The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Graduate Outcomes survey is a vital tool for UK universities and higher education institutions, including veterinary schools.
The survey collects detailed information about the activities and perspectives of graduates approximately 15 months after they finish their studies, and aims to build a national picture of graduate career paths and experiences after leaving higher education.
For veterinary schools, the insights gained from this survey are particularly valuable for several reasons, including career support, accreditation and institutional reputation. The Graduate Outcomes survey contributes to a broader dataset that provides assurance that programme outcomes and the RCVS day one competences have been achieved. Furthermore, the Graduate Outcomes survey findings also feed into high-profile metrics, such as university league tables and the Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework, as well as undergraduate recruitment.
In this article, the authors will draw on examples from the University of Nottingham’s School of Veterinary Medicine and Science to highlight the significance of the HESA Graduate Outcome survey for veterinary schools in the UK.
Strengthening career support services
Employability is a core concept in higher education, generally, and graduate employment rate is often used to assess the quality of university provision1.
While graduate employment prospects have not historically been a concern in veterinary medicine, the rapidly changing landscape of the veterinary profession (diminishing numbers of independently owned practices, the rise of graduate programmes, large-scale redundancies and workforce pressures) will certainly influence graduate prospects and early career trajectories. In addition, the increased supply of veterinary graduates now entering the job market means that students need to have confidence in themselves and their skills, and be able to articulate those capabilities effectively in applications and at interview.
Within veterinary medicine, employability has been defined as “a set of adaptive personal and professional capabilities that enable a veterinarian to gain employment, contribute meaningfully to the profession, and develop a career pathway that achieves satisfaction and success2.” While employability, therefore, goes beyond simply ensuring graduates get their first job, this remains a pivotal step in their long-term career trajectory.
Careers services within universities have been shown to be engaging in an ever-broader range of activities to support students, having an increased role and contribution within, and outside of, the curriculum3. This has certainly been reflected in careers support services at the University of Nottingham’s School of Veterinary Medicine and Science. While the university has a centralised careers and employability service, localised and focused strategic support is provided to the vet school by a designated faculty careers team which have knowledge of veterinary career pathways and an understanding of sector recruitment practices. The team works closely with the school’s careers link and employability tutors to provide careers support to students. This increased contribution of careers services within the school is evident at the University of Nottingham, where careers service input, and employability more widely, is increasingly embedded within the curriculum through the Veterinary Professional Skills modules that run across the five-year programme.
“Understanding what it takes to be a vet and what the job entails help shape the qualities we are looking for in applicants…”
Graduate Outcomes survey data has been instrumental in helping us to refine these career support services, to guide students more effectively and to ensure adequate provisions are implemented to meet undergraduate and postgraduate student needs.
Vet schools can use the survey results to track the success of graduates and identify any areas where additional support might be needed. By interrogating this data, the careers team has been able to identify the type of veterinary (and non-veterinary) roles graduates have progressed into, their geographical location, average salary and job satisfaction. Over time, this enables us to identify trends in the labour market and glean information to help guide graduate decision-making.
By identifying, engaging and consulting with a range of graduate employers, we can gain valuable insights into what they look for in our graduates, as well as their recruitment practices, and advise our students how best to position themselves for success in the veterinary job market.
We have used the findings, for example, to offer more comprehensive career counselling, expand placement opportunities, and provide targeted workshops and resources on CV writing, interview skills and job search strategies. We have also surveyed our known employers to understand their graduate intake timelines, and we are using this information to help our first April cohort of students understand the graduate recruitment processes and expel concerns that no graduate jobs will be available for them this winter.
Furthermore, we use this database of employers for invites to our careers events, annual recruitment fairs and to engage in other career education opportunities and resources where appropriate.
At the University of Nottingham, we have also made use of our own job vacancies platform, My Career, to help students gain employment. By advertising through this platform, free of charge, employers have the unique opportunity to attract and recruit Nottingham graduates.
The platform is, therefore, particularly valuable for those looking to employ to smaller practices or more niche job roles, and for whom which maximising visibility of opportunities can be challenging.
For students, finding job opportunities through this platform, as well as via the usual channels, has the advantage of providing assurances that the employers advertising via this means are proactively looking to recruit new graduates.
With increasing numbers of vets leaving the profession or diversifying to pursue alternative career pathways, good career management and decision-making skills are becoming increasingly important. Graduate Outcomes survey findings have provided us with insight into the broad range of career pathways our students are pursuing after graduation. The variation in destinations has enabled us to develop a range of portfolio careers resources to help showcase these to students and offer inspiration for how they might use and develop their transferable skills.
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Quality assurance and supporting accreditation
Outcomes assessment is crucial for quality assurance purposes, as it enables educators to critically appraise whether the programme outcomes and RCVS day one competences have been achieved, and whether undergraduate training meets the needs of the profession.
