Universities offer lifetime career support in ‘tough’ UK economy

Universities are increasingly offering graduates career advice and guidance well beyond their immediate job search, with staff across the institution being asked to play more of a role in the employability agenda.

A survey conducted by the Graduate Futures Institute (GFI) found that 45 per cent of its members said that they now offer lifetime support to graduates looking for careers support, up from 41 per cent in 2024-25. 

The number of institutions that offer up to just two years of support fell from 6 per cent in 2024-25 to 4 per cent in 2025-26, found the institute, which has recently rebranded itself from the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services. 

The Quarterly Data Barometer for careers education, information, advice and guidance, which surveyed 91 careers leaders, found over 211,000 graduates were supported by their university’s careers teams in their pursuit of a job. 

The survey said that employability is now a “university-wide priority” which needs to involve academics, researchers and all institutional stakeholders, as well as its careers services.

Overall, the GFI said universities are “stepping up” their support amid the UK’s “tough economy”, and found careers events attracted 637,000 attendees, including 386,000 unique attendees in 2024-25.

Martin Edmondson, CEO at the institute, told Times Higher Education that it was “pleased to see that more of our member institutions are increasing the support they offer graduates”, adding that “research shows that it is always worthwhile for alumni to stay connected to careers and employability support”.

Support can range from helping students build their CV, developing networking skills, to teaching about labour market information, and conducting mock interviews.

It found careers services to be popular among current students, with 952,169 students accessing careers information by visiting their university’s online careers resource. Over 215,000 students attended a one-to-one guidance appointment during the 2024-25 academic year.

juliette.rowsell@timeshighereducation.com