Notification of changes for the DLHE 2014/15 collection
Background
A major record review of the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) Survey took place between February 2010 and May 2011, with resulting changes implemented for the C11018 collection.
Following the collection of the 2011/12 DLHE Survey data, a post-implementation review was held, which commenced in March 2013. It was agreed that any further changes suggested by this review would be implemented over two collections, C13018 and C14018. The changes described below cover the second stage of implementation.
Changes to data collection methodology
For the 2014/15 DLHE survey the postal version of the questionnaire will be replaced by a new multi-purpose questionnaire which has been optimised for recording telephone responses. The telephone input questionnaire will be similar to the former paper questionnaire but refocused for telephone responses and ease of coding. This includes the questions required for a valid response being marked for both graduate and third party responses. The covering letter with also be re-structured to direct graduates to either the online survey or a university telephone line. This is in conjunction with a long-term vision to introduce an enhanced version of the online survey which will also act as an input tool. The updated questionnaires and letter will be available to institutions through the C14018 coding manual.
For the 2015/16 DLHE survey, HESA will cease to provide higher education providers with a printed version of the questionnaire. HE providers will instead assume printing responsibilities for the questionnaire. The removal of the paper questionnaire will reduce financial and environmental costs as well as eliminating the space restrictions placed by the questionnaire.
DLHE logo
A logo for the DLHE survey has been created, in order to further the DLHE branding. This will be used on the HESA DLHE online survey tool, on the telephone survey and on the postal letter. It is also available for use on promotional material and will be used in HESA publications. The English and Welsh logos can be seen below. Downloadable versions of these will be available through the C14018 coding manual and use of the logo is restricted until communicating with 14/15 graduates.
DLHE online survey
One area of discussion in the post-implementation review was the potential for a new HESA DLHE online survey system to be created, to improve the online service provided. Due to time constraints and the specific requirements for the DLHE online survey tool, for the C14018 collection we will maintain the current HESA online survey tool, largely unchanged.
For the C15018, the transition will be made to the new outsourced survey system: Bristol Online Surveys (BOS). This new online survey system offered through BOS will provide a range of benefits, including a more user-friendly system which is optimised for mobile devices. Both leaver and telephone third party versions will be offered to allow for HE providers to use this new tool as an input mechanism, and it will therefore mean that most DLHE survey activity can take place using electronic tools, minimizing the use of paper to very low levels. Use of the BOS system will incur no extra cost to HE providers as it will be met by HESA. For an insight into what the new BOS system can offer, please visit www.onlinesurveys.ac.uk.
Q5 EMPBASIS
It has been agreed that Q5 is no longer required to be asked of third parties, as this is not information third parties are likely to be aware of. This change will be implemented in the 2015/16 collection, in line with the move to the new online survey system.
Changes to questions
A number of changes to questions have been made. These are mainly changes to the wording of the questions and do not affect the content of the questions.
|
Q no. |
2013/14 question/options |
2014/15 question/options |
Description of change |
|
Q1 |
On [the census date] were you. . .? Please tick ALL the activities you were doing on [the census date] and then indicate which one of them is most important to you. |
On [the census date] were you. . .? Please tick ALL the activities you were doing on [the census date] and then indicate which one of them is most important to you. Multiple part-time jobs should be recorded as ‘Working part-time’ |
Sentence added to stop graduates recording multiple part-time jobs as full-time. |
|
Q3 |
What was your job title? (If self-employed, freelance please record this in your job title e.g. self-employed musician.) |
What was your job title? (If self-employed, freelance or on a post-doctoral contract please record this in your job title e.g. self-employed musician.) |
Post-doctoral contract to be recorded in job title, in order for providers to be able to identify these graduates. |
|
Q6 |
What was your annual pay for your main employment to the nearest thousand (£) before tax? |
What was your approximate gross pay for your main employment, before tax? *Note added 20/01/2015 - question amended Currency Period |
The salary question has been redesigned, following the format of this question used in the Longitudinal DLHE survey. HESA will calculate annual salary from these responses. *Note added 20/01/2015 - HESA will calculate annual salary from period. HESA will not undertake any currency conversions. |
|
Q7 |
If you were working part-time in your main job, approximately how many hours a week do you work? |
