Futuretrack in 2010

The 2010 Stage 3 questionnaire has now been launched and is aimed particularly at students who applied to UCAS in 2005/06 and who are expecting to graduate in the summer of 2010.  If you are already a Futuretrack participant you will have been sent an invitation to complete this survey.  If not, or if you applied for a full-time UK higher education course in 2005/06 and have not completed Stage 3, please send us your name, email address, and details of your course and higher education institution and we will send you a link to the online questionnaire.  Send your email to futuretrack2006@warwick.ac.uk.

Why take part? The Futuretrack project gives these applicants the chance to tell the research team about their experiences since applying to UCAS.  The evidence will be used to inform policymakers and improve careers advice for students.  In order for the findings to be as useful as possible there needs to be a large number of respondents.

This longitudinal study will help to give an accurate indication of the participants’ opinions and experiences of both higher education and their future plans. The research is funded by the Higher Education Careers Service Unit (HECSU) in collaboration with the University and Colleges Admission Service (UCAS) and is part of a wider programme of research into career-making and the careers information and advice required by those entering the labour market in the early 21st century.

In autumn 2005 a sample of 3,500 2005 UCAS applicants responded to the pilot survey and provided information including their reasons for applying to higher education, their course choices and career plans and their experience of the UCAS application process. The report particularly reveals the need for careers advice to take into account the diversity of applicants’ backgrounds and needs. It can be accessed via the link on the right and a short Stage 2 report will be available shortly.

The Futuretrack 2006 Stage 1 survey drew responses from 130,000 2006 UCAS applicants. These were contacted again in 2007 and 2009 to complete the Stage 2 and 3 questionnaires. The Stage 1 survey asked participants about their financial and career plans and about the careers advice and information that guided their decision making; the results can be found in the reports on the right. The Stage 2 report has now been published and can be downloaded from the link on this page.  The participants will be tracked again in winter 2011/2012 by which time most will be in the labour market, including those who did not enter higher education, those who took gap years and those who proceeded to postgraduate study.

Updated January 2010

Access Tariff classification paper Nov 09 -  

Findings from the First Futuretrack Survey of the ‘Class of
2006’ applicants for Higher Education -  full report (March 2008)

HECSU policy consultation presentation June 2008

Futuretrack 2006 Stage 1 summary report

Futuretrack 2006 Stage 1 questionnaire

Futuretrack 2006 Stage 2 questionnaire

Futuretrack 2005 report