For over 20 years HESA (the Higher Education Statistics Agency)
has been collecting information on what graduates do after
completing their studies. This has become a vital and
high-profile data source, used for supporting student choice,
underpinning policy making and informing media commentary.
Following two years of review and consultation, HESA has
developed a new survey to collect this data: the Graduate Outcomes
survey. The new survey will revolutionise how we discuss and
understand the value of higher education and the current state of
the graduate labour market.
HESA has today published detailed information about
the Graduate Outcomes survey to support universities and
colleges in planning for its implementation.
About the Graduate Outcomes survey
The Graduate Outcomes survey will be an annual survey of all
graduates (over 600,000 a year). Graduates will be contacted
online or by phone approximately 15 months after graduation, and
will be asked questions about their activities and views during a
specified census week.
New features of the survey
The Graduate Outcomes survey will replace the current
Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) survey which
takes place six months after graduation. Key new features of the
survey which will transform our understanding of graduate
outcomes include:
- A 15-month survey point, which gives graduates longer to
transition into their post-study pathways.
- Richer data on entrepreneurs and creatives through new
routing and questions.
- New ‘graduate voice’ measures of success, which allow
graduates to reflect on their career progress to date. This
provides richer insight on graduate success than is offered by
traditional measures of salary or whether a graduate is in
graduate-level employment.
Rachel Hewitt, Data Policy & Governance Manager at
HESA said:
“The new Graduate Outcomes survey will add crucial additional
insight into how we discuss and analyse outcomes from higher
education. Through capturing the graduate voice for the first
time, we will have a more reflective and nuanced understanding of
how graduates measure their own success.”
, Chief Executive of
HESA said:
"The new Graduate Outcomes survey exemplifies HESA’s commitment
to enhancing the HE information landscape, working closely with
our partners and stakeholders. Employability is a critical issue
for students, graduates, and policy-makers alike, and Graduate
Outcomes will reflect this importance, while adapting to a
rapidly-changing market. We are proud to deliver a survey that
seeks to deliver robust data and realise efficiencies across the
sector, while respecting the autonomy and diversity of HE
providers.”
