Progression
We work with Academic Schools and Professional Services to develop students’ employability, and provide tailored advice, coaching, support and structured developmental programmes to enable all students, particularly those from groups underrepresented in higher education, to fulfil their career goals and ambitions.
Personal Best
Personal Best (PB) is an online programme designed to help students settle in at Loughborough, understand what is expected of them and set goals for self-improvement.
The Personal Best journey includes Ready, Set, Loughborough (RSL) to facilitate students’ transition to university, the Personal Best curriculum programme and Personal Best+ which enables students to develop professional, personal and academic skills for success at university and beyond. To complete the programmes, students take part in activities and earn badges to evidence their development.
These activities support student retention and give students the tools to maximise the benefits of university life to progress to successful outcomes.
72%
completed Ready, Set, Loughborough
1,422
badges evidencing skills development completed
Almost 700
students took part in Personal Best+
120%
target of Personal Best awards exceeded
Future Talent Programme
Our Future Talent Programmes aim to address the placement progression gap for black and South Asian students, compared to those from a white ethnic background.
Our data shows that students are more likely to achieve a 2:1 or a 1st award, aiding progression from university, if they have completed a placement during their degree.
This holistic two-year programme includes 1:1 careers appointments and coaching, mentoring, events by employers and career specialists, and work experience opportunities.
Future Talent Programme 2023/34 overview:
306
student members of Future Talent Programme
93%
of participants said they were confident about successfully navigating the recruitment process after Future Talent vs 40% before (responses from 15 students)
87
students mentored
5.4%
decrease in gap for Part I* uptake among Asian students
2.3%
decrease in gap for Part I* uptake among black students
*Part I, a Placement year, includes an Industrial Placement, Erasmus+/International Study Exchange, or combination of both.
My peer mentor was extremely encouraging... [s]he held me accountable which was very helpful and made sure that I was carrying out what we had planned to further myself on my journey to find an industrial placement.