We’re delighted that a study commissioned from us by UPP Group Limited was cited recently in Times Higher Education. The study, carried out earlier this year, used online focus groups and an online questionnaire to explore questions about apprenticeships and employability with prospective and current university students in the UK. The Times Higher article discusses the finding that nearly three-quarters of prospective and current students would be willing to pay higher fees if it guaranteed them a graduate-level job upon degree completion.
Fieldwork for the data cited in the article was conducted from 5 to 28 June 2015. The sample consisted of 1,105 respondents. Of these, 529 were applicants who firmly intended to pursue full-time undergraduate study in autumn 2015, and 576 were first-year full-time undergraduates (i.e. just ending their first year of study at the time the survey was conducted). The sample was designed to be representative of the UK full-time, first-year undergraduate population in terms of gender and age. The quantitative findings are based on weighted data, with weights sourced from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). In addition, the Research Academy conducted two online focus groups with 30 participants. One group was with applicants who firmly intended to pursue full-time undergraduate study in autumn 2015 and the other with first-year full-time undergraduates. This fieldwork was carried out between 29 April and 6 May 2015.
To learn more about our research division, please give us a call on 020 3130 1431.