![The Universities Investing The Most In Student Career Support Services [Infographic]](https://confessionsoftheprofessions.com/wp-content/uploads/media/2020/08/employability-hired.jpg "The Universities Investing The Most In Student Career Support Services [Infographic]")
Emma Mortimer https://debut.careers 4m 1,055 #students
The views of this article are the perspective of the author and may not be reflective of Confessions of the Professions.
In the current climate, students need a strong support system more than ever.
Often, a great support system within schools, colleges and universities can lead to higher chances of employability, but which of the UKs universities are setting their students up with the best chance of success?
The team over at Debut Careers have submitted Freedom of Information requests to each UK university to find out their career service spend (and taken into account average graduate salaries and employment levels) to reveal which UK universities are working the hardest to support their students at the moment.
Top 10 Best Universities by Employability (Overall Ranking/10)
Rank | University | Overall Score |
1 | University of Oxford | 7.92 |
2 | University of Cambridge | 7.27 |
3 | Imperial College London | 7.24 |
4 | Lancaster University | 7.09 |
5 | University of Nottingham | 6.87 |
6 | University of Exeter | 6.63 |
7 | University of York | 6.40 |
8 | University of East Anglia | 6.33 |
9 | University of Reading | 6.24 |
10 | University of Bristol | 6.13 |
Top 10 Universities By Career Service Spend (Per Student 2018/19)
Rank | University | Careers Spend per Student |
1 | University College Birmingham | £199.73 |
2 | Liverpool Hope University | £150.38 |
3 | Lancaster University | £145.39 |
4 | De Montfort University | £131.58 |
5 | Bishop Grosseteste University | £118.86 |
6 | University of East Anglia | £105.50 |
7 | University of Oxford | £104.41 |
8 | University of Reading | £101.69 |
9 | University of Bradford | £98.64 |
10 | Solent University | £94.56 |
Kim Conner Streich, Marketing Director of Debut Careers wants to reassure current and future students and has praised the universities in their support of students in these trying times –
“We are seeing Universities providing more and more online, as well as checking in with students and doing tutoring groups online, which is all great support.
Graduates can use their time to focus on future positive prospects; some tasks could include updating and editing your CV or even practicing video interviews and the skills that go with it. We have some handy advice here for this. Alongside this there are various online resources for students- finananceunlocked.com is a good one, and it’s free!
We also want to make sure we are providing reassurance and support alongside the universities; students can find some great advice from our careers team online here.”
You can see the full research here.
Michele Trusolino, CEO & Founder of Debut Careers has also answered some questions about students in the current situation which you may find helpful. You will find these below my email.
I thought this research would be of great interest to you and your readers so decided to send it over. I’m sure you can agree with me, that a great support system can really help – especially in these uncertain times.
When is a good time for students to start thinking about their careers?
Now! The earlier you start thinking about careers the better the end result will be. Students that get placements or internships in their first or second year are much more likely to get offered a role by employers come graduation. If you have a few professional experiences under your belt you will be in a fantastic position to secure a great role. Also, thinking about your career early on will help you identify the skills and competencies you need to start building while at uni.
– Do they need to be applying for work experience and learning about ways into a job from the start of year 1?
– What would you say to someone going into their third year of university right now without a clue what they want to do for a living, or how to get there?
You are not alone! Our research found that more than half of students are not really sure what they want to do for a career. The best advice is to start speaking to as many people as possible, apply for internships or placements and think outside the box. Many industries have a real problem with students whose skills they desperately need just not considering them as they are not the obvious choice. If you can combine a passion and your skills you will enjoy your role much more.
In your opinion, are students any more or less anxious / conscious of the need to find a good job than they were four or five years ago?
The last 3 months have rocked the world, students included. In the initial week or so of lockdown, we saw applications plummet and app use substantially down. Since then it has picked up. I think students are very aware that their options are likely to be more limited and there will be more competition for jobs.
How might the lasting effects of the coronavirus crisis impact on the way in which students go about planning their careers right now? (For example, do you think it will make companies less likely to hire graduates? Are students more likely to want to take a gap year, or look for a more stable job than they once might have?)
We have seen a handful of employers cut their graduate intake this year entirely, but most are just planning to drop the number of graduates they are taking on. In 2008 and the proceeding years, we saw that the graduates who didn’t place the year before would retry to get positions in the following year, so if anything for the next two or three years competition will be increased. Taking a gap year is always an option, especially if used to build some transferable skills.
How is the jobs market changing more generally? Will this year’s graduates be looking for jobs for life, or will they be slaves to the gig economy?
This is the big question. The COVID-19 pandemic will have changed working practice significantly. How many of those changes will stick it is something that remains to be seen. Homeworking, flexibility and remote teams all seem to be accepted as normal now, but might we see push back against this and a move to people needing ‘irl’ work, especially earlier in their careers? Most graduates are looking for employers where they can invest themselves. The top tier employers often invest a lot more in training than smaller companies, so this inevitably makes them stay longer.
Given the current crisis, market trends and fears about an economic crash, which industries are most likely to be thriving in three years’ time, in your view?
Often it is not industries that thrive, but companies who redefine how that industry is serviced. Every industry is now a ‘tech industry’ and they need the highly sought after skills to push the boundaries.
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