Developing graduate support in Scotland - Evidence for Enhancement

Project summary

Launched in 2018-19, our Developing Graduate Employability Support in Scotland collaborative cluster sought a critical understanding of what creates and impacts on a successful transition for new graduates and the role that Careers Services can or should play.

Led by the University of Dundee, this collaborative cluster of five Scottish Careers Services went on to create Just Graduated? What Next?, a free massive open online course (MOOC) designed to help students and graduates move closer to career success.

Collaborative
cluster

Developing graduate employability support in Scotland

Publication date: 17 Sep 2020

This is an end of project report on activity that sought a critical understanding of what creates and impacts on a successful transition for new graduates and the role that careers services can or should play. It is written by Megan Davies, University of Stirling; Colin Duffus, Queen Margaret University; Katrina Forbes, Glasgow Caledonian University; Liam Gilchrist, Shona Johnston, University of Dundee; Shelley Morgan, Helen Stringer, University of Edinburgh.

Author:	QAA Scotland
Format:	PDF
Size:	5.79 MB

Life beyond university can be full of opportunity, but it may feel more challenging in the current climate. Covering a broad range of topics, this free online course focuses on short tasks and positive action, helping you to answer that all important question - What next?

Running through the OpenLearn create platform, this MOOC will support you to:

understand and articulate your key skills, attributes and unique selling points
reflect on experiences which have shaped your life and career and learn how to articulate them
identify relevant sources of labour market information and intelligence, and learn tools and techniques which can help you match what you have to offer with these opportunities
begin or continue career planning activities, which you will continue to use and develop throughout your career
engage in discussion with your peers to share experiences.

Try our MOOC

The project team comprised members from five Scottish higher education institutions:

University of Dundee
University of Edinburgh
Glasgow Caledonian University
Queen Margaret University
Stirling University

During phase one of the project, the team utilised a variety of methods to capture and evaluate data, identify the key graduate groups who would benefit from support, review current and past pilot initiatives, and gain a better understanding of the perspectives of students and graduates.

This resulted in the production of an Interim Report, summarising the team’s research methodology and recommendations for phase two, and an accompanying Interim Framework for Designing Graduate Support, featuring detailed considerations and prompts for institutions to incorporate when developing their own graduate support programmes.

Developing graduate employability support in Scotland: Interim report

Publication date: 17 Dec 2019

This interim report covers progress in the first year of this project, which focused on capturing and evaluating data to identify the key graduate groups, reviewing current and past pilot initiatives, and gaining a better understanding of the perspectives of students and graduates. It was written by Colin Duffus, Queen Margaret University; Katrina Forbes, Glasgow Caledonian University; Liam Gilchrist, Research Assistant; Lesley Grayburn and Megan Davies, Stirling University; Shona Johnston, University of Dundee; and Helen Stringer, University of Edinburgh.

Author:	QAA Scotland
Format:	PDF
Size:	1.02 MB

Developing graduate employability support in Scotland: Interim framework for designing graduate support

Publication date: 17 Dec 2019

This report covers a framework developed as part of the project, which summarises key information and poses challenge questions which can be applied in order to design, deliver and evaluate successful programmes to support transition into graduate-level employment for recent graduates. It was written by Colin Duffus, Queen Margaret University; Katrina Forbes, Glasgow Caledonian University; Liam Gilchrist, Research Assistant; Lesley Grayburn and Megan Davies, Stirling University; Shona Johnston, University of Dundee; and Helen Stringer, University of Edinburgh.

Author:	QAA Scotland
Format:	PDF
Size:	0.39 MB

Phase two then focused more directly on the development and evaluation of the MOOC, which was first tested in February-March 2020 with approximately 100 participants. In June 2020, a second launch saw over 200 participants successfully engage with the free online course.

Project summary

Collaborativecluster

Developing graduate employability support in Scotland

Just Graduated? What Next?

Project development

Developing graduate employability support in Scotland: Interim report

Developing graduate employability support in Scotland: Interim framework for designing graduate support

Collaborative
cluster