Based on a pilot survey undertaken in a UK university in November 2015, the First-Year Student Careers and Employability Survey Report was produced by the AGCAS Research Group in early 2016.

The report includes students’ prior experience of careers support, current views on careers and employability, future intentions of accessing career related activities and opportunities, and their confidence level in practical aspects of employability. The intention is that this research could be used by careers services to monitor if and how first year students’ career related attitudes and engagement changes and develops throughout their time at university.

The purpose of this research project is to gain a better understanding of newly enrolled undergraduates’ career readiness, along with their existing experience and expectations of careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG). The research could be used to generate a deeper understanding of the starting point of incoming students to CEIAG. The study would be useful in cases with and without Careers Registration procedures in place. 

Pilot findings 

Within the pilot study “help me to understand my options” was rated by the newly-enrolled undergraduates in a UK university as the most expected careers support feature. More than half of first-year students claimed that they had some clear careers ideas and on average they showed substantially higher expectations of careers support than those who have no clear careers ideas.

Students whose parents had not attended university were most likely to access careers services for careers advice, although they were less likely to apply for work experience or join a university society. If this finding is confirmed by the extended pilot this year, it is suggested that careers services could do more to support disadvantaged students’ social mobility.

The AGCAS Research Group would welcome more services to participate in the next pilot survey in the academic year 2016/17. For more details, please contact Tom Staunton.

Author(s): AGCAS

Production date: 2016

How to obtain: The full report can be downloaded below.

Communities: Research, Graduate Labour Market (GLaM), Employability, Diversity, Careers Information, Careers Education, Careers Advice and Guidance, AGCAS

Audiences: Careers practitioners

Format: Web

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