Memorandum submitted by the Careers Research
and Advisory Centre (CRAC)
The Careers Research and Advisory Centre is
an independent organisation which is dedicated to career development
and active career-related learning. With over 40 years experience
in the career development field, CRAC has a passionate belief
that individuals have the ability to achieve their career goals
if they are equipped with the skills to do so.
CRAC's strategic aims are:
— to encourage the structured growth
of active and conscious career planning through collaboration
and the promotion of good practice amongst educational institutions,
employers and other stakeholders.
— to influence individuals' attitudes
and motivations towards career development and learning to help
them choose fulfilling career paths and make wise use of their
talents and skills.
— to become a leading, national provider
of innovation and expertise in careers knowledge, research and
skills development.
CRAC works in partnership with schools, colleges,
universities, government agencies and other key national organisations,
ensuring that the work we do impacts as many individuals as possible,
to achieve CRAC's vision of a society where individuals understand
how to harness their strengths, develop their skills and make
a positive contribution to their communities through employment.
CRAC's work involves:
— creating innovative training programmes
for students, teachers, careers practitioners, graduates in employment
and experienced managers
— delivering training on behalf of
our clients ranging from one day events to week long residential
activities
— devising and conduct relevant research,
and effectively disseminate their findings
— producing interesting and professional
conferences
— writing, publishing and disseminating
reports, training resources and academic publications.
CRAC also hosts and manages the UK GRAD Programme
on behalf of the UK Research Councils, and within this response
takes into consideration the perspectives of both undergraduates
and postgraduate researchers.
CRAC welcomes this opportunity to contribute
to the discussion on the future sustainability of the higher education
sector; in particular, to provide information and evidence to
support the employability and career development for those engaged
in higher education.
We have chosen to highlight postgraduate researchers
particularly as an important, but often invisible, cohort in HEIs.
Until recently there had been little focus on their employability
and potential contribution to the UK economy and society. We would
be pleased to provide additional information if you wish to know
more about the work UK GRAD and the HE sector is doing in this
area.
THE ROLE
OF UNIVERSITIES
OVER THE
NEXT 5-10 YEARS
What do students want from universities? What
should the student experience involve, including for international
students?
In 2006, two major surveys[36]
of undergraduate students found that well over two thirds of respondents
cite the improvement of their job prospects as the primary reason
for entering higher education. This is unsurprising; improvement
of job prospects has long been a key reason for entering higher
education, regardless of the funding situation, number of places
available at HEIs, or the number of applicants to HE.
It is, however, surprising, given the change
in funding arrangements and the greater personal financial commitment
made by individuals entering HE, students have not become more
specific about the type of career they are hoping to pursue. Approximately
20% of undergraduates specify that they have undertaken a specific
degree course as it is a necessity for their chose career path—with
a wide disparity between women (c. 25%) and men (c. 15%)[37].
As an organisation dedicated to career development
and active, career-related learning, CRAC believes that the student
experience should involve access to good quality, structured career
development opportunities available from the careers service and
academic departments, with coherent links between formal and informal
learning. Some excellent practices already exist, and rather than
re-inventing the wheel best practice should be disseminated.
However, in order to maximise the benefits for
students, HEIs must work to a clear standard of career development
provision. A key difficulty for employers of graduates is the
lack of clarity between the differing "skills programmes"
offered by individual HEIs, and often graduates are unable to
articulate their achievements and skills outside of their academic
qualifications. It is advised that best practice should include
best national practices, including the work conducted by the National
Council for Work Experience, the Careers Research and Advisory
Centre and the European Framework for Work Experience partnership.
EUROPEAN FRAMEWORK
FOR WORK
EXPERIENCE
Objectives
This project developed a European standard for
the assessment and accreditation of employability skills developed
through paid/unpaid work experience undertaken by students whilst
studying. The project's period of funding from both the Leonardo
da Vinci and Joint Actions programme was November 2002—May
2006.
