Latest news with #GraduateOutcomes
Business Wire
08-07-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Infobip Helps HESA Double Graduate Outcomes Conversion Rates for Mobile Communications
LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Global cloud communications platform Infobip has enhanced its partnership with HESA (Higher Education Statistics Agency), part of Jisc, to boost responses to its Graduate Outcomes survey, the UK's largest annual social survey. By implementing a Rich Communication Service (RCS) and mobile-first approach, Infobip has helped increase the agency's mobile survey conversion rates compared to SMS. Infobip has implemented a mobile and RCS-first approach for HESA, making the Graduate Outcomes survey available on this richer, more engaging channel across Android and Apple platforms. Share HESA, the UK agency for the collection and analysis of higher education data, delivers the Graduate Outcomes survey which surveys over 900,000 recent graduates annually. It helps improve university experiences for future students by providing a voice for graduates and postgraduates. To ensure UK higher education best reflects the actual needs of students, the survey needs to collect the experiences of as many graduates as possible. With survey fatigue and declining engagement an ongoing challenge, HESA is testing a number of different initiatives to boost online survey responses. With circa 70% of online responses completed on mobile, HESA needed to refresh its omnichannel approach and provide communication channels that graduates and postgraduates use and trust. RCS messaging enables organisations to increase their brand reputation and awareness. With RCS, HESA could add its survey logo and a link to its website. As the message design is more modern, it helps enhance reputation and verifies the message is genuine. Infobip has implemented a mobile and RCS-first approach for HESA, making the Graduate Outcomes survey available on this richer, more engaging channel across Android and Apple platforms; RCS survey conversion rates are double that of SMS. Dr Gosia Turner, Head of Surveys at Jisc, said: 'The Graduate Outcomes survey is a critical tool to allow recent graduates to share their experiences of UK higher education. To provide the rich, high-quality data that the sector needs, we need all graduates to complete the survey when they are invited. It's early days but the conversion rates on RCS compared to SMS look very encouraging.' James Stokes, Head of Enterprise, UK and Nordics, at Infobip, said: 'By integrating RCS capabilities powered by Infobip into the Graduate Outcomes survey, HESA has enhanced respondent experiences while helping boost completion rates. Having worked with HESA since 2018, this latest partnership demonstrates how we continue to innovate for our customers to help them achieve their objectives.' About Infobip Infobip is a global cloud communications platform that enables businesses to build connected experiences across all stages of the customer journey. Accessed through a single platform, Infobip's omnichannel engagement, identity, user authentication and contact centre solutions help businesses and partners overcome the complexity of consumer communications to grow business and increase loyalty.
Scotsman
12-06-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
First Job, first flat: Data reveals Dundee is an affordable UK city for New graduates
Many fresh grads are finding their first paycheques swallowed whole by sky-high rent. Moving Expert reveals which cities have the most affordable rent. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... For many university graduates in the UK, the cap-and-gown ceremony marks more than the end of academia. It's supposed to be the beginning of financial independence, career growth, and perhaps even a first apartment. However, for thousands entering the workforce, the dream of living and working in the city of their choice is being crushed by an uncomfortable truth: rent costs in many UK cities now consume more than half of a graduate's salary. According to new analysis from Wolf River Electric, average graduate salaries across several key UK cities fall far short of what's needed to rent a one-bedroom flat. Fortunately, there are cities bucking the trend: Top 10 UK Cities Where Rent Is Below 30% of Graduate Income Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Dundee City % of Income Spent on Rent Sunderland 14.16% Dundee 20.00% Bradford 22.68% Doncaster 22.87% Carlisle 25.92% Stoke-on-Trent 26.32% Gloucester 27.65% Derby 27.93% Kingston upon Hull 28.01% Aberdeen 28.17% Sunderland tops the list of most affordable cities for new grads, with rent accounting for just 14.16% of a typical graduate income. Dundee (20%), Bradford (22.68%), and Doncaster (22.87%) also offer young professionals room to breathe and save. These lower-cost cities may not carry the same cachet as London or Oxford, but they are increasingly attractive for graduates prioritising financial freedom over status postcodes. Many of these cities also offer growing employment opportunities and access to remote or hybrid work options. Top 10 UK Cities Where Rent Exceeds 50% of Graduate Income City % of Income Spent on Rent Westminster 96.34% London 81.63% Oxford 67.59% Bristol 60.72% Milton Keynes 54.36% St Albans 53.15% Edinburgh 52.62% Cambridge 52.07% Brighton & Hove 52.04% Bath 51.89% London has long been known for its expensive property market, but the figures go beyond shocking. In Westminster, new graduates spend a staggering 96.34% of their net income on rent. London-wide, the figure remains sky-high at 81.63%. And it's not just the capital: Oxford (67.59%), Bristol (60.72%), and Manchester (51.27%) all rank as cities where a graduate's salary barely covers the cost of a modest flatshare. These figures are calculated using average regional graduate earnings from the Graduate Outcomes 2021 dataset and the most recent monthly rent data. What's Driving the Graduate Housing Crisis? Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad At the heart of the issue lies a mismatch between graduate salaries, housing supply, and regional opportunity. High-paying graduate jobs are often concentrated in cities where the cost of living is least manageable. Meanwhile, cities offering more affordable housing often lack the same density of graduate-level roles or high-growth industries, though this is beginning to change. A significant number of graduates are now opting to move back home with parents, delay relocation, or work remotely while living in lower-cost towns. Others are resorting to house shares or even long-distance commuting. Time for a Rethink: Where Should Grads Really Start Their Careers? The data makes one thing clear: choosing a post-university city is a matter of survivability. As more employers embrace hybrid work models and regional talent development, now is the time for graduates to think beyond traditional hubs. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Likewise, universities, policymakers, and employers must work together to close the gap between graduate pay and real-world expenses. Without intervention, we risk creating a generation of workers who are employed but perpetually struggling. Takeaway for Graduates If you're considering where to launch your career, look beyond London. Use your degree wisely, and pair it with affordable living. Consider regional cities with lower rent burdens and growing industries. Ask yourself: Do I want a postcode or peace of mind? 'As someone who helps young professionals move across the UK, I've seen a noticeable shift in graduate migration patterns over the last five years. More grads are bypassing London and other traditional career hotspots, not because they don't want to live there, but because they simply can't afford to. When rent consumes 70% or more of your salary, you're not really living. You're just trying to survive.
