Quantitative skills training shown to boost social science graduates’ employment prospects

Students who take Q-Step quantitative skills modules during their social science degrees have better earning potential than students on similar courses.

This is the primary finding from an independent evaluation of Q-Step, a programme developed by the Nuffield Foundation and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), part of UK Research and Innovation. Q-Step operates in 17 universities across the UK. Established in 2013, Q-Step is a strategic response to the shortage of graduates with the right skills for careers in research and other data-led professions.

The evaluation found that Q-Step is helping to address the shortage of graduates with the skills to apply quantitative methods in both research and professional settings.

15 months after graduation:

• 46% of Q-Step trained graduates earn over £25k per year, compared to 30% of non-Q-Step graduates.
• 72% of Q-Step trained graduates are employed in highly skilled jobs, compared to 59% of non-Q-Step graduates.

Q-Step equips students with a deep and secure grasp of the skills needed to make sense of data. Students also get a grounding in the ways that data can be used to better understand society.

Q-Step has increased quantitative teaching capacity at participating universities. The programme has also prompted a range of further investment and initiatives designed to boost quantitative methods across these institutions, as well as in other universities and educational organisations.

Student satisfaction levels, for Q-Step programmes, are high as a result of good quality teaching and work placements:

• 89% of Q-Step students were satisfied or very satisfied that their course used real life examples and data.
• 80% of Q-Step students were satisfied or very satisfied with the support they received from teachers and their department.
• 57% of Q-Step students were satisfied or very satisfied with the quality of their work placement.

The evaluation recommends that Q-Step be used as a case study to encourage other universities to invest in similar quantitative methods training for social science students.

Josh Hillman, Director of Education at the Nuffield Foundation said:

“This evaluation provides evidence that Q-Step is helping to address the shortage of social science graduates with the skill and confidence to work with data – something that is increasingly important for a range of careers, including research.

“The success of Q-Step in improving student outcomes and embedding new ways of teaching demonstrates the potential for dedicated programmes to address specific skills gaps. We know this approach can work, but the challenge now is how to encourage more universities to adopt a similar approach across different subject areas so that we can move towards system-wide change.”

France Burstow, Deputy Director for Skills and Methods at the Economic and Social Research Council said:

“We welcome the evidence that Q-Step has been effective in growing the pipeline of quantitatively skilled social scientists. This is helping address a critical skills gap in the UK and having a positive impact on students’ career opportunities with their skills in high demand by employers”