From classroom to career: how do we design our programmes to boost employability for our students?

In this session, we will present findings from our recent research, which was based on interviews with students at UEL, exploring how well our students felt their course prepared them for securing their first job as a graduate, and what our course design could do in order to strengthen their employability.

We will share insights from interviews with our students (trainee teachers in this case) across a range of areas and discuss the key themes that emerged—particularly around the consistency of employability support, confidence with the recruitment process, understanding school expectations, and developing broader professional attributes needed in contemporary workplaces.

The session will focus on actionable curriculum design recommendations. We will outline practices that can be embedded into modules and placement structures, including explicit employability activities, clearer scaffolding of job-application and interview preparation, and opportunities for students to reflect on their professional identity and readiness. We will also share examples of small but impactful adjustments that teaching teams can integrate into existing programmes to enhance trainees’ confidence and preparedness.