The Futuretrack Survey closes on 2 March 2012. The research team are keen to encourage as many people as possible to participants in the survey, to contribute to building a full picture of the labour market and a deeper understanding of the relationship between higher education and employment. Applicants to full-time higher education through UCAS in the academic year 2005/06 are eligible to participate, and have a chance to win a cash prize for completing the questionnaire.

Futuretrack is the most extensive investigation of the relationship between higher education and employment ever undertaken in the UK. The survey is being undertaken by IER on behalf of the Higher Education Careers Services Unit (HECSU)

IER's Professor Peter Elias was mentioned in a Radio 4 programme "Mark Thomas: The Manifesto", first broadcast at 18:30 on Wednesday 15 February 2012. In the programme, comedian-activist Mark Thomas presented proposals for his People's Manifesto, suggested by members of the audience. One of the proposals was 3 Years' free education for all between the ages of 25 and retirement, to help the economy by retraining and developing people’s skills, and giving them a second chance at higher education. Professor Elias was reported to have countered this proposal with a suggestion that if the aim was to improve access to education, the reintroduction of the Education Maintenance Allowance would be a better way to achieve this.

The programme is available to listen again until Tuesday 21 February.

In the third of a series of podcasts about our work at the Institute for Employment Research, Professor Kate Purcell talks about the social consequences of education and training policy aimed at the expansion of higher education and widening access.

In the second of a series of podcasts about our work at the Institute for Employment Research, Terence Hogarth talks about his research work on the economy and investment in education and training to support recovery.

Futuretrack is the most extensive investigation of the relationship between higher education and employment ever undertaken in the UK. The survey, conducted by a research team at the University of Warwick on behalf of the Higher Education Careers Services Unit (HECSU), is investigating students’ progress through higher education and their experiences in the graduate labour market.

The Stage 4 Survey is now open and available for completion. This is the final stage of the Futuretrack study, which has been tracking the cohort of 2005/06 applicants to higher education for the past seven years. It provides one last chance for members of the cohort to contribute to this investigation into the impact of educational and career decisions on access to opportunities and subsequent career routes.

The cohort of UCAS applicants from the 2005/06 admission round has been contacted to invite them to complete the questionnaire. Any 2005/06 applicant who has not received a request to participate, or who would like to join the survey now, can join now via the Futuretrack website.

Eligible respondents who complete the survey have a chance to win cash prizes: ten of £1,000 or one hundred of £100.