Launching HECSU Research Services

You will be familiar with HECSU's role in commissioning research projects such as the Futuretrack studies and supporting practitioner research through initiatives such as PROP (Putting Research Outcomes into Practice) but you may be less familiar with HECSU's work in carrying out research and development work.

In recent months, for example, HECSU has conducted bespoke, investigative projects on behalf of BIS, the Institute of Chemical Engineers and Bath Spa University. Some of the work we do is to meet a specific need (e.g. a recent ministerial briefing paper) and does not always find its way into the public domain but much of our work is published.

During the summer of 2010, we produced a report for Foundation Degree Forward, using Futuretrack data to examine the experiences of full-time Foundation degree students, entitled Students' experience of full-time Foundation degrees as a partner to Claire Callender's Career Decision-making and career development of part-time Foundation degree students and also report for Universities UK entitled Changes in student choice and graduate destinations which we recommend to you as it includes, amongst other things,that the number of graduates becoming careers advisers is the same in 2008/09 as it was in 2005/06. You might need to know that! We are currently working on a study of post-doctorate progression into research work for Vitae and the uses made of Longitudinal DLHE for HEFCE.

As the post-recessionary public sector cuts begin to bite, we have decided to launch a new facility to higher education careers services that we are calling HECSU Research Services, which comprises a commitment to all our careers service members, to provide them with support to investigate the key questions they face. This support might take the form of:

• help with questionnaire or research project design
• investigations of data sources (e.g. DLHE data)
• surveys of student groups, employers, academic staff
• reviews of literature or service processes, etc

The resulting reports can be made publicly available or remain confidential to the institution or service commissioning the work. The commitment includes that HECSU Research Services will be either free of charge or attract a modest fee to cover our costs, as appropriate.

For further information, please contact Jane Artess, Director of Research on 0161 277 5208 or j.artess@prospects.ac.uk

You may wish to download HECSU launches Research Services