The Awards

Entries for 2027 now open.

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Book and submit your entry here.

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Who is eligible to enter?

All graduate, apprenticeship and school leaver employers or their agencies may submit a nomination. Plus specific category for HE providers. You can submit work from 2025/26 or 2026/27 campaigns (unless otherwise stated).

How are the awards judged?

All student panel awards are shortlisted and judged exclusively by undergraduates and school students, making the targetjobs National Emerging Talent Awards the most accurate reflection of recruiters’ standing with their audience.

Entries should be booked by Friday 29 January 2027 (you will then have until midnight Thursday 4 February 2027 to complete your submission). Once closed we will host an independently adjudicated judging process in which carefully selected final-year undergraduates, apprentices, school leavers shortlist and industry professionals select winners for each category. Their decision is final and neither GTI, the adjudicators nor the student panel will enter into any correspondence on the decisions made.

In addition to the student panel awards there are sector awards, which are voted for by students in a national poll administered by our research partner Cibyl and the emerging talent employer of the year, which you can enter if you are shortlisted for any of the award categories.

What are the judging criteria?

Each award has specific judging criteria, which are outlined under each category below. Please follow these criteria as these will directly correspond to the points awarded by the judges. Please do not exceed the stated word count for each criteria.

How do I submit an entry/entries

When you are ready you can book and submit your entry here. You will be asked to login to a secure platform to complete your entry online.
You will see the costs associated with entering and can pay by credit card or receive a proforma-invoice by email as a booking confirmation.
For each entry, a fee of £199 is payable (£238.80 including VAT). There is a special rate for any bundle of five entries (£850+VAT) for the ‘The graduate rising star’ and ‘The apprentice of the year’ awards.
There is a special fee of £120 (£144 including VAT) for HE institutions entering the 'best university employability strategy' and the 'HE careers and employability team of the year' awards.
Please book all your entries on one order by clicking the box 'Add more entries'. Contact Sam Grant (sam.grant@groupgti.com) if you have any queries.
You may wish to include relevant supporting material (eg promotional material, photographs or links to video) with your submission. Bear in mind each judge will spend the same amount of time (usually between 15–20 minutes) on each submission. These can be uploaded when you complete the entry.
Shortlisted entries will be notified after the judging has taken place.

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Panel awards for employers – judged exclusively by students

The graduate rising star

This award celebrates a recent graduate who is already making a real contribution. Your nominee must have joined the organisation within the last three years. You can nominate more than one graduate, and discounted pricing applies to five or more entries.

Start by introducing your nominee: their personal and educational background and what they do in their current role. Judges will score your entry against the criteria below. Please answer under each heading.

How has your graduate gone beyond what the organisation or their manager expected, and how do they compare with their peers? (250 words)
What have they added to the success of their team, department, business area or the wider organisation? (250 words)
What difference have they made to the working environment and to the people around them? (250 words)
How have they shown ambition and the potential to go far? (250 words)

The apprentice of the year

This award celebrates a recent apprentice who is making their mark. Your nominee must have begun their apprenticeship within the last three years or still be on the programme. You can nominate more than one apprentice, and discounted pricing applies to five or more entries.

How has your apprentice gone beyond what the organisation or their manager expected, and how do they compare with their peers? (250 words)
What have they added to the success of their team, department, business area or the wider organisation? (250 words)
What difference have they made to the working environment and to the people around them? (250 words)
How have they shown ambition and the potential to go far? (250 words)

The best apprenticeship programme

This award celebrates an apprenticeship programme that is thoughtfully designed, backed by leadership, clearly pitched at its target audience and rewarding for the apprentices who join it.

Judges will score your entry against the criteria below. Please answer under each heading.

