Current and recent research portfolio

 Graduate employment and work experience

CRAC has undertaken a major study funded by the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) into the career decisions of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) graduates. BIS was interested in why many STEM graduates work in occupations unrelated to their degree, at the same time that employers in STEM sectors report skills shortages and an earnings premium exists in many STEM sectors. The study reveals the career intentions of STEM students and the actual decisions made by STEM graduates, as well as understanding of STEM graduates working across the economy and how they use their skills. The project included extensive survey work with STEM students, over 500 interviews with STEM graduates and dialogues with employers. It was conducted in conjunction with NICEC and CIHE (the Council for Industry & Higher Education).  The final report “STEM graduates in non-STEM jobs” is available from the BIS research website: 

http://www.bis.gov.uk/policies/higher-education/research-analysis 

Working in partnership with Oakleigh Consulting Ltd, CRAC is currently engaged in a review of work experience opportunities for higher education students and recent graduates, for HEFCE. The project combines evaluation work on a series of undergraduate and graduate internships schemes run by HEIs under recent HEFCE funding, together with wider work to investigate potential options for and barriers to the expansion of work experience opportunities, for both students and employers. The work is scheduled for completion in late spring 2011. Additional sub-projects on this theme are being undertaken for other clients too. 

Evaluation work

In 2010 CRAC undertook an evaluation of the Graduate Talent Pool, a national graduate internships scheme launched by Government during the economic downturn to help graduates develop work experience and employability to support their entry to employment.  Commissioned by the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS), the project focused on the value of the scheme and its website but also an assessment of the experiences and skill development of graduates participating in internships. The final report was recently published in the BIS Research Report series:  http://www.bis.gov.uk/policies/higher-education/research-analysis

The national Medical Careers website (www.medicalcareers.nhs.uk) is managed by the Kent, Surrey and Sussex Postgraduate Deanery on behalf of the Department for Health, to support postgraduate medical career development. In 2010 CRAC provided an independent and external evaluation of the website from the perspective of its target user groups, both users and non-users, to underpin its potential future development. The project report was completed in November 2010.

An evaluation of the impact of icould has commenced, to investigate benefit and impact of this new national careers information resource, on behalf of its funder. icould is a repository of c.1000 films of personal career stories available free of charge through its dedicated website and other content channels including social networking sites, specifically built to inspire young people about possible careers.  The evaluation includes measures of usage, recording of feedback, and longitudinal work with young people using the resource.

Postgraduate Researcher Development

During 2011 CRAC undertook a series of research and analytical studies for Vitae on doctoral graduate careers, work experience, and career development in relation to research staff and principal investigators. More information about this work can be found on the Vitae website.

In 2009 CRAC undertook the analysis and reporting for the national Careers in Research Online Survey, on behalf of the Vitae Programme. The survey, re-launched in 2009, obtained the views of the UK’s research staff based in Higher Education into their work and career experiences and activities. CRAC provided analysis of the responses aggregated from the 51 HE Institutions participating in the survey and published those aggregate results and findings.

Other recent research projects

  • Retention and development of Generation Y graduates (2008)
    A pilot study of the early experiences at work and career thinking of graduates 1-5 years into the workplace, across a range of employers, partly to assess how the development needs of this cohort of graduates might differ from previous generations.
  • The career thinking of UK engineering undergraduates (2007)
    A national survey of the career intentions and attitudes of UK engineering undergraduates, conducted in response to employers’ concerns over the perceived ‘loss’ of graduates from entry to the engineering profession, supported by the Institution of Engineering & Technology.
  • Do undergraduates want a career in IT? (2008)
    A study for the IT sector and industry, supported by the British Computer Society, around undergraduates’ attitudes and misconceptions about IT careers and skills, which included national surveys of students in computing and other degree disciplines, together with analysis of graduate supply and IT sector demand.
  • The shortage of female graduates entering built environment careers
    A bespoke study for CITB-Construction Skills in 2006/7 which derived statistical evidence for the proportionally greater loss of female built-environment graduates from entry to the sector workforce (than males), and an analysis of the underlying factors.
  • Careers workforce survey (2008)
    A pilot survey of UK careers professionals, who were working with young people, HE students and adults, which focused on their use of various labour market and careers information sources, and their attitudes to a series of contemporary educational initiatives.