Context
In support of the aims and ambitions of two key University of Leeds strategies – the Student Opportunities and Futures Strategy (SOF) and the Access and Student Success Strategy (ASSS) – the Careers Service is committed to improving the employability and progression opportunities of students from underrepresented backgrounds.
The SOF strategy places the student at the centre of the university-to-work transition, aiming to fulfil the following promise:
“Throughout your time at Leeds, we will encourage you to reflect upon what success means for you now and in the future. Throughout your course experience and beyond, we will support you to develop and articulate the attributes, skills and behaviours that you need to achieve your goals and aspirations.”
SOF Strategy
In support of this strategy, a group of nine Employability and Progression Assistants (EPA) were appointed on a one-year graduate internship in 2019. The EPA programme has continued to date, funded by our Educational Engagement team, with four graduates appointed on two-year internships
Action & approach
The EPAs sit in the Mentoring and Widening Participation team, which has two key focus areas:
- Career mentoring – planning, developing and delivering mentoring opportunities
- Widening Participation – planning, developing, delivering, and/or promoting activities, and opportunities to underrepresented students.
The EPAs are graduates from the University of Leeds, who come from a variety of backgrounds, including first-generation; low-income families; Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic; and students with disabilities. This diversity of experience allows the EPAs to provide Widening Participation (WP) students with tailored support that is relevant to their individual needs. The EPAs also work with Careers Advisers, the Employer Engagement team, and the Work Placement team; with colleagues in Faculties and wider services. This collaboration ensures that students have access to a comprehensive range of resources, and opportunities to connect with alumni and employers, supporting students’ career goals and raising career aspirations.
A key focus is to reduce the disparity of graduate outcomes of students from underrepresented backgrounds, which we do by:
- Providing employability-related information, resources and signposting.
- Developing and delivering specific career mentoring schemes, resources and support for the defined student cohorts via EPA targeted communications and caseload support.
- Engage in research to understand the barriers faced by WP students.
Impact
The EPAs have been instrumental in supporting students from underrepresented backgrounds in their career aspirations and improving their employability skills, experiences, and knowledge. The programme has provided valuable one-to-one support, helping to increase the numbers that engage with the Careers Service offer. The MWP team is committed to continuing to develop and improve the EPA programme to support the career development of target student cohorts.
EPA research has identified several key barriers to progression, which include:
- Low self-confidence;
- financial impact of unpaid internships or volunteering;
- additional responsibilities of caring, commuting or part-time work;
- reduced mobility;
- limited networks;
- lack of previous professional experience.
In addition to the 1:1 communication and dedicated support, the EPAs have developed engaging and successful social media. They have collaborated with a range of alumni to deliver panel events, mentoring, and workshops. Additionally, they worked with a range of external organisations including upReach, Transform Society, Frontline, PwC, EY Foundation and the Hut Group.
The EPA support extends to WP graduates (conducting support phone calls, mentoring) and delivering WP Postgraduate student workshops, resources and mentoring schemes.
EPA research, facilitated focus groups, evaluation and feedback informs the ongoing development of skills development and targeted interventions, along with Careers Service strategy.
Conclusions & advice
- The initial one-year internship period was extended to two years following the first year, after several of the EPAs secured permanent roles part-way through the role. Correspondingly, the number of EPAs was reduced from nine to four.
- EPAs appointed since 2019 have seen successful outcomes: this includes two who have progressed to Master’s level study; one into the charity sector; one into FE; and four have secured higher graded roles in the university.
- EPA 1:1 support is valued by WP students, with overwhelmingly positive feedback; however, take up of appointments is lower than expected. As such, more research required to determine need/increase awareness.
- Targeted mentoring schemes for WP students have enjoyed steady increases in application and conversion; however, more work is required to increase application and conversion of WP students on the wider career mentoring schemes; c1300 students matched to mentors since 2019/20 across six schemes, with 34% of students identified as widening participation.
- Whilst a number of workshops have been well attended, there is more to be done to determine reasons for drop out levels for some workshops and events.
- Limited data reporting – not yet able to review longitudinal data for measuring impact, link to graduate outcomes data, and previously unable to monitor career readiness statements each year for target cohorts to evaluate growth.
