FREE CHOICE ON THE DAY

C: Measuring the ‘golden thread’: student engagement, career thinking and Graduate Outcomes

Presenters: Fiona Cobb, University of London and Katy Coyte, University College London

The volume and variety of student data we are collecting, and the velocity at which we are collecting data within higher education is rapidly increasing (Shacklock, 2016:2) University careers and employability services now collect and hold large volumes of data across the full student lifecycle, from careers registration (Cobb, 2019), to engagement data (careers fairs, appointments, work based learning initiatives), student feedback and outcomes data. This data provides careers and employability services with opportunities to incorporate data to target resources and interventions, and to support and anticipate student needs

The Careers Group (TCG) Research Unit conducted an analysis of UCL data of the ‘student journey’ (from enrolment to Graduate Outcomes) to identify factors influencing positive graduate outcomes, such as highlyskilled work. During this session, we will explore findings from the research in the wider context of UK higher education policy and a metrics heavy regulatory environment

D: Embracing social media to engage students and graduates in careers services

Presenters: Jacqualine Wallace, Nottingham Trent University, Kaz Scattergood, University of Liverpool, and Hannah Vuozzo, University of Glasgow

Social media – we know it’s where our students and graduates spend their time, with growing numbers of Gen Z using platforms like TikTok as their search engine. Social media seemingly is the anathema to traditional careers communication methods. How do we navigate the changing way our audience interacts with our promotional content and shake off the more traditional image of a careers service?

Join us for a panel discussion with members from the often overlooked careers service communications teams Learn about the successes (and misses) of embracing social media, how to curate content which appeals to students and graduates and how communication teams bring traditional careers messaging into a very 21st century communications channel.

Free Choice On The Day

A: What do graduates do?

Presenters: Charlie Ball and Dee Jones, JISC

What do graduates do? Join Dee Jones and Charlie Ball of Jisc as they talk about the new Graduate Outcomes data, what it means for students, and how it fits in with the current picture of the graduate labour market This is a chance for AGCAS members to talk directly to Jisc about how we can help you with data and insight over the coming year.

B: Supporting graduates in West Yorkshire to Jumpstart their career

Presenters: Gabi Binnie, Gradconsult and Ian Maude, Leeds Trinity University

‘GradSkills: Jumpstart Your Career’ is a new iteration of GradSkills (funded by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and delivered by a partnership of the 12 universities and post-18 colleges). It is delivered in partnership with Leeds Trinity University and Gradconsult

This first-of-its-kind project is a full programme of support for graduates residing in West Yorkshire who are under- or unemployed, consisting of engaging, asynchronous learning designed to develop critical employability skills/knowledge, as well as coaching, in-person learning, collaborative forums and employer events. It is open to any graduate residing in West Yorkshire, not just those from partner higher education providers (HEP).

The programme demonstrates how HEPs can use regional funding to work in partnership to support under/unemployed graduates at scale Each HEP has a graduate attraction plan designed collaboratively to engage graduates and target current finalists at risk.

By linking participants with employers who are actively recruiting graduates in WY, the programme seeks to support participants into graduate employment that is meaningful, fits with their plans and utilises what they learned during their studies

Free Choice On The Day

C: How to engage graduates from final year to Graduate Outcomes

Presenter: Tom Davies, University of Leeds

Post-pandemic, the University of Leeds completely overhauled their Graduate Support programmes, aimed at delivering specialist careers support and pointing them towards existing resources for a graduate and finalist audience respectively Where activity before had been focused on campus based in-person delivery, the pandemic forced our hand and led us to redevelop our programmes altogether.

We’ve now shifted to a more engaging, flexible, online programme with a more collaborative approach between Leeds universities for the benefit of all our finalists and graduates. The session will seek to highlight some of the successes (and failures!) we ’ ve had with this approach, and will feature representatives demonstrating the work they’ve done in this space, before breaking out into group discussions about similar activities being done across other universities

D: Career storytelling with local SME role models

Presenters: Caroline Hanson and Rachel Westwood, Sheffield Hallam University

When engineering and built environment students are asked who they would like to work for on graduation, large national and multinational companies are commonly mentioned. However, with our high proportion of commuter students and students with close family ties, many are also keen to launch their career locally

At Sheffield Hallam University we have sought to showcase personal career stories and raise the profile of local SMEs by:

SME fair and panel discussion featuring local employers

Career journeys guest speaker event for geography, environmental science and planning students

Women in Engineering and Construction networking event and video resource

Employers inputting into curriculum sessions and offering projects

This session will discuss and reflect on:

Good practice for working closely with employer engagement teams and local businesses

Your own university’s approach to broadening student employer choice and SME engagement

The power of career stories in tackling EDI barriers including stereotypes in relation to gender and ethnicity