Universities and employers have today come together behind a major new plan to help get graduates into good jobs, and to provide lifelong careers support.
Published by Universities UK (UUK) with support from Pearson and the British Chambers of Commerce, the Future Jobs Roadmap sets out a series of steps for universities, business and government to take to better support graduates into work.
The Roadmap has been developed based on conversations with around 200 employers, business groups and universities and responds to the growing challenge facing young people and employers alike. The University of Exeter helped to shape the Roadmap through hosting one of the regional networking sessions.
The plan comes at a pivotal moment for the economy. As the government develops its ten-year plan and industrial strategy, universities are stepping forward with a practical offer to help deliver the high-level skills, graduate talent and growth the country needs.
It also responds to the wider pressures facing young people entering the Labour market. While graduates are far less likely to be not in education, employment or training (NEET) than non-graduates, the overall number of NEETs recently passed one million for the first time.
Professor Malcolm Press, President of Universities UK and Vice-Chancellor of Manchester Metropolitan University, said: "This Roadmap is the result of universities listening carefully to employers about the challenges they face and the skills they need, and responding with action.
"The message we heard was clear: graduates possess significant talent and potential, and employers value them highly. But we need to do even more to help students gain workplace experience, develop professional confidence and prepare for a changing economy.
"Universities want to work even more closely with employers, students and government to strengthen opportunities for graduates and support economic growth."
The Future Jobs Roadmap will help graduates of every background, and the employers who need them, to succeed. Key commitments include:
- An ambition for all undergraduates to have access to meaningful work-based learning by 2035, with a milestone of reaching 50% by 2030
- Ensuring AI tools are accessible to every undergraduate student and every course has a lecturer who is an 'AI trailblazer' so that graduates have the skills to be AI pioneers in the workplace
- Providing graduates with universal lifetime entitlement to careers support both while they are at university and throughout their career to ensure they are set up for success and can navigate labour market change
- Expanding employer co-designed learning and modular provision
- Supporting regional graduate schemes to connect graduates with SMEs
- Making it easier for employers to engage with universities.
The Roadmap also calls on government to support youth employment through targeted measures to encourage recruitment and strengthen pathways into work.
Exeter hosted the regional roundtable event in April, welcoming UUK's Chief Executive Vivienne Stern. The session drew representatives from leading organisations, including the Met Office, the NHS, Devonport Dockyard, Devon County Council, the three higher education institutions in Plymouth, and entrepreneurs in fields such as AI, manufacturing, and the creative industries.
Professor Lisa Roberts, President and Vice-Chancellor of Exeter, said: "The University of Exeter is proud to have hosted one of the regional networking sessions, and for playing our part in the creation of UUK's Future Jobs Roadmap.
"Our University has extensive industry links, both regionally and nationally, and we use this to understand the needs of businesses and employers. We know that the future UK economy will demand more graduates with even greater skills, and we have a strategic mission to ensure that every Exeter student gains the tools they need for success in their careers.
"By providing our students with in-demand, employer-focused skills and knowledge, we can ensure that Exeter plays its part in forging a stronger economy, whilst also creating more opportunities for them to stand out in the current and future labour market."
Shevaun Haviland, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, said: "Giving firms better access to graduates with the right technical and practical skills is a crucial part of unlocking economic growth.
"The Future Jobs Roadmap is full of practical ideas that reflect what businesses are telling us they need and could make a real difference for both employers and employees alike.
