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Suggested graduate contact plan

Quick links:     Suggested graduate contact plan     |     Other vital promotional periods     |     Communications materials

Providers play a vital part in the success of Graduate Outcomes. It’s important that providers are engaging with the cohort population directly in the build up to the contact period commencing. We know from our work looking at response rates, that engagement with the online survey is dependent on recognition of the Graduate Outcomes brand. Providers play a key role in legitimising the online survey via their own direct and trusted engagement routes.

To support providers in carrying out the suggested contact with graduates prior to being surveyed, we’ve created a simple contact plan to follow. This covers the suggested emails that providers should send to collect updated personal contact details and the recommended “warm up” contact shortly before the contact period starts.

These are based around the following points:

  • 6 months after graduation / completion of the course
  • Again at 12 months after graduation / completion of the course
  • Two weeks before the start of the contact period

Under no circumstances should providers contact graduates once a cohort has commenced surveying. This is due to the risk of over-communication and the creation of potential bias. For more information about this, visit our operational FAQs. This shares more detail about what providers can / can't do during a cohort.

We’ve supplied a large number of promotional materials to help you carry out the warm up communications activity, including a suggested email template for use with the recommended emails. We’re keen to hear from providers who are getting success from this contact plan so we can share this best practice with the sector, and continually evolve it.

Providers are encouraged to adapt these materials to their needs but we ask that all contact made with graduates should, at a minimum, include the Graduate Outcomes logo to ensure you take the opportunity to establish brand awareness.

Suggested graduate contact plan

Below are the timings for the C21071 collection:

Collection

Cohort

End date of course

Approx. 6 months post course completion

Approx. 12 months post course completion

2 weeks pre-survey warm up

HESA contact period (surveying) - approx. 15 months post -course completion

2021/22 C21071

Cohort A

Between 1 August and 31 October 2021

March 2022

September 2022

From 17 November 2022

Between 1 December 2022 and 28 February 2023

2021/22 C21071

Cohort B

Between 1 November 2021 and 31 January 2022

June 2022

December 2022

From 15 February 2023

Between 1 March and 31 May 2023

2021/22 C21071

Cohort C

Between 1 February and 30 April 2022

September 2022

March 2023

From 18 May 2023

Between 1 June and 31 August 2023

2021/22 C21071

Cohort D

Between 1 May and 31 July 2022

December 2022

June 2023

From 18 August 2023

Between 1 September and 30 November 2023

Below are the timings for the C22071 collection:

Collection

Cohort

End date of course

Approx. 6 months post course completion

Approx. 12 months post course completion

2 weeks pre-survey warm up

HESA contact period (surveying) - approx. 15 months post -course completion

2022/23 C22071

Cohort A

Between 1 August and 31 October 2022

March 2023

September 2023

From 17 November 2023

Between 1 December 2023 and 29 February 2024

2022/23 C22071

Cohort B

Between 1 November 2022 and 31 January 2023

June 2023

December 2023

From 16 February 2024

Between 1 March and 31 May 2024

2022/23 C22071

Cohort C

Between 1 February and 30 April 2023

September 2023

March 2024

From 18 May 2024

Between 1 June and 31 August 2024

2022/23 C22071

Cohort D

Between 1 May and 31 July 2023

December 2023

June 2024

From 18 August 2024

Between 1 September and 30 November 2024

This plan will be updated as we move through future collections.

Other vital promotional periods

Providers should also be promoting Graduate Outcomes to graduates during the following suggested points:

  • During their time as a student
  • During the student’s final weeks of teaching
  • At graduation
  • Embedded into any existing post-graduation engagement activity i.e. driven by Alumni teams / Careers services (if relevant)

Communications materials

Please use the links below to access all of the communications materials we have provided to you, including provider case studies.

Logo, brand guidelines and presentation materials (video and powerpoint) »    Promotional items (roller banners, digiscreen slides, email template) »    Video content (animated videos) »    Social media resources (Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook imagery) »   Hints and tips »    Provider case studies »

 

Introduction to Graduate Outcomes promotional strategy training

Need help or ideas for using these materials? View our e-learning module which provides guidance on how to use the communications we've supplied as well as direct examples from providers.

Visit the e-learning module