In continuing to develop my action research project—a Careers Day Programme for Foundation students at UAL Pre-Degree College—I’ve taken a closer look at data on career support demands from first-year students over the past three academic years.
In previous blog posts (available here), I’ve discussed the importance of early career conversations, including how they help students build professional identities, boost confidence, and foster inclusivity in the creative industries. Through this analysis of 1st-year career appointment data, I aim to further understand how early interventions could address these same concerns before students reach their degree studies, enhancing their overall career well-being and employability.
See full data breakdown at the end of this blog.
Why I’m Looking at 1st-Year One-to-One Data
The first-year one-to-one appointment data provides a useful perspective on the career needs and challenges that students experience at the beginning of their university journey. By analysing this data, I hope to gain insights into the types of support students need most when they start their degrees. This will help me shape a programme that equips Foundation students with critical employability skills and career confidence even before they transition to their degree studies.
Research such as David Jackson’s work on professional identity formation highlights that structured support in developing professional identities at an early stage can make a significant difference in students’ career trajectories (Jackson, 2016). Additionally, my readings on employability, such as Cole and Tibby’s work on embedding employability within education (2021), suggest that when institutions integrate employability skills early, students are better prepared for the demands of both their studies and future careers. This has strengthened my belief that a well-structured Careers Day for Foundation students could proactively address these needs and reduce the reliance on one-to-one appointments once students start their degree programs.
Assessing Engagement Trends
The data on one-to-one appointments reveals a steady demand for career support among first-year students, with total bookings rising from 53 in 2021-2022 to 67 in 2023-2024. Attendance rates have fluctuated slightly, with the highest rate recorded at 72.73% in 2022-2023, indicating that many students actively seek out this support early in their academic journey. This demand is in line with Jackson’s findings on early engagement and identity-building, suggesting that students value these conversations and find them necessary to begin shaping their career paths (Jackson, 2016).
However, non-attendance rates remain high (32.84% in 2023-2024), which points to possible barriers to attendance, such as uncertainty around how these sessions could help or perhaps hesitancy about engaging with career services. By integrating career guidance earlier in their Foundation year, the Careers Day could introduce students to the resources available and help them feel more comfortable accessing these services when they transition to degree study.
In terms of topics, the data shows that general career advice and guidance is consistently the most requested support area, though it has declined slightly from 38.71% in 2021-2022 to 28.99% in 2023-2024. Meanwhile, requests for CV support have gradually increased, from 12.9% in 2021-2022 to 17.39% in 2023-2024, reflecting a growing interest in practical employability skills. This trend suggests that many students start their degrees with a need for foundational career navigation skills and specific tools, like CV writing. As Cole and Tibby argue, embedding these skills early within an educational framework can give students a sense of direction and reduce stress as they progress in their studies (Cole & Tibby, 2021).
Engagement across UAL colleges also reveals some interesting insights. The London College of Communication shows consistently high engagement with career support, with bookings holding steady. Colleges like Central Saint Martins and London College of Fashion show varied engagement levels, with Central Saint Martins experiencing an increase from 11 bookings in 2021-2022 to 21 in 2023-2024 while CCW collages engage the least with the one to one service.
Next Steps in My Action Research Project
To refine the Careers Day Programme based on these insights, the next steps in my action research involve gathering further input through interviews with pre-degree staff and a survey with UAL’s Careers and Employability (C&E) team. Together, these methods will provide a comprehensive view of Foundation students’ needs and help tailor the Careers Day content.
Interviewing Pre-degree College Staff – These discussions will help me understand the curriculum’s current approach to career support and identify any gaps that the Careers Day could address. By learning directly from those who work closely with Foundation students, I’ll be able to develop programming that aligns with existing teaching practices and fills any critical support gaps.
These interviews will also incorporate the findings from my previous research on diversity and representation, such as Kimberlé Crenshaw’s work on intersectionality. Crenshaw emphasizes that compounded challenges due to race, gender, and other intersecting identities can limit a student’s sense of belonging (Crenshaw, 1989). By embedding feedback from pre-degree staff on these challenges, the Careers Day can be designed to ensure all students feel represented and supported as they begin their career journeys.
Surveying UAL’s Careers and Employability Team – I’m conduct a survey with the C&E team to gather insights into the specific skills and guidance that first-year students typically require. This survey will help pinpoint the areas of support that careers professionals consider most critical for early-stage students, allowing me to further refine the Careers Day content. By combining these survey findings with the data from one-to-one career appointments, I can identify priority areas for employability support and tailor the programme accordingly.
This data-driven approach aligns with the research of Jackson and Bridgstock, who advocate for structured employability frameworks to be implemented early in a student’s academic journey to maximise impact on graduate outcomes (Jackson & Bridgstock, 2021). Incorporating the C&E team’s practical insights will ensure that the Careers Day is designed with a solid understanding of what students need most at the beginning of their academic careers.
Shaping the Careers Day Programme
Together, these next steps will help shape a Careers Day that not only addresses students’ immediate career readiness needs but also supports their long-term employability by building their professional identities and fostering an inclusive career outlook. By aligning this programme with the actual demands observed in first-year career support data, I hope to create a more seamless, supportive experience for Foundation students as they prepare to transition into degree study.
Data Breakdown
Here is a breakdown of some of the 1st year undergraduate bookings of one-to-one career discussion appointments.
Bookings and attendance data for 1st year students across the past three academic years.
| Academic Year | Total Bookings | Attended | Not Attended | Percent Attended | Percent Not Attended |
| 2021-2022 | 53 | 34 | 19 | 64.15% | 35.85% |
| 2022-2023 | 50 | 32 | 12 | 72.73% | 27.27% |
| 2023-2024 | 67 | 45 | 22 | 67.16% | 32.84% |
First years booking one to ones broken down by which UAL college they attend.
| Academic Year | London College of Communication | Central Saint Martins | London College of Fashion | Camberwell College of Arts | Chelsea College of Arts | Creative Computing Institute | Wimbledon College of Arts |
| 2021-2022 | 23 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
| 2022-2023 | 16 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 4 | ||
| 2023-2024 | 23 | 21 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
Top three favourite topics requested for support in one to ones by 1st year students.
| Topic | 2021-2022 (%) | 2022-2023 (%) | 2023-2024 (%) |
| General career advice and guidance | 38.71 | 33.33 | 28.99 |
| CV | 12.9 | 16.67 | 17.39 |
| Where to find work / placements | 22.58 | 13.89 | 11.59 |
Student status of 1st year students booking one to ones.
| Student Status | Count | Percentage |
| Home Student | 35 | 52.24% |
| International Student | 32 | 47.76% |
| EU Student | 1 | 1.50% |