Specifically, the project team achieved the
following:
— A review of existing work experience
programmes, systems for assessment and accreditation, initiatives
and good practice
— A "glossary" of transferable
terminology relating to the development of work related skills
— A framework of best practice for
work experience programmes for employers, practitioners and students
which includes structured reflection, understanding and articulation
of the value of work experience by students
— An agreed set of 12 work-related
competencies for students
— An accredited work experience programme
successfully piloted with 150 students from 5 European countries
— An International conference for 110
delegates agreeing a European Declaration on work experience
— A dedicated website at www.efwe.org
The primary target groups for the programme
and materials are:
— All HE students who undertake paid/unpaid
work experience whilst studying
— Employer organisations including
SMEs
— Careers services and educational
charities which help students in finding placements (paid and
unpaid)
— Universities/Further Education organisations
researching this area
EFWE helps to establish work experience as a
basis to develop key skills and student employability, helping
students to reflect on their work experience and to translate
the skills they gain into sellable attributes. In addition, it
can help employers, who continue to express that there is still
a real need for evidence of the extra-curricular skills of students.
EFWE is a result of this need for students/graduates entering
employment directly from education to be able to evidence their
employability skills to future employers.
EFWE also aims to work with key initiatives
in partner countries and across Europe, such as the Europass scheme.
This will create a coherent message concerning work experience,
employability and its value for all stakeholders.
CRAC also supports the employability of postgraduate
researchers (doctoral candidates) (PGRs) through the UK GRAD Programme.
The majority of PGRs are undertaking a doctorate because they
are very interested in research (82%) and almost half have strong
expectations of careers in academia (45%).[38]
However there is concern as to whether a research degree programme
adequately prepares for a career in academia, or beyond.[39]
The UK GRAD publication "What Do PhDs Do?", an analysis
of the first destinations of PhD graduates, demonstrates that
they are employed across all sectors. Where the PhD was traditionally
an "apprenticeship" for academia, it is no longer a
vocational qualification. Most universities now provide a programme
of study for the PhD that acknowledges the broader employability
issues. These recent developments have been recognised nationally
by the Quality Assurance Agency revised code of practice for research
degree programmes (2002).
UK GRAD works with all UK universities to embed
the personal and professional skills to prepare
researchers for academic practice and to improve
their general employability.
THE UK GRAD PROGRAMME
The role of the UK GRAD Programme is to support
the academic sector to embed personal and professional skills
development into research degree programmes (RDP).
It operates through a national centre for excellence
at Cambridge and eight regional Hubs located in universities,
which support their local universities.
The UK GRAD vision is for all postgraduate researchers
to be fully equipped and encouraged to complete their studies
and to make a successful transition to their future careers. Doctoral
researchers are our most talented: they have the potential to
make a significant difference to the economic competitiveness
of the UK. The UK GRAD Programme has a key role in enabling them
to realise their potential.
To achieve this vision the UK GRAD Programme
has four main objectives:
— raise the profile of the importance
of personal and professional development in researcher training
for all stakeholders.
— encourage the integration of, and
opportunities for, personal and professional skills development
in research degree programmes.
— encourage and share good practice
within higher education institutions.
— as a national resource, continue
to innovate, develop and provide exemplar ways of embedding personal
and professional development and career management skills.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
There are compelling arguments for HEIs to support
equally career development for international students
Financially, UK HEIs are now dependent on international
students. The UK remains the second most popular destination for
international students, after the US, with over 300 000 students
choosing to study at a UK higher education institution.[40]
Almost 50% of all postgraduate students are international students.
International students contributed approximately £3.1 billion
to the UK economy in 2003 in tuition and other spending according
to a British Council/UK Trade and Investment report. In 2004-05,
non-EU domiciled students directly contributed £1.3 billion
to UK HEIs—a figure representing almost 8% of total income.
However, the market is threatened by several key factors, including
price, cost of living in the UK and the growth of the higher education
sectors outside of the UK—in particular, China, where the
number of HEIs today stands at over 2000, second only to the US,
and with over 16 million students China now has the world's largest
higher education system.[41]
Financially, the UK cannot afford to lose its international students.
Along with this, although still perceived to
provide high quality degree programmes, the UK is facing increased
pressure to ensure it provides the level of employability demanded
by international employers. China is again a good example: despite
having experience of more practical degree programmes and of living
in a different culture, it seems that simply studying outside
of China is no longer sufficient guarantee of a graduate's skills
to potential employers: a World HR Lab sample survey shows that
35% of returned overseas students have difficulty finding work
back in China. Among those interviewed, it took 30% three months
to find a job, and 15% are still jobless after five months of
looking.