Why does your organisation recruit apprentices? (100 words)
What does your programme offer prospective apprentices? (200 words)
How have you found and engaged students for the programme? Which channels and tools do you use to attract, assess and recruit them? (200 words)
What training, development and progression opportunities do you provide to set apprentices up for long-term success in the organisation? (200 words)
What impact has your apprentice recruitment had? (100 words)

The best inclusive recruitment strategy (revised for 2027)

This award celebrates organisations that are actively widening or supporting the diversity of their early careers intake through more inclusive attraction and selection or a post hire strategy which may include internal networks or other initiatives. All forms of EDI can be considered including gender, sexuality, ethnicity, neurodiversity, social mobility and location.

Judges will score your entry against the criteria below. Please answer under each heading.

What are your EDI strategy and objectives? (200 words)
How and why do diversity and inclusion shape your student recruitment and/or post hire support? (200 words)
How have you identified and reached students from under-represented groups? (200 words)
Which channels, tools and techniques do you use to attract, assess, recruit and/or support students from these groups? (200 words)
What impact has your diversity and inclusion work had? (200 words)

The best work experience (WEX) programme - designed for early experience (Year 10+) and young people who are NEET (new for 2027)

This award celebrates structured, modern work experience that gives young people at school, college, university or NEET populations meaningful experience at the same time, overcoming the geographical and capacity limits of traditional work experience, internships or placements. Entries are likely to have found new ways to offer meaningful insight, skills and progression opportunities and may include in-person or digital approaches(or both).

Judges will score your entry against the criteria below. Please answer under each heading.

What are the aims of your work experience programme, and how does it reach the number and range of young people you are targeting? (200 words)
Describe the design and delivery of your programme, including the model you use (virtual, blended or hybrid) and how it gives participants a genuine and meaningful insight into careers. (250 words)
How do you work with technology platforms and other partners to deliver at scale while keeping quality high? (200 words)
How do you make sure the programme is accessible and inclusive, and how do you engage and support participants, particularly those with the least access to work experience? (200 words)
What impact has the programme had on participants, partners and your organisation? Please include metrics such as reach, completion, learner feedback and onward progression. (200 words)

The best placement or internship programme

This award celebrates leading placement, internship and work-experience programmes that give students a real taste of your organisation.

Judges will score your entry against the criteria below. Please answer under each heading.

How do you find, attract and recruit students onto your programme? (250 words)
How is the programme designed, structured and delivered, and how do you work with the business to keep the experience excellent? (250 words)
What is the quality of the work and the opportunities you give students on the programme? (250 words)
How do you support students during the programme and afterwards, so that the strongest stay part of your talent pipeline? (250 words)

The best candidate, onboarding or post hire experience

This award celebrates outstanding candidate and new-hire experiences. Your entry can cover any stage, from first application through offer, onboarding and life after joining, and can be people-led, technology-led or a blend of both.

Judges will score your entry against the criteria below. Please answer under each heading.

Which stage(s) of the candidate journey does your approach or solution cover? If it focuses on particular student groups,please summarise. (100 words)
Describe the candidate or new-hire experience and how you deliver it. Briefly show what makes it different from the standard approach. (250 words)
What are the benefits for candidates, recruiters or other stakeholders, and where do they come from? Examples include candidate engagement, employer brand or productivity in role. (200 words)
What impact has the experience had? Metrics are welcome. (200 words)

The best student marketing campaign

This award celebrates an integrated attraction campaign that has successfully engaged and won over its target audience(s).

Judges will score your entry against the criteria below. Please answer under each heading.

What were your campaign objectives, and how did you measure success? (200 words)
How did you deliver and promote the campaign across channels? What role did these channels play, and how did you use them to reach the right students? (200 words)
What other creative or innovative features, tools, channels or media did you use, and how did you measure their success? (200 words)
How did the campaign perform against your objectives? (200 words)

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The best innovation in assessment and selection

This award celebrates fresh thinking in how students are assessed in early careers education or recruitment. The best innovations balance the needs of candidates and recruiters and improve the quality and fairness of support and predictive decisions.

Entries can cover anything from skills reviews, preparing candidates and online testing to the use of AI within the solution, prevention or detection of candidate over-use of AI or interview and assessment centre design and delivery, if the idea, method or technology is new.

Judges will score your entry against the criteria below. Please answer under each heading.

