Dr Robert Partridge is Director of the Careers Service at the University of York. He led the development of the York Award and has successfully managed it since it began in 1998. The York Award is a skills and personal development programme for undergraduate students, which aims to prepare them for the world of work. In 2008 Robert was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship in the 'Learning Support Staff' category, encourages students to be inventive in the ways in which they use their time at university, promoting the concept of a learning environment which is unconstrained by classroom walls. He has a great interest in student volunteering and believes that higher education should promote active citizenship. He is using his NTF award to encourage academic staff to offer community-based research projects to final-year undergraduate students, helping them to develop a greater understanding of their subject and its application in the real world.