The Northern Consortium UK (of universities)
is working with CRAC to provide a career development programme
for international students comprising a series of twenty-one modules
which cover key competencies such as communication, leadership
and team working along with "harder" skills areas including
cross-cultural working, business awareness, interview skills and
participating in assessment centres. The programme will be delivered
by NCUK to Chinese students in the first instance across their
higher education career, commencing at pre-entry to the UK and
ending in the final year of the degree course.
CRAC and NCUK believe that the Career Development
Programme will achieve the dual aims of supporting Chinese graduates
in the competitive job market back in China—and internationally—and
provide the added value to the UK degree which will continue to
entice Chinese students to study at UK HEIs.
International doctoral researchers are critical
to the economic health of UK HEIs. Approximately a third of registered
PGRs are non-UK domiciled. However, competition for these researchers
is increasing. Other European countries are providing similar
PhD programme in English, with the added advantage of not charging
fees. More developing countries are now providing internal PhD
programmes for their students. If the UK is to sustain its position
as an attractive location for international PhD researchers it
will need to offer a more attractive package, including opportunities
for these researchers to improve their employability and understanding
of local employment markets.
What do employers want from graduates? Skills
base, applied research, links with industry?
CRAC is a membership organisation with almost
200 graduate employers and employer organisations within its membership
network. As part of the European Framework for Work Experience,
CRAC conducted research to find out from employers their perceptions
of the skills levels of graduates compared to their expectations
of graduates. 100 UK employers took part in the research, along
with 400 others from Germany, Romania, Finland and Spain.
The core skill areas employers identified were:
— influencing and negotiating.
— written and verbal communication.
— ability to manage self-development.
— information technology.
In the UK, the greatest disparities between
expectation and reality were in customer awareness, written and
verbal communication and teamworking—the latter two of which
are a basic expectation of graduates, even those who have not
taken part in extra-curricular activities. This finding is in
line with the regular feedback from recruiters who state that
graduates are unable to articulate their skills and abilities
well during the application process.
It is undeniable that the increase in graduates
has made it more difficult for "graduate recruiters"
to distinguish between one 2.1 and another; now more than ever
employers have an expectation of both an excellent academic record
and evidence of extra-curricular learning which will contribute
to their ability to function in the workplace. Few of these recruiters
will state that an academic record alone is enough to gain a place
with their company.
In particular, recruiters are keen to see graduates
with an element of work experience not simply for evidence of
skill development, but also for the more general reason that they
have some experience of the "real" workplace and an
awareness of the business world.
It must be noted that "graduate jobs"
with "graduate recruiters" make up only approximately
15% of the jobs on offer to graduates; these are the bigger and
often global organisations which target specific campuses and
degree disciplines and provide a structured training programme
for graduates. Often their needs are quoted as being representative
of all recruiters of graduates simply because they attract more
attention in the media, and have more access to representation.
For many HEIs it is difficult to attract such
employers to their campuses, as much emphasis is still placed
on high achievement in traditional A Levels, and for these employers
the return on investment of their marketing campaigns is much
greater when they target those HEIs with higher entry criteria.
Some forward-thinking HEIs work extremely well with local, smaller
employers who tend to prioritise a certain skill or vocational
qualification over more generalised skills. In terms of engaging
the broader employer market, the government should look to the
Campaign for Mainstream Universities group for examples of good
practice in this field.
What should the Government, and society more broadly,
want from HE?
— a stable, internationally competitive,
HE sector?
— internationally-competitive research
capacity?
— graduates appropriate for a high-skill
economy?
— widening participation, contribution
to social mobility?
— a much greater level of engagement
with schools?
— engagement in society and democratic
debate, and producing active citizens?
Higher education can and should contribute to
all of the agendas above, as well as provide employment opportunities,
staff and student volunteers to contribute to the local community
and other significant, positive impacts on the local economy.
Focusing on the issue of "graduates appropriate
for a high-skill economy", it is vital for HEIs to recognise
that they should provide a platform for their students to develop
attributes that will support their personal development and their
future careers—in whichever field—thus enabling them
to function usefully in a high-skill economy. The argument that
a degree is the culmination of a successful pursuit of knowledge
is out of date. The Roberts Review[42]
in its recommendations for PhD training, stated:
... in order to assure employers of the quality
of PhD students ... the Review believes that HEIs must encourage
PhD projects that test or develop the creativity prized by employers.
