{"id":32358,"date":"2026-02-24T08:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T13:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/teachmag.com\/?p=32358"},"modified":"2026-02-17T10:09:51","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T15:09:51","slug":"students-want-job-outcomes-and-uk-universities-are-listening","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/teachmag.com\/students-want-job-outcomes-and-uk-universities-are-listening\/","title":{"rendered":"The Data Is Clear: Students Want Job Outcomes and U.K. Universities Are Listening"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Gemma Kenyon<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is going to university still worth it? That\u2019s a question I hear more and more, particularly as families weigh the rising costs of post-secondary education against unclear job prospects<\/span><\/strong><\/a> and newer generations look to alternate avenues than the typical 9\u20135 job<\/span><\/strong><\/a> that you may not need a degree for. The answer increasingly depends on what a student wants from<\/em> that degree, with many looking to overseas options instead to better fit their needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New research shows students are shifting their university expectations. In a recent survey we performed at City St George\u2019s, University of London<\/span><\/strong><\/a> with Arlington Research<\/span><\/strong><\/a>, 83% of Canadian students said work experience opportunities were a top priority and placed this higher than prestige or reputation. Another 87% ranked employability skills training among their top five criteria for choosing a university.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The message is clear: today\u2019s students expect their degree to prepare them for life after graduation, and this is what\u2019s ultimately leading high school students\u2019 university search. But not all degrees deliver the same return. Outcomes vary significantly depending on the subject studied, the university attended, and how actively students engage with the experience. This is where high school students and educators need better support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Too often, post-secondary decisions are based on surface-level factors like course titles or brand recognition. But what about actual career outcomes? What do graduates from that program go on to do? Are they working in professional roles? Earning strong salaries? Are they in jobs aligned with their studies?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the U.K., we track graduate outcomes 15 months after finishing a degree<\/span><\/strong><\/a>, but this data isn\u2019t always easy for students or their families to find, let alone interpret. In Canada, there are similar tracking measures in place through Statistics Canada\u2019s National Graduates Survey (NGS)<\/span><\/strong><\/a>, but the issue here is that the survey is conducted roughly every five years, which is a long stretch of time when it comes to employment and employability trends. This lack of real-time access can create significant disadvantages, especially for students without established guidance networks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To help better prepare students for success with all the information they need to make an informed decision for their future, we must make career outcome data part of the conversation in every high school. Students should feel empowered to ask questions like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n