Hallam Award

What is the Hallam Award?

The Hallam Award has been developed by Hallam Union with support from Sheffield Hallam University to recognise all the hard work that you put into volunteering in Hallam Union activities. The Hallam Award is designed to help you reflect on and develop transferable skills that will help you in your University career and beyond.  By completing the Hallam Award you will be able to see how, through volunteering, you are using the very skills that employers want you to demonstrate.  This could include skills like leadership,  project planning, teamwork and meeting skills – skills that can be used in many different jobs.

The focus on writing reflectively about your skills development, is a useful tool in helping you to practice how you might explain to future employers exactly how these experiences have helped you to become more employable.

Employers are increasingly keen to see evidence of skills development from graduate job applicants.  The Hallam Award demonstrates that you are able to reflect on and articulate what you have to offer and the commitment to get involved.  Make sure you attend course-based or centrally organised careers sessions (on shuspace type ‘careers’ in the search box and click the events button on the homepage) to see how to make the most of what you have achieved.

Who can take part?

The Hallam Award is open to any Hallam University student who is involved in Students’ Union activities including…
Course and faculty reps
Sports club committees
Volunteering projects and placements
Societies committees
Entertainments committee
Stage services
Union Council
SHU-Media
Campaigns
Part time reps
Advice Centre volunteers
Community reps
SOAP (Student Opinion and Action Panel)

Students volunteering through their SHU department or faculty can also register for the Hallam Award.  These opportunities include:
SBS – peer mentoring, Social Responsibility Award
HWB – Faculty Placement Steering Group, Nursing Placement Partnership Management Group
ACES (Computing) – mentoring, Venture Matrix projects, IBM challenge, schools’ days
ACES (Media Arts & Communications) – industry shadowing opportunities, exhibition committee
Department of Sport – internship programmes
Careers & Employment Service – Career Mentoring Scheme

To register for the Hallam Award, please visit the how to sign up page.

*You will not be able to submit any work for the Hallam Award until you have registered*

How does it work?

There are four levels of the Hallam Award – Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum.

The level of award we give you will be dependant upon how much involvement you show that you have had in your area of activity. It is a measure of the ‘depth’ of your involvement not necessarily the number of hours you put in. This could include how you participate, how you are able to contribute, influence, make decisions or lead on a project.

This award is also about how you reflect on your experience, giving a critical and detailed account of the development of your transferable skills.  You will not necessarily get bronze in your first year, silver in your second or gold in your third.  For information about the criteria used to mark the awards, please visit the resources page.

What is involved?

The scheme has been designed not to take up too much time because we appreciate that you put in a lot of hard work already.

So you will need to…
Complete regular Log Sheets
Reflect upon bigger events in a Key Activity Record form
Summarise and evaluate your involvement and your skills in a Final Report

All these forms can be found on the resources page.

Why do the Hallam Award?

It is a great way to get the recognition for all the extra curricular activities you can do outside of your studying whilst at Hallam University.

And if that’s not reason enough, here are other reasons to get involved…
It is recognition for all the hard work you put into your activities.
It is a record of what you have achieved and the skills you have developed.
It enhances your CV.
Your award is announced at graduation and printed in the graduation booklet.
You will receive a certificate signed by the Union President and University Pro Vice Chancellor.
You can apply to be a life member of Hallam Union for free.

Submission dates for 2012/2013

5pm, Friday 18th January 2013
Submit all log sheets for semester one, and any key activity forms that you have completed for semester one.  We will mark these against the same criteria that we will use for the final marking, and give you feedback to help you achieve the highest level Hallam Award that you can.
This deadline is optional.

5pm, Friday 14th June 2013
Submit all log sheets and key activity forms for the whole year, and a final report form.  Even if you submitted work in January, you can make changes to it and re-submit those forms by this deadline.  We will mark your Hallam Award against the criteria, and email you your result in August.

Any questions?

Please look through these pages for more information about the Hallam Award.  If you still can’t find what you are looking for then please contact activitiesadmin@shu.ac.uk.

Drive your personal development in the arts!

This year we can support  you to achieve your Gold level Arts Award. The Arts Award is run by the Arts Council, it increases your employability and is a great way to further your arts practice and gain experience leading and delivering a community arts project or event.

Whether you are actively involved in a society or would like to volunteer to lead an arts event in the local community talk to us about how you could link this to the arts award;

The award is separated in to two distinct units;

- Personal arts development

- Arts project leadership

To find out more about this opportunity and chat to our trained Arts Award Advisor contact k.weston@shu.ac.uk or call 0114 2255003.