1. First-Year Student Career Readiness Survey 2016
Laura Kerley, Sheffield Hallam University
Helen Zhu, AGCAS
Tom Staunton, University of Derby

2. Introduction
Methodology
Findings
Discussion

3. Why? complexities of university/course choice
mixed bag of pre-university careers support
student mindsets and resilience
the importance of early engagement
how well do we really know our students and how to support them with career planning?
Given the wider context can be complex and challenging for many students and known value of early career planning/engagement (eg. as proven by 'Planning for Success', March 2017, DofE), there is value in really knowing first year students as early and as much as possible......WHAT IS IT WE WANT TO KNOW?

4. Aims Overall aim to gauge students' career development by examining:
Students' pre-university experiences:
- prior experience of careers support
- motivations for course choice
- steps already taken to enhance employability
Is wording 'stage of career planning' ok? Could make light reference to our difficulties of naming the survey as difficult to translate it's whole purpose into a snappy title! Emphasise 'career readiness' is meant to relate to stage of career planning and stage of study rather than literally being ready to transition to a career.

5. Aims ii. Students' current views on careers and employability:
- perceived importance of different aspects of university life
- levels of careers self-efficacy
Self-efficacy = confidence in one's own ability to achieve intended results

6. Aims iii. Students' intentions and planning for future careers:
- wider aspirations
- specific career plans
- intentions to participate in career related activities

7. Scope (so far) 2015 2016 1 university 289 responses 4 universities

8. Potential Institutional level:
help careers service adapt/target services, initiatives and communications
provide evidence of needs for services
could be adapted to use longitudinally
National level:
could provide a large insightful data set
attract wider interest

9. Introduction
Methodology
Findings
Discussion

10. Data collection online survey
collection period: early November 2016 to the end of January 2017
student engagement
voluntary participation
large proportion of BME, mature, and female students
The realist check in the past two years tells us that it was impossible to organise this survey at first-year students’ entry point or in the beginning of the new term. However, the results demonstrated that the current timing is not bad. It enable the comparison between students’ career aspiration at the time of responding to the survey and that before university.
The way participated careers services engage students to answer the survey has impact on the findings.

11. Position NSS survey LDLHE/LEO DLHE Career registration
AGCAS 1 year survey
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
After graduation

12. Questionnaire What questions do we ask and why? demographic questions
five scales:
Factors for University Course Choice
Students’ Perception of University Life
Careers Self-efficacy
Students’ Likelihood to participate Career-related Activities
Factors for Future Career Choice
other questions
Eleven demographic questions allow us to differentiate student cohorts in terms of preparation for higher education and career readiness if there lies any difference. Some demographic variables appeared to have a better differentiation than the others. For example, parents’ HE experience seems a better proxy SES variable than students’ school background.
The scales were developed from scratch. However, all reliability test in the past two years were beyond satisfactory. In the next review, we will focus on the scales’ validity and check if the statements in each scale cover all the key dimensions of the questions.

13. Comparison

14. Introduction
Methodology
Findings
Discussion

15. Career Support before university

16. Important Aspects of University Life
Percent of very important

17. Important Aspects of University Life
by type of school
Percent of very important

18. Careers support needed

19. Careers support needed
White vs. BME

20. Career Self-efficacy

21. Career Self-efficacy
by gender

22. Likely first year career activities

23. Likely first year career activities
by age groups

24. Factors for future careers

25. Introduction
Methodology
Findings
Discussion

26. ? How could we use the survey findings?
How could you use these survey findings in your service?
What issues has this session raised for you re. running surveys in your institution?
Could this survey be useful for your institution and how? ?

27. Q&A

28. Thank you! & Welcome to contact us
Laura Kerley: Tom Staunton: Helen Zhu: