Introducing the 2021 Undergraduate of the Year winners

Now in its 12th year, the TARGETjobs Undergraduate of the Year Awards brought together prominent employers and talented undergraduates for a prestigious awards ceremony, presented virtually by Rachel Riley on Friday 30 April 2021.

The nine awards were partnered by leading organisations: CIMA, Clifford Chance, National Student Pride, Attitude, myGwork, One Young World, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, HSBC, L’Oréal, Police Now and Rolls-Royce. There were fantastic prizes up for grabs for the students involved, including paid internships, meetings with senior executives and a graduate job!

Reaching the final is a huge achievement for the 90 or so student finalists, with over 5,000 entries from 140 different universities across the UK. The awards are an excellent opportunity for universities to showcase the calibre of undergraduates at their institution, while giving their students the chance to practise the graduate recruitment process and secure positions with internationally recognised organisations.

With all entrants completing an application, an online assessment with situational, numerical and inductive reasoning tests devised by SHL and an assessment day, the employers also have a pipeline of excellent potential candidates for future placements and graduate vacancies.

Both the finalists and the winners showcased an impressive range of skills, experiences and achievements, but what makes an Undergraduate of the Year? While some have studied, worked and volunteered all over the world, others have set up their own organisations or become ambassadors for important causes. A sample of the incredible attributes of the winners include: an air cadet, a STEM ambassador, a Muay Thai enthusiast, a volunteer in a local GP practice, the founder of a charity advocating for access to education, a member of a medical sketch group and the youngest person in British history to contribute to a cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street.