Approximately how many hours a week do you work for your main employment? |
This question will now be asked of all graduates following the above changes to the salary question. |
|
Section E – Q28, 29, 30 |
How well did your recent course and any extra-curricular activities you were involved in (including placements undertaken while you were studying)... Q28 Prepare you for employment? Q29 Prepare you for further study? Q30 Prepare you for being self-employed/freelance or for starting up your own business? |
These questions refer to how well prepared you feel for the following, regardless of what activity you are currently undertaking. Please consider how well prepared you feel by your recent course, which includes any extra-curricular activities you were involved in (including placements undertaken while you were studying). How well did your recent course… Q28 Prepare you for employment? Q29 Prepare you for further study? Q30 Prepare you for being self-employed/freelance or for starting up your own business? |
Additional guidance has been added to clarify the aim of this question for graduates. |
Additions to guidance
|
C14018 Coding manual location |
Guidance |
|
ALLACT |
If a graduate is on leave, including maternity, paternity, sickness or other leave, but is still on the payroll of their employer this should be recorded as both employed and doing something else. |
|
Publication categories |
While a HE provider should obtain good data about its own alumni from participating in DLHE, the full DLHE is used as the basis for Official and National Statistics outputs from The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and the full data set is therefore subject to Official Statistics restrictions. Most notably these restrictions relate to the publication by HESA of a ‘Statistical First Release (SFR)’ in June/July each year. This is intended to provide the first public summary of data from each DLHE survey, and no DLHE data that might allow a third party to pre-empt the SFR contents may be made available. The time period between closure of the DLHE collection and publication of the SFR is required to enable HESA to work with statutory bodies to undertake all the processes required in preparing the release. HESA recognises that Higher Education Providers (HE providers) have legitimate applications for the destinations data they collect from their own graduates and leavers which sometimes necessitate releases to third parties in advance of publication of the HESA Statistical First Release. HESA does not impose restrictions that would impede HE providers’ ability to use data for such purposes but HE providers should consider carefully whether early release is required for any given purpose. One-off releases in response to requests by official bodies are likely to be low-risk in terms of compliance with Official Statistics protocols whereas wholesale publication of DLHE data by large numbers of HE providers (such as in response to a mass-request from the Press) is likely to generate conflict with Official Statistics protocols and could lead to the imposition of tighter controls. In order to avoid the need for tighter controls HE providers should limit publication of DLHE data in advance of publication of the HESA Statistical First Release wherever possible. If an HE provider feels it is absolutely necessary to publish its own data prior to the SFR publication date, then it must take full responsibility for publication. This means not using any HESA-linked logos or implying that this is HESA data or part of an Official Statistics product, either directly or indirectly by using terms like ‘Statistical First Release’ or by providing HESA’s contact details. |
|
JOBTITLE |
Definitions of self-employed, freelance and setting up your own business. Self-employed: Working in your own business or professional practice for the purpose of earning a profit, either employing others or not employing any other person Freelance: Working as an independent professional who is neither an employer nor an employee, supplying labour services to clients on a temporary basis under a contract for services Setting up own business: In the process of becoming self-employed or freelance, but not yet in receipt of an income as self-employed or freelance |
Schema structure
Although not originally outlined within the Summary of changes, it has always been the intention to reorder the schema elements across 2014/15 HESA collections. The order will be changed to align with a more predictable structure:
- Entities will be presented in parent-child order, starting with the 'Institution entity'
- Fields within entities will be presented in the order of primary key fields, candidate key fields, foreign key fields, and non-key fields.
- Child entities will then follow.
- Each field or entity within a parent entity will be presented in alphabetical order to aid their location.
It is intended that this schema order be maintained for future collection cycles, leading to a more predictable location when new elements are added.
Opt out field
For C14018, HESA have added an optional field to the record to capture HE leavers that have opted out from a follow-up survey planned for three years' time. HE providers are reminded that whilst HESA optionally provide longitudinal DLHE opt-out as an additional field in the record it remains the HE providers' responsibility to extract this information and then keep it up to date.