Morning, Friday, 4th October 2024
Online
This conference will examine the future for graduate outcomes and employability in the UK.
It is bringing stakeholders and policymakers together to discuss:
- trends in the graduate labour market and employer and student requirements
- priorities for university careers services and guidance
- approaches to ensure university courses prepare students for employment after graduation and the role that degrees should have in employment preparation
- the role of employers and government in supporting students into employment
The conference takes place with:
- this year’s Institute of Student Employers Student Development Survey 2024, indicating that 51% of employers reported graduates and apprentices leaving for better pay, compared to 40% the previous year
- the new Government’s commitment to:
- put employers at the centre of the skills system, create higher-quality training and employment opportunities
- establish a youth guarantee of access to training, an apprenticeship, or support to find work for all 18- to 21-year-olds
- establish Skills England to deliver the new Industrial Strategy
It will be an opportunity to assess recruitment priorities for employers, looking at implications of reported reduced demand for degrees when recruiting and how to ensure that the range of courses being offered by HEIs address the UK job market skills demand. Areas for discussion include strategies for strengthening university careers services, raising awareness on career opportunities and best practice in supporting students into employment.
Sessions will also consider implications of recent trends in the perception of the value in degrees and desirable skills at university. Delegates will discuss insights and limitations of strategies designed to measure degree value and incorporate student input into course content and structures. They will also examine ongoing issues surrounding the concept of ‘low value degrees’, as well as how best to meaningfully measure graduate outcomes and the potential for expanding measurements for graduate success post-studies.
The extent to which student degree choices are influenced by future employment prospects will be discussed, and whether the increased focus on employability within curriculum design in recent years is having an impact on improving graduate employment prospects, alongside next steps for designing a broader metric of successful student outcomes. There will also be discussion on how the latest iteration of the TEF and the release of LEO data is impacting universities’ decision-making around employability and investment in careers guidance services.
Further sessions will consider how best to retain the UK’s attractiveness as a study and work destination for international students, with the Migration Advisory Committee’s recent Graduate route: rapid review reporting no evidence of abuse by migrants and advising that the graduate visa route should remain in place. Delegates will discuss employment of international students in order to fill gaps within the UK labour market, and the role of HEIs in attracting international students to study within the UK.
Areas for discussion include:
- priorities for supporting graduates: embedding employability skills over the course of study - access to careers throughout and post-studies - understanding student expectations for post-graduate opportunities
- HEI and careers service support: strengthening collaboration between education providers and careers services - widening access and participation when supporting students into employment - offering courses that address skills demand - best practice in supporting graduates into employment
- workforce skills priorities for employers: changing trends in the graduate labour market and rates of employment - assessing the potential reduced employer demand for degrees - increasing employer engagement in the skills and training sectors - the role of HE courses in addressing skills gaps in the job market
- recruitment and retention strategies: graduate employment and retention rates - developing HEI and employer partnerships for advancing students into employment - maximising the value and impact of internships, work placements and graduate schemes
- supporting international graduates: the role of HEIs in developing strategies for enhancing the appeal of hiring students from abroad and to progress into UK employment - incentives for UK employers to hire international graduates - implications of current international student visa conditions in the workplace transition
- measuring graduate outcomes: widening the current scope for measuring graduate outcomes and success - assessing value of qualifications and degrees - strategies for incorporating student input into course content and structures
