Employability Awards offer value beyond expectations
The opportunity to develop real-world skills that textbooks alone can’t provide was the motivation behind Ataa Dala signing up for the Beyond AUT Award this year.
Ataa (below) was one of 62 students to successfully complete an employability award this semester. An international student, Ataa says the award was a practical immersion into the values of New Zealand's work culture.
“For students looking to go beyond academics and leave a positive mark in their field, this award is an invaluable opportunity. It bridges theoretical learning with practical insights, preparing you to navigate real-world challenges with resilience and purpose.”
Graduation ceremony
At the graduation ceremony Pro Vice-Chancellor International and Executive Dean Professor Guy Littlefair, who presented the awards, praised them for the 2,900 hours of volunteering and over 1,500 leadership hours they had collectively delivered over the semester. He also congratulated the students’ commitment to building their skillsets and qualities well beyond their studies.
“You've taken this journey with resolve, managing your studies alongside hours spent in workshops, leadership roles, and community service. These experiences will serve you well, not only in your career but also in your personal life.”
Noting a majority of the Beyond AUT Award graduates are international students, Pro Vice-Chancellor Littlefair says the award is particularly significant for them.
“Navigating a new culture whilst pursuing these achievements takes courage, adaptability, and endurance. Enhancing invaluable skills in a globalised workforce, encourages deeper cultural intelligence.”
Big gains
Beyond AUT graduate Sione Finau says overcoming his timidity to go on live radio while volunteering for StandingTallNZ.org. was a standout moment.
“I learned the importance of advocating for Māori and Pacific males affected by sexual violence by amplifying their voices in spaces where they are often unseen and unheard. I also helped launch the StandingTallNZ.org’s podcast. That felt powerful as a lifeline of hope and solidarity," says Sione.
He says the final section of the award, which involves personally reflecting on your volunteering and leadership activities, was an eye-opener because it made him see how much he’d gained through the award.
“I’d really recommend it to Māori and Pacific students. Not only is it recognised by employers which helps you stand out, but you it shows you did your very best for yourself while at AUT.”
Alisha Hickman, who has just completed the AUT Edge Award, also found the award helped her overcome her shyness. Prior to the award she tended to avoid starting new conversations with strangers. By the end she was comfortable conversing with clients she had to communicate with during her internship and had landed a graduate role with GHD as a water graduate engineer.
“I have become a more open communicator in both professional and personal settings. I have grown in confidence through networking and communicating with others in unfamiliar environments. Taking on these new opportunities has helped me find my place in the world.”
AUT Edge Award graduate Kathy Song says she learned the positive impact she could make through diverse volunteering activities, including Multiple Sclerosis Auckland, Smart Cities Council Global, the AUT Recreation Centre and Cancer Society Auckland/Northland.
“It has helped me become more proactive and confident in engaging with others. Taking on leadership roles taught me the value of responsibility and allowed me to empower others and create positive change. I feel more self-assured, motivated, and ready to embrace my career path with confidence.”
She encourages all students to do it.
“The programme is straightforward, easy to track, and simple to follow step by step—you’ll complete it in no time! I committed to the award seriously in my final year and still managed to achieve it.”
Want to know more?
The AUT Edge Award (for undergraduate students) and Beyond AUT Award (postgraduate students) are designed to help build and expand on personal and professional skills to help students’ employability. This involves mandatory hours of volunteering and leadership, along with a number of employability workshops, including creating your CV and LinkedIn profile, networking and personal values.
Volunteering and leadership options are only limited by your imagination. Over the semester students completed hours at Conservation NZ, LegaSea, Orange Sky, community gardens, rest homes, Rainbow Parade, Everybody Eats, St John’s Youth, AUT student clubs, events – and more!
It is a great way to build up employability skills while making friends with other students and networking with people beyond AUT campuses.
Interested? We encourage you to sign up early in your study to give you plenty of time to complete the award, but some students have managed to do it in one semester.
Find out more
Employability and Careers Blog
Find ideas on how to get better at job search through your CV or LinkedIn profile, learn from the feedback of employers, and be inspired by stories of AUT students and graduates as they network, go to job interviews and find their feet in their chosen career.