The recommendations of the Roberts Review were
welcomed by the higher education sector, acknowledged by the government
and broadly implemented; it would be logical, given that 63% of
first degree holders move directly into full time employment,[43]
that the undergraduate degree should also allow opportunities
to test or develop skills prized by employers.
The phrase "a degree is no longer enough"
is often coined by employers seeking to encourage potential applicants
to engage in broader, skill-enhancing pursuits during their time
in higher education—but why?
It is generally accepted that employers seek
evidence of extra-curricular skills development through volunteering,
part-time work, work experience or engagement in student clubs
and societies, as there is a strong belief that these are more
likely to provide opportunities for students to develop workplace
skills than a degree currently would. Careers services, students'
unions and even some academic departments have made efforts to
provide a form of "additional currency" for graduates
to use as evidence of the development of such skills during the
application and recruitment processes; localised efforts, however,
hold little real currency for employers and it is a student's
ability to communicate their skills and attributes which remains
valuable, not the "add-on" accreditation. (It remains
true also that a number of larger employers of graduates focus
solely on recruiting from the Russell Group of universities, regardless
of the quality of "add-on" accreditation modules from
other universities.)
But if a degree becomes a mark of attaining
a certain level of knowledge and skill, and enabled its holder
to articulate this, then higher education would fulfil many of
the needs stated within the original question—and attract
a broader range of participants, encouraging social mobility.
This is equally applicable to PGRs. The process
of undertaking a research degree requires researchers to develop
a range of additional competencies and attributes that differentiates
them from graduates. However, many PhD researchers are unaware
of their skills and are unable to articulate them to potential
employers. At its outset, UK GRAD, working with the sector and
the research councils, created a statement of the skills and attributes
that postgraduate researchers will have developed by the end of
their PhD programme.[44]
This statement has proved to be a pivotal document in supporting
HEIs to develop their research degree programmes, to raise the
awareness of researchers of their skills and to work with employers
to increase their understanding of the value of PhD graduates.
That our universities have internationally-competitive
research capacity is critical to the success of the UK as a knowledge
economy.[45]
Our PGRs are the next generation, needed to sustain our academic
base. However, despite the apparent health in numbers of PGRs,
much of the recent growth has come through international registrations.
UK-domiciled PhD researcher numbers are flat, if not falling,
in some disciplines. It is critical that the UK makes the option
of research and undertaking a PhD more appealing to students and
research careers more attractive, particularly in the academic
sector. Increasing student debt, poor working and social conditions
for post-doctoral researchers and poor career prospects within
academia all serve to deter students from undertaking a research
degree.
UK GRAD is working with RCUK and the HE sector
to improve the quality of postgraduate research degree programmes,
demonstrate the employability of PhD graduates and improve their
career management skills.
UNIVERSITY FUNDING
What should the Government be funding in HE and
by what means? Should central funding be used as a lever to achieve
government policy aims?
As indicated above, recruiters seek a high level
of employability from their graduates and it is clear that higher
education institutions must play a role in nurturing such skills
during any type of degree programme. Higher skilled workers will
improve the productivity of the UK workforce and the prosperity
of UK society, allowing the UK to hold its position at the forefront
of the global economy.
Recent Government funding of employability initiatives
for postgraduate researchers the "Roberts Agenda" have
been welcomed by the higher education community, and much has
already been achieved within the first three years of funding.
To encourage universities to address the skills
acquired by PhD students, and to ensure they are relevant to business,
the Government expects all universities to meet high quality minimum
training standards on their PhD programmes, and agrees that all
funding from HEFCE and the Research Councils in respect of PhD
students should be made conditional on meeting these standards.
The Government has also provided additional funding to the Research
Councils in the Spending Review to enable enhanced training for
their students, as recommended in the Roberts Report.[46]
Following the Government's response to the Roberts
Review, HEIs received an additional £20 million per annum,[47]
ring-fenced for postgraduate researcher career development and
training, on which HEIs must report separately. The UK GRAD Programme
has proven to be a successful model in leveraging this funding
to best effect, by encouraging the sharing of good practice, delivering
training innovation within this field and facilitating the relationship
between HEIs and the UK Research Councils, the Government and
other key bodies.
