You belong here: Enhancing student employability through intergenerational inclusivity and collaboration

Students in higher education (HE), particularly those from non-traditional or minority backgrounds, often report persistent feelings of inadequacy, isolation and self-doubt. This aligns with the notion of ‘imposter syndrome’ which is known to produce negative outcomes regarding educational attainment, career aspirations and general wellbeing. This case study will focus on my work incorporating alumni experiences into our curriculum to foster a peer’ voice’ to enhance undergraduate engagement, confidence, and a sense of belonging. I have focused on including alumni from underrepresented demographics where possible to provide role models and sources of inspiration, particularly for widening participation (WP) students from comparable backgrounds. In this case study, I outline and discuss the ‘Graduate Voices Project’, an initiative I led where current STEM undergraduates from predominantly WP backgrounds interviewed, recorded and edited footage of their discussions with WP alumni. Interns extracted themes they deemed important to employability, wellbeing, and success to create a body of resources that are now used at an institutional level at the University of York with considerable scope for further national and international dissemination. The success of this project in terms of its highly positive reception and ongoing benefits for students highlights the importance of ‘verticality’ in the student learning experience through long-term intergenerational and collaborative engagement.