How are universities preparing graduates for the careers of the future?

Every year, National Careers Week presents a really important opportunity to encourage people to make use of the excellent careers advice services and resources available to them.  

These services are most valuable to those without the family connections and networks to help them navigate their way into and around the world of work. They are a vital foothold on the climb that is social mobility. So, I’m delighted to have the opportunity to help, in a very small way, to make more people aware of the support that is out there. 

This year, of course, National Careers Week comes against a backdrop of stark evidence about the challenging nature of the labour market, especially for young people embarking on their careers, and an intense debate about the cost of student loan repayments. 

People should always think long and hard about whether university is the right choice for them. But it’s understandable if right now, they are pausing to think that little bit longer.   

University isn’t right for everybody, but for those with the ability to succeed in higher education, it remains an excellent choice despite today’s headwinds. Graduates still tend to earn more – £42k on average, compared to £30.5k for non-graduates. And they are less likely to be unemployed – 9 out of 10 graduates are in a job compared to 7 out of 10 non-graduates. And the economy is only going to need more graduates – 11 million more by 2035. 

Nevertheless, in a world that technology is reshaping before our eyes, the needs of employers are changing too. Universities are deeply committed to ensuring their graduates are prepared. That’s why, this spring, Universities UK is leading Future Jobs, a national conversation between universities and employers of all shapes and sizes. To listen, to understand and to take action so that now and in the decades ahead a university education gives people the very best opportunity for a rewarding career.  

The Future Jobs Roadmap that UUK will publish this summer, based on what we’ve heard, will build on the excellent work that is already going on in universities.

Like virtual-internships at the University of Liverpool, giving students the opportunity to utilise an AI management consultant to help answer real world challenges set by employers. Or the University of Leicester ensuring that every undergraduate course contains 100 hours of employer-informed work-related learning. And careers services at the vast majority of universities that are open not just to students, but to graduates who have left university and may still need support in navigating their next career move.    

Writing this piece has caused me to reflect on my own career and how my experiences at York St John and Goldsmiths helped me. Yes, I gained the practical skills to get my first ‘proper’ full-time job, but I also learned less tangible skills – team work, problem solving, communication, decision making, creative thinking and the priceless ability to self-reflect. All have stood me in excellent stead throughout my career, and are exactly the kind of skills employers are telling us they will need so that AI is deployed smartly and effectively.  

So, this National Careers Week, what’s my message to young people who might be worried about their job prospects and whether going to university is the right choice?  

Think very hard about the choice you’re making but remember – your career is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s not defined by the job you’re doing at the age of 22, or by the current state of the economy. You will be working for almost 50 years – jobs and the world of work are going to change almost beyond recognition during that time. Think about what’s going to get you work-place fit and know that universities are places of life-long learning, there to support you with upskilling and retraining throughout your life.  

And remember, universities are stepping up, more committed than ever not only to making sure that graduates are in great shape for a changing labour market but, through UUK’s wider Future Universities series, to supporting stronger economic growth, communities and industries in every part of the country, securing a brighter future for the next generation.