Flourishing after University

Graduate Caller Campaign

Context

Aim to assess whether career guidance and support helps to improve positive outcomes (increased rates of professional occupation, further study and higher level of employment) for graduates who engaged with support compared to those who do not. In the analysis there will be a special focus on assessing if this was beneficial for PGM students, those with multiple disabilities and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Evaluation Questions

• RQ 1: Do unemployed/non-professional graduates that engage with intensive career guidance support have high rates of positive outcomes (professional occupation, further study, employment) compared to those who do not (Type 3 evidence).
• RQ 2: Does the impact of intensive career guidance support show stronger or weaker effects for PGM graduates, disabled graduates or those from lower polar quintiles (Type 3 evidence)?

Intervention

A graduate caller campaign of all our UK full-time and first degree students will check in with students 6-13 months after they finish with those who need extra support (i.e. those unemployed or unhappy in employment) being offered access to individual careers advice. Our advice aims to help graduates identify current barriers and works with graduates to overcome them.

Methodology

Between subject design with those who receive career guidance compared to those who did not take up the offer of career guidance.

Evaluations

Coming soon.

Career Readiness Event Humanities

Context

To improve current student understanding of key selection tasks used by employers through simulated teamwork and interview exercises.

Evaluation Questions

• RQ 1: We would expect increased confidence for students in completing interviews and group discussion exercises, and for this to also be the case when analysing pre- and post evaluations for PGM students, those with disabilities and those who were previously eligible for free school meals. This evaluation is based on comparing  pre-CRED confidence scores to post-CRED event scores (Type 2 Evidence).
• RQ 2: We would expect that Humanities students who participated in CRED would get better outcomes in the University’s Leaver Survey, in terms of increased likelihood of gaining professional occupation and being more likely to be in some form of work and or further study compared to those from Humanities who did not take part in the CRED event (Type 3 Evidence).

Intervention

A day-long practical workshop in which students participate in a simulation of a typical assessment day used by employers, with each student participating in an assessed group activity and an interview.

Methodology

• RQ 1: Repeated measured design with surveys conducted before and after participating in the CRED event
• RQ 2: A between subject design with data from the CRED event being linked to leavers survey data

Evaluations

Coming soon.

IBM Coaching Programme 

Context

We aim to increase, through coaching, the progression rates to professional employment or further study for students with multiple disabilities and social and communication impairments.

Evaluation Questions

• RQ 1: To what extent does the IBM Coaching Programme increase confidence, skills and career planning for those participating in the scheme?
• RQ 2: How does the IBM coaching programme change their career readiness scores?
• RQ 3: What is the impact of the programme on students professional occupation and further study rates compared to those not on the programme?

Intervention

The intervention is a five-month optional extracurricular coaching scheme, designed for undergraduate students from any course. The scheme is run in collaboration with a team of industry partners from IBM. A series of training activities are provided by staff from the University’s Careers and Employability team in collaboration with the University’s Additional Support and Disability Advice Centre. All coaches are employees of IBM and the intervention comprises an induction followed by a series of at least four coaching meetings between the coaches and students selected to take part. The scheme concludes with a celebration event.

Methodology

• RQ1: A repeated measures design will be used, with the dependent variable of career confidence, understanding of the graduate workplace and career planning via an online survey. The survey would be administered at the beginning (typically December), mid-point (i.e February) and end of the programme (i.e. May 2026) each year. The programme is intended to run from 2025 to 2028. 
• RQ2: Between subject design with the dependent variable of career readiness and the independent variable of participating in the IBM coaching programme (engaged in the coaching programme vs didn’t engage in coaching).
• RQ3: Between subject design with the dependent variable of professional occupation and further study and the independent variable of participating in the IBM coaching programme (engaged in the coaching programme vs didn’t engage in coaching).

Evaluations

Coming soon.