AGCAS response to the TEF consultation

Skilled employment metric

AGCAS does not support the proposal to include a highly skilled employment metric as part of the TEF. The inclusion of any employment metric implies there is a direct, causative link between academic subject teaching excellence and employment outcomes when there is no evidence to support this. Moreover, it is crucial to acknowledge the importance of other contributing factors that help students secure positive employment outcomes, such as undertaking work placements, engaging with extracurricular activities and accessing student support services.

Diverse and fragmented graduate labour market

AGCAS also opposes the incorporation of a highly skilled employment metric on the grounds of lack of nuanced measures of graduate success in the labour market in line with aspirations and career plans.

Furthermore, AGCAS does not support the proposal to include ‘all graduates’ in the calculation of the employment/destination metrics. Including those graduates that are not in work or study, who have made the conscious decision not to seek employment or further study, including those who are retired, experiencing ill health, caring for dependants or travelling, would not provide a valid employability indicator; such outcomes cannot be deemed as either positive or negative in relation to a higher education institution’s performance.

The AGCAS view is that implementation of the TEF must take into account much wider conversations within the graduate employment context.

AGCAS Executive Director, Elaine Boyes, commented:

“I am grateful to the AGCAS members who contributed to our response to the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) consultation. It is important that the AGCAS community contributes to the debate around the development of the TEF as it will have a significant impact on our students, graduates and institutions.”

AGCAS’s full response can be downloaded below.