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

Expected outcomes
Dissemination strategy
A number of outcomes were envisaged from the project.
! A research report which would provide for the first time,
comprehensive information on the level and patterns of selfemployment
among graduates, variations between different
groups, the circumstances which are more likely to lead to
self-employment, skill and career support needs among selfemployed
graduates, and if and to what extent selfemployment
might become a more important career
destination for future HE leavers.
! Good practice on the provision of careers education and
guidance to graduates potentially seeking self-employment
would be identified and disseminated in the form of a guide
or other materials. These would highlight the lessons and
actions for careers and teaching staff in HEIs. In particular, it
would point to the range of ways that careers services and
academic staff could bring the idea of self-employment to
their students.
! A series of events to raise awareness in HE about the level
and nature of self-employment among recent graduates and
the type of support this group would benefit from.
! Staff from the partner institutions involved in the project
would learn more about self-employment options for
graduates which would positively inform their future
activities (eg research programmes and client advice).
It was proposed that a research report and good practice
materials would be published by IES under its higher education
series. Press releases and the wide circulation of free research
summaries would help maximise the impact of these
publications. In addition it was proposed that:
! copies of the report and good practice materials would be
provided to all HEIs in the UK;
! a forum for HE careers advisors and teaching staff would be
held to launch the research report;
! a series of short and longer articles would be written by
members of the project team for careers, higher education
and TECs publications;
! presentation of papers at national conferences (eg AgCAS
and SRHE conferences) and DfEE and SRHE networks.
Graduate Business Start-ups: Project Report 9