Megan White, Queen’s Pharmacy Graduate celebrating her Future-Ready Award achievement.
The Future-Ready Award is an employability award that allows you to gain formal recognition and a certificate for the extracurricular experience you gain during your time at Queen’s.
It recognises and celebrates the experiences, skills and achievements students gain beyond their academic studies. Whether through leadership opportunities, volunteering, work experience, skills development workshops or extracurricular activities, the award helps students develop the qualities that employers are looking for while making the most of their time at Queen’s.
With over 100 accredited activities available, the Future-Ready Award is open to all Queen’s undergrads and postgrads, and with 1,045 Future-Ready Award achievers in 2025/2026, it has established itself as a valuable and worthwhile achievement across the University.
Some of our recent graduates received their Future-Ready Award at their graduation ceremony and marked the occasion with a photo at the Future-Ready Award display. As they celebrated this significant achievement, they reflected on the positive impact the award has had on their university experience and future career prospects.
Their experiences highlight the value of engaging with opportunities that go beyond lecture halls. From developing transferable skills and enhancing employability to building lasting connections and discovering new passions, the Future-Ready Award has helped students feel more prepared for life after graduation.
Here’s what some of our students and graduates had to say about how achieving the Future-Ready Award benefited them during their time at Queen’s:
“This is a brilliant award to show how employable you are in whatever career sector you decide to go into.
It’s brilliant and it’s easy to fit alongside your studies.
I would encourage any current or prospective students to definitely look into and apply.”
Megan White, Queen’s Pharmacy Graduate
“Receiving the Future-Ready Award for peer mentoring has significantly enhanced my employability skills by strengthening my communication, leadership, teamwork, and interpersonal abilities.
Through supporting and guiding fellow students, particularly international students adapting to university life, I developed confidence in providing advice, listening actively, and responding to different needs in a professional and empathetic manner.
The experience also improved my organisational and problem-solving skills, as I was responsible for helping students navigate academic and social challenges while creating a welcoming environment.
These transferable skills are highly valuable for my future career in pharmacy, where effective communication, compassion, leadership, and teamwork are essential for delivering high-quality patient care and professional practice.”
Samalie Kayondo, Queen’s Pharmacy Student
“Receiving the Future-Ready Award has enhanced my employability skills by encouraging me to reflect more deeply on my career development and the transferable skills I have gained through the Spotlight on Life Sciences Tour. The experience improved my communication and networking skills, as I had the opportunity to speak with professionals and learn from their career journeys. Most importantly, the award has helped me become more confident, open-minded, and strategic when considering future placements and graduate roles. I now have a clearer understanding of how my degree can lead to a range of career paths, and I feel better prepared to present my skills, experience, and career interests to future employers.”
Bryan Yi Lam Tong, Pharmaceutical Sciences student.
The Master Your Leadership Programme was one of the most impactful experiences of my Masters journey at Queen’s University Belfast. As an international student, stepping into a new country and a new academic environment, I was looking for opportunities to grow not just academically but as a professional and a leader.
Being part of team and working on a real-world brief for the Irish Football Association developing our ‘United Through Sport’ initiative for the Euro 2028 Legacy Fund gave me hands-on experience in strategic thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and presenting to industry professionals. The moment our concept was recognized by IFA representatives as aligned with their real initiatives was truly motivating.
Being invited to the Fresh Start Through Sport Celebration Event at the George Best Lounge, Windsor Park, to see the programme’s real-world impact was an experience I will never forget.
This programme has genuinely enhanced my employability strengthening my ability to lead with purpose, communicate across cultures, and deliver results under pressure. I would encourage every postgraduate student at Queen’s to take part.
Nethra Aladahalli Rajegowda, MSc Business Analytics, Queen’s University Belfast
Applications are now open for the Future-Ready Award winter 2026 applications and close at midnight on 01 November 2026.