We are delighted to announce the new stage of the Futuretrack study, which will catch up with the Futuretrack cohort of students who applied to university in 2005/2006, most of whom graduated in 2009/10, eight to nine years after their graduation.

This is the fifth stage of the Futuretrack longitudinal survey, and is funded by the Nuffield Foundation. For more information read here.

The British Academy has launched its new report on the skills of AHSS graduates.

IER was commissioned by the British Academy to conduct mixed-methods research to identify AHSS graduates’ and employers’ perceptions of their skills, the benefits of AHSS graduates to the economy and to society and the need for any further skills development. The research, involving a comprehensive review of existing literature, analysis of 3 different quantitative data sources, focus groups with 22 graduates and postgraduates, and interviews with 6 employers, found that graduates with more creative approaches to work will be highly valued in the future and, if AHSS graduates can combine their creativity with good technical skills, they will be highly sought after. Those with narrow skill sets are more likely to struggle in the labour market, except in niche areas where there may be a shortage of particular skills. The research was led by Dr Clare Lyonette, with Dr Wil Hunt and Beate Baldauf, and the IER report has been published on the British Academy website.

The publication of the Futuretrack Stage 5 study conducted in 2019, led by Professors Peter Elias and Kate Purcell and funded by the Nuffield Foundation, showed ‘how the majority of graduates had by then achieved reasonable job security, with many balancing work and parenting or other caring roles when the pandemic hit’ (see press release). In 2020, the research team went back to respondents to investigate how they had been affected by the Covid restrictions and economic impact and conducted Futuretrack Stage 6.

For full details of the research see:

• the report on the Covid-19 impact: Covid 19 and graduate careers
• a slightly revised version of the report published in March 2021: Ten Years On – the Futuretrack Graduates
• a short report that summarises and draws the implications of both the above What a difference a year makes: the impact od Covid 19 on graduate careers

Employability gain is often connected to international experiences, however, empirical findings are sparse. The Academic Mobilities and Immobilities Network (AMIN) and IER are organising a research seminar to explore research on academic mobility on 23 May. There will be presentations from Dr Toni Wright (Newham College), Eluned Jones (University of Birmingham) and Gaby Atfield (IER) focusing on: do students enrolled in UK Higher Education Institutions gain international experiences by studying or working in a different country, or by taking part in international events on the UK campus?; and do international students enhance their employability by studying in a UK higher education institution? To register and find out more here.

The British Academy has commissioned IER to undertake an analysis of the employment outcomes of graduates on undergraduate (UG) and taught post-graduate (PGT) courses in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (AHSS) at UK Higher Education Institutions, looking at the sectors in which they are employed, the jobs they do, and the skills that they demonstrate. As part of this research, we are looking for volunteers to participate in two online focus groups. Participants will be offered a £10 incentive for attending the focus group. All participants must be AHSS graduates from UK universities who are currently in paid work.

For more information or to register an interest in taking part, please contact C dot Lyonette at warwick dot ac dot uk