University of Exeter hosts national roundtable to improve graduate job prospects

The University of Exeter recently hosted a national discussion between key leaders, higher education institutions and businesses from the South West.

The project is intended to update graduate skillsets according to the needs of businesses to further the economy.

According to the University of Exeter, this is the sixth roundtable of a national series travelling throughout Britain.

Universities UK (UUK) is leading this Future Jobs roundtable, in efforts to better prepare graduates throughout their higher education to create effective profiles of candidates.

The idea is simple: Identify solutions needed by businesses and equip students with the skills to facilitate them, tackling both business growth and graduate job markets.

The Chief Executive of UUK, Vivienne Stern introduced the project at the gathering. The conclusions from which will form the future pathway of graduate learning set to be revealed by Universities UK later in the year.

The university reports that a few notable representatives were the NHS, the Met Office, Devon County Council, Devonport Dockyard, the three higher education institutions in Plymouth, and players in fields such as AI, manufacturing and the creative industries.

The session was commenced by the President and Vice-Chancellor of the University, Lisa Roberts. She reportedly spoke about the “wealth of business and economic growth opportunity here in the South West” and categorised any action towards this as “our duty.”

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She explained these discussions will not only boost careers but foster talent and help the future economic growth.

The discussion featured many topics, among which were strategies to grow the pipeline of graduates entering and prospering in important industries, how to create high-quality jobs in the South West and preventing brain drain from the South-West region.

According to the UUK Future Jobs page, UK employers expect 33 per cent of workers’ core skills to change by 2030. Especially with the onset of AI, universities too are looking to upgrade their teaching and graduate preparations.

One core way to do this, as explained by the university, is deepening employer-university relations. By understanding the skills needed by businesses, graduates will meet the right skillsets, both now and for the future.

Professor Malcolm Press CBE, President of Universities UK, reportedly said: “Today’s graduates are going to have careers that last into the 2070s.

“Our Future Jobs roundtables, like this one in Exeter, are about sparking the conversations between business and universities to make sure we’re equipping people with the skills they’re going to need for long, successful careers and that business can access the talent they need to drive the country’s future prosperity.”

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