What problem were you trying to solve, and what were the objectives of the innovation? Please include metrics where you can. (200 words)
What is the solution? How is it robust,inclusive and fair, and how does it balance the needs of candidates, employers and any other stakeholders? (250 words)
Is the innovation disruptive or incremental? How did you develop and test it, for example by involving students? How scalable is it? (200 words)
What impact has the innovation had, including any feedback, and how might it shape the future of recruitment? (200 words)

The best work related learning solution (new for 2027)

This award celebrates an educator, independent learning provider or specialist partner solution provider that has designed and delivered an outstanding learning solution.

Judges will be looking for strong partnership, distinctive solution design and demonstrable skills impact for students. Please answer under each heading.

What were the strategic priorities and challenges, and how did your needs analysis shape the scope of the solution? (200 words)
Describe your solution design and delivery. What makes it distinctive or innovative, and how does it align with real-world skills and employer needs? (250 words)
How did you work with the stakeholders to deliver the solution? Please include how you engaged learners and secured sponsor support. (200 words)
What measurable business or organisational impact did the solution have for the client? Metrics are welcome. (200 words)
How will the solution continued to create value beyond its initial delivery? (150 words)

Panel awards for employers – judged by industry professionals

The best use of AI in recruitment

This award celebrates the most impactful AI solution in recruitment, either pre or post hire. This category acknowledges outstanding efforts in bringing AI projects from concept to reality. The award highlights deployments that have significantly transformed recruitment operations, driven innovation, and delivered measurable benefits.

Judges will score your entry against the following criteria. Please answer under each heading.

Describe the stages or functions in the recruitment process that you have deployed an AI solution into and explain why.Have you solved a problem in an innovative and unique way? (200 words)
How did you develop the solution, evaluate it and (if applicable) integrate it into existing platforms or processes? (250 words)
How has this helped the recruitment process and how is it scalable? (200 words)
Evaluate the tangible benefits that the AI solution has brought to its intended users or the broader recruitment process. (200 words)

The early careers professional of the year

This award celebrates the contribution of a member or head of a recruitment or talent development team.

Start by introducing your nominee: with background and current role. Judges will score your entry against the criteria below. Please answer under each heading.

How has your nominee gone beyond what the organisation or their manager expected, and how do they compare with their peers? (250 words)
What have they added to the success of their team, department, business area or the wider organisation? (250 words)
What difference have they made to the recruitment or talent development process for students, graduates and apprentices, and to their colleagues? (250 words)
How have they shown commitment to the wider early careers profession, and what have they contributed to it? (250 words)

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Panel awards for higher education institutions

The best university employability strategy

This award celebrates higher education institutions that equip their undergraduates to reach their potential as they search and apply for graduate roles and move into employment.

Judges will score your entry against the criteria below. Please answer under each heading.

What is your overall approach to student employability? (100 words)
How do you work with academics and other departments so that students build a broad range of skills throughout their time at university? (200 words)
How do you work with the university's senior management to design and deliver your employability strategy? (200 words)
What activities and opportunities do you offer to prepare students for future success? Please include how alumni, parents and employers are involved, and any innovations. (400 words)
How do you encourage students to make the most of the careers service and to get involved in your activities? (100 words)
How do you measure and demonstrate success in employability? Please include your key achievements and progress. (200 words)

The HE careers and employability team of the year

This award celebrates a department, committee or project team that has made a significant impact or achieved strong results over the past year. The team will have overcome obstacles, drawn on the strengths of every member or collaborated with others to deliver high-quality outcomes and serve the wider HE community.

Judges will score your entry against the criteria below. Please answer under each heading.

