Progression
We work hard to develop our students' employability and ensure their equitable progression from university.
This section covers the evaluations of the following activities:
Future Talent Programme
At Loughborough, there is currently a gap in the uptake of placement years between Black and South Asian students, compared to those from a White ethnic background. Current research also indicates that students who undertake work experience develop vital transferable skills and have improved graduate outcomes (TASO 2023). Our Future Talent Programmes aim to address the placement progression gap by supporting students to secure a placement.
In 2024/25, the programme included the following projects:
- Creative Access Partnership for students in the School of Design and Creative Arts, with an insight day at Nexus studios and industry mentoring
- Work shadowing
- Engineering Transitions Event
- Placement Support Peer Mentoring
What we did:
We administered various pre and post surveys for each of the projects above with both rating questions and open responses, to gauge participants’ knowledge of career opportunities and confidence in their employability skills.
What we found:
Creative Access
Students reported feeling more confident about potential careers in the creative sector.
Work shadowing
Students indicated that after the experience, they had a good awareness of the professional working world and a good understanding of career options.
Experiencing the work culture and office environment of the particular place I was in gave me an insight into what type of working environment I would like to work in and what my preferences would be. Also meeting a range of staff from seniors to graduates helped me build valuable connections and networks. In terms of career decisions, it helped me know what path I would need to take in order to make the best use of my time in university so I get can get where I want to be.
Engineering Transitions Event
Students developed knowledge of organisations seeking to recruit a more diverse workforce. Their confidence in navigating recruitment processes also increased.
Placement Support Peer Mentoring
Student engagement with the trial group mentoring model was low, and contacted students indicated that they would have preferred more personalised, tailored one-to-one support.
What next
Our evaluation highlighted areas where the programme is working and areas where that impact can strengthened:
- Group mentoring vs 1-to-1: The team will trial the use of one-to-one placement support peer mentoring as a replacement for group mentoring in order to increase engagement.
- Earlier involvement of external support: The team will work to involve employers, alumni and professionals earlier as these appeared to be important for participant engagement.
I reached out to the Future Talent Programme (FTP), and they were incredibly helpful. From mock interviews and assessment centres to building my CV and cover letter, their support was instrumental. Thanks to their guidance, I landed my first summer internship after my first year, which was a fantastic experience. The FTP also introduced me to micro-internships—a 50-hour, exclusive, paid opportunity available only to Loughborough students. They walked me through the application process and shared tips and tricks, helping me secure my micro-internship during my second year. When it came time to apply for placements, the support I received from the FTP was invaluable.
Personal Best
The Personal Best Award is a self-directed programme of development enabling students to evaluate their skills, set goals and work on developing their knowledge and experience through activities via a web app. During the Award, students complete a minimum of 4 badges, which incorporates the Ready Set Loughborough induction programme, supporting students to practise articulating their skills.
What we did:
Students completed a Personal Best reflection form, which asks them about their skills and confidence prior to and after completing the activities. We also collected demographic data for participants and monitored the number of awards completed.
What we found:
- Engagement with the programme increased – the number of students completing all activities (excluding the final reflection form) within the Personal Best Award and Badges increasing to over 500.
- AP students made up 48% of the total (227) award completions between May 2024 and April 2025.
- Only 3% of students needed to resubmit assignments – additional guidance provided through video content appears to have reduced resubmission rates from 30% in 2023-24 to 3% this year.
Over 90% of participants found the topics useful
in Ready, Set, Loughborough such as wellbeing, a diverse community, expectations and study success appeared to be highly relevant for students.
Participants developed holistically,
with students indicating through their Badge reflection forms that their skill levels and confidence had increased.
What next
Our evaluation highlighted possible options for improving the programme:
- Expand additional guidance: Guidance appeared to reduce resubmission rates so the team will extend guidance such as expected word counts and providing optional coached sessions.
- Enhance evaluation activity: The team will significantly enhance the depth of evaluation for the programme through a partnership with academic colleagues and engaging students as part of their final year projects.