The RED Awards are the University of Reading’s official skills awards, created to help you gain valuable experience, build key employability skills, and stand out in today’s competitive job market.
We have made some exciting changes to the RED Awards to make them more accessible, flexible, and easier to complete.
What’s changing?
Points system
All three RED Awards have now moved a points-based system, replacing the previous hours-based system. This new system is designed to be simpler and more flexible, giving you more freedom to tailor the award to your own goals, interests, and schedule.
To complete the award, you’ll need to collect 25 points from a variety of eligible activities, such as:
- Careers sessions and workshops
- Volunteering
- Paid work
- Online courses
- Leadership roles
No evidence required
Instead of uploading evidence for each activity, you’ll now complete a 100-word reflection after each one. This is your chance to explain what you did, what you learned, and how it supported your personal or professional development.
A new name
From September, the classic RED Award will be known as the RED Professional Development Award, which has also been reflected in its new logo. The RED Global Engagement Award and the RED Sustainable Action Award will remain the same.
NEW: Outstanding Achievement Award
We introduced the RED Outstanding Achievement Award earlier this year – a special recognition for students who complete all three RED Awards. An additional certificate will be awarded to students who accomplish this outstanding achievement.
10 students were awarded the Outstanding Achievement Award at our 2025 RED Awards Celebration Event in May, where it was launched for the first time.
How does the points system work?
Points are allocated based on the activity’s level and time commitment – the more time and effort required, the more points the activity is worth.
- 1 point is awarded for short activities lasting under an hour or one-off events. For example, attending a career workshop or doing a one-time volunteering session
- 5 points are awarded for short-term commitments, such as a two-week online course or a short volunteering project
- 10 points are awarded to more significant, long-term commitments, such as regular paid work, sustained volunteering over a month or more, or completing a three-week FutureLearn course
Staying on your current pathway
If you’ve opted to stay on your current hours-based pathway, you’ll have until 31 October to complete your award on the current pathway. After this date, the current pathway will no longer be available to you.
Important
If you plan to switch to the RED Awards pathway, we recommend saving a copy of any completed activities or reflections you’ve logged, as you won’t be able to access the old pathways after 01 September.
New to the RED Awards? Contact the RED Team at red@reading.ac.uk for information and queries.
Author: Suisia Fernandes, RED Award Intern