British Academy funded project on ‘Jobs and workplace skills of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences graduates’

We at the Institute for Employment Research (IER) at the University of Warwick are carrying out some research investigating what sorts of jobs graduates from Arts, Humanities and Social Science (AHSS) subjects do and the skills they use in their work. As well as traditional creative arts, humanities and social sciences this includes wider subjects like law, business studies, media and communications, and languages. This important research will involve analysis of largescale graduate surveys, as well as in-depth interviews and focus groups with graduates and employers.

The research is being carried out by us on behalf of the British Academy as part of their Flagship Skills project, which aims to articulate the skills that are inherent to the study of AHSS subjects and the value they make to the individual and the wider labour market and society. The research will investigate what sorts of jobs AHSS graduates do, the industries and sectors where they are employed and the skills they use in these jobs. The British Academy believes that there is a growing need for a better understanding of whether the UK has got the right balance of skills, skills levels and disciplines for the future.

Further information about the research can be found here. The information on the page is aimed at graduates and will be what they will see if they click on the link contained in the suggested email text below.

Where do you come in?

We would be very grateful if you would promote the survey by sending out an email to your UK and EU domiciled undergraduate and taught postgraduate leavers from AHSS courses who graduated up to five years ago using the following suggested text. Please feel free to amend the text if you wish.

Alternatively, if you would prefer to promote the research by some other means (e.g. via Twitter or using social media) please feel free to use our downloadable flyer for the research here. The flyer contains a link to the research project page, which can also be accessed using the following link:

http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/ier/research/ahss_2017

Any questions about the research?

If you have any questions about any aspect of the study, or your participation in it, please contact: C.Lyonette@warwick.ac.uk

Suggested email invite wording

Subject: Jobs and workplace skills of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences graduates – tell us your story

Dear <NAME>,

We are contacting you to let you know about a piece of research that is being conducted by researchers at the Warwick Institute for Employment Research, University of Warwick on behalf of the British Academy.

The researchers are recruiting graduates from undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (AHSS) subjects to take part in several small online focus groups. The focus groups will centre around work and workplace skills, and will be an opportunity for you to share your experiences since leaving university.

The research will feed into the British Academy’s Flagship Skills project, which aims to articulate the skills that are inherent to the study of AHSS subjects and the value they make to the individual and the wider labour market and society. The research will investigate what sorts of jobs AHSS graduates do, the industries and sectors where they are employed and the skills they use in these jobs.

The researchers are interested in talking to graduates from both undergraduate and postgraduate courses. The subjects covered by the research include creative arts, social studies, law, business and management, mass communications and documentation, languages, and historical and philosophical studies.

If you are interested, we would love to hear from you so that we can get in touch to invite you to take part in an online focus group. If you take part in one of our focus groups we will give you a £10 Amazon voucher as a thank you for taking part.

How to join in: Please take a few minutes to find out more about the research at: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/ier/research/ahss_2017 . If you are interested in taking part in a focus group you can register your interest by completing the consent form on the sign-up page.

Alternatively, if you have any questions about any aspect of the study, or your participation in it, please contact: C.Lyonette@warwick.ac.uk

Your contribution to this research is invaluable. Please be assured that all replies will be held securely and will be anonymous - no individual will be identified at any stage. Thank you for your help and we wish you all the best for the future.

Yours sincerely,

<Name of careers/alumni representative>

<Title>

Note – you have been contacted directly by us in relation to this research. Be assured that none of your contact information or personal details have been passed on to the researcher or to any other third party.

Further information about the survey and the research can be found at http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/ier/research/ahss_2017 .

Link to Flyer

(Preview)