NTU Employability Team celebrates successes at The Placement Employer and Student Awards

Sophie Herbert collects her award from Deputy Vice Chancellor, Prof Eunice Simmons

Placement Student of the Year

Category: Large Corporation (over 250 employees)

Winner: Sophie Herbert, BA (Hons) Business Management and Accounting and Finance

Placement Provider: Lloyds Banking Group

Sophie’s placement at Lloyds Banking Group was within Retail Credit Risk, responsible for all aspects of credit risk management for Cards, Loans, Mortgages, Personal Current Accounts, Motor Finance and Retail Business Banking. Retail Credit Risk is highly dependent on a variety of third party suppliers and the team in which Sophie completed her placement was responsible for maintaining and developing critical relationships.

The placement responsibilities covered supplier management activities, aligned to group governance standards and was a demanding and fast-paced role at a time when the department’s remit was broadening

Key achievements included setting up a new intranet for staff to share information, implementing new procedures and processes and providing data and analytical support for the negotiation of a substantial multi-million-pound contract.

Sophie exceeded expectations, achieving a TOP rating that placed her at an equivalent level to the top 1-2% in the company!

As a result of peer, line manager and stakeholder feedback and an intensive assessment process, Sophie has been offered a place on the Lloyds Banking Group Risk Graduate Programme.

Matthew Heaton-Watts collects his award

Category: Small to Medium Enterprise (under 250 employees).

Winner: Matthew Heaton-Watts, BA (Hons) Business Management and Entrepreneurship

Placement Provider: Baytree Cars Limited

Baytree Cars Limited is an independent luxury and performance car dealership based in Derby, East Midlands UK.

Established 12 years ago, the company has experienced consistent organic year-on-year growth and as a result, offered Matthew a placement in the role of Media/Marketing Executive.

Matthew’s role included but was not limited to creating new and engaging content on the company’s social media platforms, analysing website and Google performance to report to management and developing news stories for the website.

He was able to demonstrate consistent initiative, taking it upon himself to implement new procedures in advertising new stock, appraisal, capture, editing, specification, marketing, client engagement and feedback. Matthew was able to improve the company’s online presence and devise new social media campaigns, which in turn had a direct impact on sales. Matthew received regular compliments on his work from clients and customers confirmed that they bought from Baytree Cars Limited based on the content he had produced.

Pleasingly, Baytree Cars Limited have made an offer of permanent employment to Matthew following the conclusion of his studies.

James Tranter of Molson Coors with Sophie West, BA Management and Marketing Student

Placement Employer of the Year

Category: Large Corporation

Highly Commended: Walgreens and Boots Alliance

WINNER: Molson Coors Beer Brewery

Nominated by: Sophie West, BA (Hons) Business Management and Marketing

The Molson Coors Brewing Company is a multinational brewing company, with representation across the globe.

The organisation was nominated by Sophie West as part of her year-long placement as a Digital Content Creation Executive. Sophie demonstrated creativity, business acumen and responsibility, alongside opportunities to learn more about the Marketing and Digital industry.

Sophie describes her proudest moment at Molson Coors was being a part of launching new products to market: All placement students at the company were tasked with a year-long project to launch two branded beers into the UK market. This involved learning skills across marketing, finance and overall logistics and proved both enlightening and rewarding.

These products are now on the verge of being launched.

Duncan Taylor of Luke Hughes picks up the award for SME Placement Employer of the Year

Category: Small to Medium Enterprise

Highly Commended: Percayso

WINNER: Luke Hughes

Nominated by: Nicola Murphy, BA (Hons) Furniture and Product Design

Winner of SME Employer of the Year Award, Luke Hughes, is a specialist furniture design company providing sustainable, rewarding and lasting solutions for clients in Europe, Asia and America.

The company was nominated by Nicola Murphy, who described her experience within a great team. Nicola was impressed in being tasked with undertaking both small and larger projects, often leaving the office to make site visits to assess past work and future opportunities.

Luke Hughes was praised for showing confidence in Nicola, in particular for trusting her skills in redesigning furniture for inclusion within a Cathedral. Nicola was entrusted in seeing the project through to completion, from technical drawings to building materials in the company workshop.

The trust and confidence which Nicola learned from her placement experience was a key factor in her choosing Luke Hughes as a worthy winner of this award.

Laura Pinkney of the NLS Advice Centre collecting the NTU internal employer award

Category: Internal

WINNER: NLS Advice Centre

Nominated by: Lauren Kilbride, LLB (Hons) Law

Winner of the NTU Internal Placement Employer of the Year Award, the Nottingham Law School Advice Centre, was nominated and highly praised by Lauren Kilbride.

Lauren nominated the NLS Advice Centre after being able to enjoy a placement learning about various areas within law. These included client interviews, legal research and drafting official correspondence.

As a full-time law student, Lauren was able to demonstrate suitability in managing her own caseload, something that she cites heightened her knowledge of the legal sector. She was honoured to be given the opportunity to represent clients in Social Security Tribunal and be in front of a real judge.

The highlight of Lauren’s placement in the Advice Centre was being selected to manage the Student Committee’ in which she won 'The Law School Challenge’ and subsequently collected the award from the House of Commons.