PURPOSE

The undergraduate Sport and Exercise Science course at Loughborough University (link here) is being revised over this next 12 months, in readiness to start anew in the Autumn of 2019. With this in mind, there is a key question that we would appreciate your expert opinion on - that is, how do we design the course to allow graduates to be better prepared for, and thrive within, employment? The main focus of this survey (see below) are the professional skills and characteristics required in employment (in any industry, not just sport and exercise sciences), such as application and problem-solving, inter-disciplinary working, communication and team-work etc. We want to know how important these skills are to you and your organisation, and how well you think graduates are prepared for them (or not).

 

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THE SURVEY

We have created an online survey to make this process easier. It is designed to identify which skills employers value most highly among sport and exercise science graduates – the skills that make them most effective and successful in employment – along with assessing satisfaction on how well graduates demonstrate these skills within their employment and how their higher education has prepared them for this. The survey is comprehensive, probing, and requires around 30 min to complete. All responses will be confidential and anonymized, and no identifying information will be made visible in the reporting. The survey can be accessed on any device - PC, tablet or phone etc.

 

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WHO IS IT FOR?

The survey captures views from a wide variety of organisations – both in industry and in academia (see below) – who are working in the broader sport, exercise or related sectors, and not only science. We are looking to gather as many perspectives as possible; the only prerequisites being that you are working as an employee or employer within the sport or exercise industry and its broader reaches. We would also be grateful if you could forward this email on to colleagues and friends, in your organisation and beyond, who you think may be keen to contribute. For those who are working in academia - i.e. educators, lecturers, researchers - there is a academic-specific version of the survey.

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WHAT NEXT?

We would be grateful if you could complete the survey as soon as possible. As per above, please also forward this email and/or links to others. A periodic reminder will be sent weekly, until the survey closes in a few weeks time (once sufficient perspectives have been gathered). We foresee that the information gathered from this survey will be insightful and valuable for many purposes, and not just academic development. We also think it is important that the headlines are shared with those who have contributed to creating them. We would therefore welcome your ongoing interest in the project, and there is opportunity within the survey to add your contact details as you wish. We will keep in touch with periodic updates.

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Note: Performance Science Distillery is conducting this survey on behalf of Loughborough University, and has been tasked to consult on the applied, integrated and professional themes, which will form the employability backbone of future courses. In knowing the need and appetite of industry to have strong and capable graduates - having the 'right stuff' - it is a terrific opportunity for academia and industry to collaborate with purpose on a shared ambition.