The Graduate Outcomes survey makes a valuable contribution to this broader dataset alongside information gleaned from the RCVS Vet Graduate Development Programme, alumni and employer, and National Student Satisfaction (NSS) surveys. Vet schools also rely on feedback from external examiners, EMS hosts and teaching and clinical associate staff, regarding students’ and graduates’ attainment of the desired capabilities.
Both direct and indirect outcomes assessment are also invaluable in allowing the strengths of a programme to be identified and demonstrated4; for example, Graduate Outcomes survey findings might reveal that graduates from a particular university are highly sought after by a specific employer or sector. Further exploration of the data from a variety of sources can help identify why this might be, and to help substantiate and expand upon these strengths of the curriculum, to attract students interested in a particular field, or recruit staff with specialist expertise.
For veterinary schools, maintaining accreditation from professional bodies such as the RCVS, and often the European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education and American Veterinary Medical Association, is crucial. The HESA Graduate Outcomes survey provides evidence that can support these accreditation processes; for example, positive employment outcomes and high levels of job satisfaction among graduates can demonstrate that a school is meeting the rigorous standards set by accrediting organisations. Moreover, the survey can highlight areas for improvement that schools can address proactively. By showing a commitment to continuous improvement based on robust data, veterinary schools can bolster their reputation and ensure ongoing accreditation.
Enhancing institutional reputation and attracting students
The competitive nature of higher education means that vet schools must continuously work to attract high-quality students. With the opening of several new vet schools in recent years (Harper-Keele in 2020, Aberystwyth in 2021, and University of Central Lancashire in 2024), this has become even more apparent.
The HESA Graduate Outcomes survey serves as a powerful marketing tool in this regard. HESA Graduate Outcomes is one factor along with the NSS and other benchmarks that contribute to a course programme and vet school position within higher education league tables.
Prospective students and their families use league tables when identifying potential universities of choice, and will often look at employment rates and the success of alumni when choosing where to study, with graduate destinations being a common question asked at open days. Strong performance in the survey can signal that a school provides excellent education and career prospects.
The most recent survey findings demonstrated that 100% of our summer 2022 graduates were employed in highly skilled work or further higher education or professional study within 15 months of graduation, and 93% would recommend the university. Incorporating these figures in promotional materials, for example, enables us to demonstrate satisfaction in our teaching and highlight achievements of our graduates and the support systems in place to help students succeed. This not only attracts students, but also reassures parents and guardians that their investment in education will yield tangible returns.
Having valuable insight into roles carried out by our graduates also links with student recruitment and the admissions process for vet schools. Understanding what it takes to be a vet and what the job entails help shape the qualities we are looking for in applicants and prospective Nottingham graduates.
Being able to share the HESA Graduate Outcomes survey data with prospective applicants allows for them to see tangible career prospects and successes of real people who were once in their position. Showing prospective applicants how aspirations can become reality supports veterinary medicine applicants from all backgrounds in pursuing higher education, and ultimately supports the veterinary profession and workforce.
Image © andrey_orlov/ Adobe Stock
Contributing to profession-wide insights
Beyond individual institutions, the HESA Graduate Outcomes survey contributes to a broader understanding of the veterinary profession.
By aggregating data from multiple vet schools, the survey offers a comprehensive view of employment trends, salary levels, and job satisfaction within the veterinary profession; for example, the survey asks whether graduates feel their current activity is meaningful or on track with their future plans, and whether they would choose to study the same subject again.
This information is invaluable for policymakers, professional bodies and educational leaders, as they make decisions that shape the future of veterinary education and practice.
A plea to graduates and employers
Through this article, we have outlined why the HESA Graduate Outcomes survey is an indispensable resource for veterinary schools in the UK. It provides critical insights that enhance career support services, support accreditation, boost institutional reputation, and help contribute to sector-wide knowledge.
By leveraging the data from this survey, vet schools can ensure they are delivering the best possible education and support to their students, ultimately leading to a stronger and more effective veterinary profession.
Every voice in the Graduate Outcomes survey is important. With cohort sizes of around 150 students at the University of Nottingham, the potential exists for significant bias to be introduced to the dataset if response rates are low.
Therefore, to the class of 2023 of all UK vet schools (when you receive the email from UniversityName@graduateoutcomes.co.uk or a call from the Graduate Outcomes team, please consider taking the time to respond), the questionnaire will take approximately 10 minutes to complete.
And, to graduate employers: please encourage your 2023 graduate employees to complete this survey. Every response really does matter and can shape the future of veterinary education for the better.
For further information about employability and careers support provided by the University of Nottingham’s School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, including advertising on My Career please email sv-careers@nottingham.ac.uk
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