Currently it is too early to evaluate the impact
of this funding on the employability of researchers and impact
on the economy, but it is clear from the UK GRAD Programme's Database
of Practice[48]
that the HE sector is working hard to achieve the aims of the
Roberts Review; approximately 450 entries of HEI practice have
been posted on the database since its launch in October 2005.
It is clear that a similar amount per head would
be unachievable for undergraduates (circa £1 billion per
annum), but some central investment must be made in graduate employability
to ensure that current and future first degree students leave
higher education with the capacity to function in a high-skill
economy. This could take the form of ring-fenced funding direct
to HEIs—on which HEIs should report separately—or
a combination of ring-fenced funding and a central co-ordinating
and supporting body, as is the case with postgraduate researchers.
THE STRUCTURE
OF THE
HE SECTOR
— Is the current structure of the HE
sector appropriate and sustainable for the future?
— Is the current structure and funding
affecting growth of HE in FE and part-time study?
— How important are HE in FE and flexible
learning to the future of HE? Would this part of the sector grow
faster under different structure and funding arrangements?
— Can, and should, the government be
attempting to shape the structure of the sector?
The remit of the Leitch Review of Skills (December
2006) was to focus on adult skills, for the reason that 70% of
the 2020 working age population have already left compulsory education
and the flow of young people will reduce. Its recommendations
included an extension of Train to Gain to higher level qualifications,
improved engagement between employers and universities and an
increase in co-funded workplace degrees. There is already some
activity on the higher level Train to Gain initiative and HEFCE
has recently released its Employer Engagement Strategy for consultation
amongst employers.
It is clear that Further Education Colleges
are important and vital providers of Higher Education, particularly
to part time, adult learners, many of whom are in work. Given
the level of employer-supported (either through financial support
or support for learning time), FECs' role as equal but different
providers of HE must be taken into account by any employer engagement
strategy, as well as by any review of the broader higher education
sector.
Recent government strategies to focus funding
on 16-19 learners have led to a modest rise in the numbers of
young people leaving education with basic skills, but have also
resulted in a drastic reduction in the number of adult learners
enrolling in certain forms of learning. Alongside this are the
emerging diplomas, through which it is hoped that vocational learning
achieves a parity of esteem as well as to make a significant contribution
in key areas of skill shortages. With this in mind, the sustainability
of the HE sector must consider the clarity of progression routes,
through both FECs and HEIs, for learners of all ages.
December 2006
36 The UK Graduate Careers Survey from High Fliers
Research was based on interviews with 16,452 final-year students.
Over two-thirds (68%) of respondents in the UK Graduate Careers
Survey said their primary reason for going to university was to
improve their job prospects. The 2006 Times Higher Education Supplement
(THES)/Sodexho survey revealed that students regarded a university
education as the route to a good career. The survey, based on
a poll of 2,172 students at 112 UK universities, found that over
seven in ten (72%) went to university in order to enhance their
job opportunities, while six in ten said they opted for a degree
education in order to earn potentially higher wages. Back
37
Futuretrack 2005, Warwick IER and HECSU. Back
38
Recruitment and retention of academic staff in higher education,
2005, NIESR. Back
39
SET for Success: the supply of people with science, technology,
engineering and mathematic skills, April 2002. Back
40
Patterns of Higher Education Institutions in the UK: Sixth Report,
September 2006, Universities UK. Back
41
Higher Education Crossing Borders, February 2006, UNESCO. Back
42
SET for Success: the supply of people with science, technology,
engineering and mathematic skills, April 2002. Back
43
What Do Graduates Do 2007, Graduate Prospects (using HESA First
Destinations data for 2004-2005 graduates). Back
44
The Research Councils Joint Statement of skills training requirements
for postgraduate researchers, 2001, www.grad.ac.uk/jss Back
45
Facing the challenge: the Lisbon Strategy for growth and employment,
Wim Kok, November 2004. http://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/2010/doc/kok
en.pdf Back
46
Investing in Innovation: A Strategy for Science, Engineering
and Technology, Annex A: The Government's Response to the Roberts
Review, Spending Review 2002, HM Treasury. Back
47
c. £800 per head per annum of the degree programme for RC-funded
researchers. Back
48
www.grad.ac.uk/practice. Back
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