Confirmit has today announced that the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), the experts in UK higher education data and analysis, will be using the Confirmit Horizons platform to support its new UK-wide Graduate Outcomes programme.
Graduate Outcomes is an ambitious new programme, delivered by HESA that will enable higher education providers to understand how their graduates progress in their careers after graduation. The new model will ensure HESA is able to capture rich, robust and innovative data about graduates that would build a clear picture to help enhance courses but also reflect recent changes in the HE sector and graduate labour market.
Paul Clark, HESA Chief Executive explained: “The Graduate Outcomes survey represents a significant change in how we collect and publish data about the activities and perspectives of graduates. It was critical that we work with suppliers who can support the delivery of the survey effectively, cost-efficiently and with expertise. We ran a wide review of potential suppliers for the survey and data collection part of the programme and it quickly became clear that Confirmit was the right partner for us.”
The first wave of the programme will go live in December and will include both online and telephone data collection, provided through Confirmit Horizons. On an annual basis, over 700,000 graduates will be surveyed, approximately 15 months after the completion of their course. The programme will ensure that HESA is able to gather consistent data using a robust model supported by Confirmit’s technology.
As the UK’s biggest annual social survey, HESA is committed to ensuring that not only do providers receive accurate, actionable data about their courses, but that graduates are able to provide feedback quickly and easily.
Paul Clark continued: “Providing meaningful data back to education providers depends on good response rates. This meant ensuring that web surveys function perfectly on mobile devices. This is important because we know that close to two-thirds of graduates will complete the survey on a tablet or smartphone. Confirmit Horizons will ensure we offer engaging surveys that deliver high-quality, actionable insight.”
Tim Hannington, Chief Revenue Officer, Confirmit said: “The Graduate Outcomes programme is a ground-breaking project and I’m delighted that Confirmit is part of the process. Innovative, methodologically-sound data collection techniques are at the heart of our technology and I’m confident that HESA will use the feedback they receive to provide a clear view of graduates’ success.”
About Confirmit
Confirmit is the world’s leading SaaS vendor for multi-channel Customer Experience, Employee Engagement, and Market Research solutions. The company has offices in Oslo (headquarters), Grimstad, London, Moscow, New York, San Francisco, Sydney, Vancouver, and Yaroslavl. Confirmit’s software is also distributed through partner resellers in Madrid, Milan, Salvador, and Tokyo.
Confirmit powers Global 5000 companies and Market Research agencies worldwide with a wide range of software products for feedback / data collection, panel management, data processing, analysis, and reporting. Customers include Aurora, British Standards Institution, Cross-Tab, Dow Chemical, GfK, GlaxoSmithKline, GMO Research, Nielsen, Research Now, RS Components, QRS, SSI, and Swisscom.
About HESA/Graduate Outcomes
HESA (Higher Education Statistics Agency) is the recognised source of data on higher education in the UK, and the designated data body for England. Its experts collect, analyse, and disseminate accurate and comprehensive statistical information on all aspects of UK higher education to support the strategic aims of its users and enhance the effectiveness of the sector as a whole. It is a charity and a company limited by guarantee. It operates as an independent organisation, working in collaboration with higher education providers, regulators, funders, government departments, policy makers, and other stakeholders.
The Graduate Outcomes survey is being delivered by HESA and will capture the perspectives and current status of recent graduates. All graduates who completed a course will be asked to take part in the survey 15 months after they finish their studies. The survey aims to help current and future students gain an insight into career destinations and development.