The Placement Year Awards, organised and run by the University of Sheffield’s Careers and Employability Service, were launched this year. They have been established to recognise exceptional students who have made significant contributions on their placement year to their workplace and their organisations’ sustainability, as well as to celebrate those who have shown considerable resilience and growth during their placements.
The awards also recognise and celebrate extraordinary placement providers who provided exceptional support and development opportunities, making a significant positive impact on students during their placements.
Alongside keynote speeches from Professor David Forrest, Deputy Vice-President for Education (Student Experience), and Helen Smith, Associate Director of Student and Academic Services (Careers and Employability), we welcomed Dean’s List and BA Business Management alumna Soumya Namdeo back to the University. Soumya previously undertook a placement year at Cummins. She inspired students, staff and placement providers as she spoke about her experience of stepping into a graduate role at Experian after completing her placement year and translating the insights and skills gained during her degree into her career.
Junyu Zhao, BA Accounting and Financial Management student, received the award for Placement Student of the Year - Faculties of Social Science and Arts & Humanities. Junyu exceeded expectations during her placement at British Oxygen Company Limited by taking on additional responsibilities in a short space of time. Throughout her placement, she was seen to demonstrate leadership and impact, whilst developing her skills in line with the Sheffield Graduate Attributes.
The awarding panel stated, “This was a really competitive pool of applicants, several candidates could demonstrate the required criteria for this award. What particularly impressed us was the adaptability of this candidate, showing commitment to their team in meeting tight deadlines and taking on additional responsibilities at short notice.”
Maria Jose Gordillo, BA Business Management and Economics student, was highly commended for the Sustainability Award. During her placement year at PepsiCo, Maria made a quantifiable impact on improving the efficiency of truck usage. She led a recycling initiative and worked to involve employees as well as their families. Maria also had a positive impact on workplace culture, promoting the intertwining of sustainability and business success.
Maria shared, “Sustainability has always been a big passion of mine and I have aimed to make it a key part of my university experience and my placement year. I’m super honoured for my efforts at PepsiCo to be recognised at the Placement Awards. Leading Green Team initiatives was such a rewarding experience. I got to go beyond my role and work with brilliant people, connect with sustainability professionals from places like the US and Thailand, and see the real impact of our projects. I'm so grateful for this recognition!”
Roksolana Rohozhynska, BA Business Management student, nominated Alex Edmunds, her employer at BMW Group, for the Placement Provider of the Year Award. Alex was highly commended in the category for Non SMEs. Alex went above and beyond to provide professional and personal support throughout the placement. They helped Roksolana to discover her own strengths and empowered her to take on more challenges, providing her with exceptional opportunities for growth.
Congratulations to all those recognised at the Placement Year Awards!