Centre Stage
'University Personality of the Year' award for Jim Wood
Assistant director of the Careers Service, Jim Wood, has won the coveted “University Personality of the Year” award at the Annual “Rate My Placement” awards ceremony held at City University.
This Award celebrates the tireless and invaluable contributions made by a particular individual in the University Placement or Careers Office in helping students apply and maximise their work experience opportunities.
Jim was commended to the judges for his exceptional dedication in the management of over 11,000 undergraduate student placements since the inception of the Students into Schools programme in 1993. He has been the driving force in the placement of 10,278 students as student tutors into 600 different schools and community learning organisations in Tyneside and Northumberland over an 18 year period.
Jim’s role has simultaneously been both programme leader and deliverer. He has consistently sought to develop and improve the experience of students taking the module and he always leads developments based on best practice. He leads the team by example and has developed a far better, less rushed experience within the work place for the student and has also enabled a far more evolved programme of placement support.
Jim has tirelessly championed the acceptance of work-based learning in a research intensive university and skilfully adapted the module, which had previously had community engagement as its focus and employability as a by-product into precisely the opposite: ie the module became employability-focussed but using a community engagement context. This shrewd move, which anticipated the subsequent HE focus on employability, was politically astute and helped change perceptions.
Congratulating Jim on his award, director of the Careers Service Nick Keeley, said: "In short, Jim is a dedicated practitioner, an inspiring leader and a visionary in the world of work-based learning.
"Many congratulations to him for receiving this award which recognises over 18 years dedication to developing the University’s ever-improving and expanding delivery of work-related learning opportunities through the Career Development Module."
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Senior Support Staff Development Programme Award Ceremony
City & Guilds senior awards have been presented to University staff.
Dr John Hogan, Registrar, and
Mrs Veryan Johnston, HR Executive Director, presented City & Guilds Senior Awards to thirteen staff who completed the 2010-11 Senior Support Staff Development Programme delivered by the Staff Development Unit. 
Those successful in completing the programme were Nicola Burnip, Simon Daley, Nicola Dunn, Joanne Emery, Jenny Hasenfuss, Sarah Hunt, Louise Jones, Terry Lisle, Jill Richardson, Keith Sibbald, Paul Sterling, Lisa Vincent and Helen Weatherstone.
Linda Robinson, Programme Manager said, "The Senior Support Staff Development Programme is a flexible programme which promotes excellence in HE management and offers participants the opportunity to gain a City and Guilds vocational qualification.
"All of those who attended this year’s programme should be commended on their enthusiasm and commitment to the programme and their own personal and professional development."
For further information on this development programme please contact Linda Robinson.
published on: 25th January 2012