Graduate Business Start-ups Project Report - The Institute for ...

particular, the Steering Group discussed the development of the
research instruments, agreed on timing of delivery of outputs,
and commented on the drafts of reports.
Methodology used
The research methodology used contained a number of elements.
A review of literature and data
A comprehensive search and review of the relevant and
available literature and data on graduate employment and skill
needs was undertaken. The findings from the review informed
and assisted the research design.
Exploratory interviews
There were interviews with a wide ranging list of key opinion
formers and experts, including careers advisers in HEIs,
representatives of AgCAS, TEC-funded enterprise programmes,
and charities and other organisations which provide enterprise
support to young people who want to set up their own business.
The main aim was to explore the respondents’ views on their
experience of graduates going into self-employment, and about
the role of enterprise activities in higher education generally. On
the whole, all the respondents contacted were co-operative, and
provided the project team with detailed information on their
activities, their links with HEIs, as well as their views on
graduate self-employment, and on enterprise activities and
higher education in general. As might be expected, there was
some variation in the range and quality of information obtained
from the key players.
Interviews with self-employed graduates
The main aim of the interviews with the self-employed
graduates was to find out about their self-employment
experience. The information gathered was used as an input to
the design of the research instruments. The IES outline bid for
the study proposed that the respondent self-employed graduates
to be interviewed for this stage of the research, would be
selected from among participants in earlier surveys carried out
by IES for Sussex University and the London Institute. In
practice, it was difficult to contact as many graduates from those
two institutions, as over the elapsed time some had changed
addresses. Consequently, the list of those with whom contact
was possible was supplemented with other self-employed
graduates identified during the exploratory interviews with key
players.
6
Graduate Business Start-ups: Project Report