4 Sir Alastair awards for embedding employability in the curriculum

Posted on: 6 March 2026 by Olga Chatzidaki in News, Awards & Insights

Innovative teaching that connects academic learning with real-world experience is continuing to gain recognition across the University of Liverpool.

Over the past three years, four curriculum-based collaborations between academic colleagues and the Careers & Employability team have been recognised with the Sir Alastair Pilkington Prize for Teaching Excellence – the University’s highest award for teaching quality.

These awards highlight a growing approach across faculties: embedding employability, industry engagement and authentic assessment directly within academic modules, helping students develop professional skills alongside their academic knowledge.

The latest award: rethinking assessment in French studies

The most recent award recognised the redesign of French Dressing: 600 Years of Clothing and Cultural History in France, a final-year module developed through collaboration between Dr Rebecca [Surname] from the Department of Languages, Cultures and Film and Matt Jones, Career Consultant in Careers & Employability.

The redesigned module introduced an innovative exhibition proposal assessment, encouraging students to combine academic analysis with enterprise thinking and strategic decision-making. Students develop their own exhibition concepts, select artefacts, identify audiences and justify their decisions using industry-informed tools.

The approach connects historical knowledge with professional practice, helping students understand how their academic learning can translate into real-world career pathways in the cultural and creative sectors.

(Read the full interview with Matt and Rebecca about the module redesign and student impact.)

Developing digital fluency in Life Sciences

One of the previous Pilkington Prize-winning collaborations took place in the School of Life Sciences through the LIFE223 module, where an initiative was designed to develop students’ digital fluency and employability skills at scale.

The project embedded two key Careers & Employability tools — Handshake and Shortlist.Me — directly within the assessment. This enabled more than 430 students to experience elements of real-world recruitment processes and engage with employer-facing platforms as part of their academic learning.

By integrating these tools into authentic assessment, the module created opportunities for students to build professional confidence while developing a clearer understanding of graduate recruitment and employer expectations.

Planning education collaboration recognised

Another Pilkington Prize-winning collaboration came from the Planning Department, recognising work led by Tom Moore and Dominique Price.

This project focused on embedding professional practice and industry engagement within planning education, helping students connect their academic studies with the skills and expectations of the planning profession.

Through curriculum innovation and collaboration with Careers & Employability, the module strengthened links between academic learning and professional career pathways in planning and urban development.

Developing sustainability and digital skills in Environmental Sciences

A further Sir Alastair Pilkington Award recognised collaboration within the School of Environmental Sciences through the ENVS111: Climate, Oceans and Atmosphere module.

Developed by Ric Williams, Charlotte Ford and Dominique Mansley in partnership with the Careers & Employability Science and Engineering team, the initiative introduced a Net Zero Digital Storytelling assessment designed to develop sustainability awareness, digital fluency and employability skills among first-year students.

Working in multidisciplinary groups, students produced a three-minute digital story analysing the UK’s net-zero policies and exploring potential solutions to climate challenges. The assessment combines scientific research, teamwork and digital communication, helping students develop key graduate attributes while engaging with real-world sustainability issues.

Embedded as 25% of the module assessment, the activity connects Education for Sustainable Development with employability learning, encouraging students to critically evaluate climate policy while developing practical communication and collaboration skills.

A growing pattern of recognition

Across these award-winning projects, a common theme has emerged: the value of collaboration between academic teams and Careers & Employability in creating authentic, industry-informed learning experiences.

Students have engaged in assessments that mirror real-world professional activity — from designing exhibitions and participating in recruitment simulations to responding to sustainability and industry challenges.

These approaches deepen academic learning while helping students develop confidence in applying their knowledge beyond the classroom.

Looking ahead

As departments across the University review programmes as part of Curriculum 2027, these award-winning collaborations provide strong examples of how employability, enterprise education and authentic assessment can be embedded within the curriculum.

Together, they demonstrate the impact that cross-team collaboration can have in enhancing both teaching innovation and the student experience at the University of Liverpool.