ISE Student Recruitment Survey 2023, of nearly 5,000 students and graduates, reveals that many young people still feel unprepared for the world of work, failing to find work experience or access career services. Of the respondents actively seeking employment in the last 12 months, 66% indicated that they felt prepared for their next step – an increase from 59% last year. Despite this, more than a third (35%) said they were unprepared, with undergraduates being more likely to express this (46%) than postgraduate students (26%). Students with a disability felt less prepared (44%) than those without (30%), and those who identified as neurodivergent were also more likely to feel unprepared (42%) than those who identified as neurotypical (30%).

There were noticeable differences in levels of preparedness between those who had taken part in career activities, with 75% of those attending job interview sessions feeling prepared for a job compared with 62% of those who hadn't. Feelings of preparedness were also higher among those who attended talks by employers (72%) and job fairs (70%), with those who didn't and felt less prepared (64% and 63%, respectively).