Staffordshire Games Institute, which produces more industry-employed games graduates than any other UK institution, thanks to its deeply embedded industry network that connects students directly with leading studios.
Successful initiatives include its TIGA award-winning 1UP summer placement scheme and the TIGA award-winning mock interview programme.
Professor Chris Headleand, Head of Staffordshire Games Institute, added: “This recognition reflects years of sustained, collective effort to build an environment where our graduates are supported, and positioned to thrive.
“This award is a testament to the power of collaboration, shared institutional vision, and a relentless focus on student outcomes. It recognises not just individual initiatives, but a whole ecosystem designed to transform potential into real-world success.”
The Academic Employability Awards 2026 ceremony took place at the Confetti Institute of Creative Technologies in London on 30 April – see the full list of winners.