Describe how the team has worked TOGETHER towards a common goal. What makes you an exceptional team? (250 words)
How have you created an environment where EVERYONE works together? Think about how you use skills, communicate and recognise each person's contribution. (250 words)
How does the team ACHIEVE and show a united effort in delivering high-quality outcomes, professional development or programmes? (250 words)
Using specific examples, show how the team has achieved MORE for the department, university or community. (250 words)

The sector awards – voted for by students

The winner of each award is determined by an online student poll conducted by our research partner Cibyl and we have captured over 60,000 student votes in 2026. All shortlisted organisations are also eligible to enter for the emerging talent employer of the year award. These awards recognise the most popular graduate recruiters in the following categories:

Accounting and financial management
Banking, insurance and financial services
Construction,civil engineering and surveying
Consulting
Consumer goods – manufacturing and marketing
Energy and utilities
Engineering, design and manufacture
Investment banking and investment
Law – solicitors
Public sector
Retail
Scale-up
Scientific research and development
Technology

The Graduate Futures Institute award – voted for by careers and employability professionals

The Graduate Futures Institute award for excellence in careers and employability service engagement focuses on employers who develop and sustain good working relationships with higher education careers and employability services.

Voted for by careers and employability professionals, the award recognises those employers who provide outstanding support for careers services’ work with students and graduates.

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The emerging talent employer of the year award – judged by HR and recruitment industry leaders

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The pinnacle of the evening is always the emerging talent employer of the year award

Shortlisted employers and campaigns from all categories judged to be ‘the best of the best’ by a group of HR and recruitment industry leaders.

Who is this award for?

The award highlights the standout recruiters in the emerging talent recruitment space, understanding and recognising what recruiters are doing to attract, recruit, onboard, train and retain talent. The award is not looking to judge the flashiest campaigns or those organisations that have the biggest budgets, but the employer creating a great, consistent experience for candidates at each stage. The key is consistency. This is what makes an emerging talent employer of the year.

How is it judged?

Employers’ responses to the application questions are benchmarked against responses from the current intake working in that organisation. Each organisation is required to submit a minimum of five employee responses. The judges are seeking to determine what each employer is doing across the entire candidate lifecycle and how these actions are received by, and benefit, those who have joined the organisation. Entries are judged by a group of hand picked professionals from around the recruitment sector, with the winner crowned at the targetjobs Awards!

Importantly, this prestigious award is ONLY open to shortlisted organisations.

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The emerging talent employer of the year – employer submission

This award celebrates an employer that puts emerging talent at the heart of its organisation, creating an engaging and meaningful experience from first contact to long-term career progression. It recognises a joined-up approach to attracting, recruiting, developing and retaining talent, with inclusion and innovation woven throughout.

The elevator pitch: why should your organisation be emerging talent employer of the year? How have you delivered an engaging and meaningful experience for your emerging talent? NB: This question is not scored. It gives the judges an overview. (300 words)
What sets your programmes apart from other employers? (300 words)
How do you manage the candidate experience from application to offer? How do you bring talent into the business and keep them engaged along the way? (300 words)
How do individuals progress into the wider business once their initial programme ends? Do they know what opportunities await them? What do you do to keep talent after they complete a programme? (300 words)
How do you make sure opportunities are open to everyone, and that your selection, development and retention strategies fully support diversity and inclusion? (300 words)
What is the most innovative strategy or activity you currently have in place to attract, develop and/or retain emerging talent? (300 words)
What are you doing before candidates apply to make your future recruitment processes more effective? (300 words)

The emerging talent employer of the year – employee submission

Five emerging talent submissions from your intake within the last 3 years.

Why should your employer be crowned the emerging talent employer of the year? (300 words)
What was it about your current employer that made you apply? What differentiated them from others? Have they lived up to your expectation so far? (300 words)
Overall, how would you rate your employer’s recruitment process (from marketing to selection and onboarding)? Did they provide any activities you found meaningful before joining? You may have undertaken an internship how did this influence the process? (300 words)
Since starting have you been supported? Do you feel opportunities are communicated well and a good future with the employer? (300 words)
From your experiences throughout the recruitment process and development programme so far, does your employer ensure that opportunities are open to everyone and that diversity and inclusion are fully supported in your organisation? How? (300 words)
Were you actively seeking a role with this company or was your application a result of their attraction efforts? And if so, what engaged you most? (300 words)