The Lancaster Award: All you Need To Know!

Completing the Lancaster Award is a powerful way to turn your university experiences into a clear advantage in a competitive job market. For students in the humanities, arts and social sciences, it’s an opportunity to showcase the diverse skills you have gained alongside your degree- through volunteering, society involvement, creative work, internships or part-time jobs.

The Award helps you develop the confidence to articulate your strengths, reflect meaningfully on your experiences, and demonstrate your value to future employers. It also gives you a structured space to prepare for graduate applications, with opportunities for CV writing, interview preparation and reflection.

More than just a certificate, the Lancaster Award is a signal to employers that you’ve gone above and beyond during your degree and that you’re ready to take the next step with confidence.

Why it matters:

• Make your activities count: we already know our students are doing great things with volunteering, part-time work, internships and societies. Take those experiences and channel them into your employability development!
• Develop real-world skills: such as reflection, communication, leadership—skills that graduate employers in the humanities, arts and social sciences really value.
• Stand out professionally: The Lancaster Award will support you strengthen your applications for internships, postgraduate study, or graduate roles.

How to Get Involved

Step 1 – Attend a Lancaster Award workshop: Come along to a Lancaster Award Introductory session – available to book via CareersConnect. At this session you will learn all about what you need to do to achieve the award and have the chance to ask any questions.

Step 2 – Register online: During the introductory session you will be shown how to register for the Award through the student portal.

Step 3- Getting Support with the Award: You are very welcome to come along to Careers with any questions you have about the Award.   The Careers team is here to support you throughout the whole process.  If you have questions about activities that count towards the Award, or require support with the application stage, we are here to help! When you sign up to the Lancaster Award, you will have the option to join an LA Teams space.  This is a great way of keeping up-to-date with everything Award related.

Step 4- Submit: To achieve the award you will need to accumulate 75 points worth of activities through undertaking a combination of work experience, volunteering, campus activities or careers-related workshops.

• • Attend an in-person CV workshop
  • Upload your CV to CV360 and then download your score and feedback to be included with your final submission.
  • Complete your interview via Interview360.   You will find the link to this on your LA Moodle page.
  • Take part in an in-person, one-to-one interview, with a member of the Careers team. Book your interview here.
  • Complete your Lancaster Award application form by 31st October* of your final year of study.

* Postgraduate taught students must complete by 30th June of their final year of study.