Almost half of Kingston University students still feel unprepared for the world of work, despite the university’s hefty investment in its Future Skills programme.
In a survey conducted by The River, 72% of respondents don’t really feel the programme, which has officially become a core part of every undergraduate degree, feel ready to enter the workplace. Meanwhile, over 60% of those surveyed think that future skills added unnecessary extra work to already-stacked scheduled.
According to Kingston University’s Future Skills Report 2025, the programme concentrated on the skills that employers most value, from teamwork to communication, combining academic learning with employment skills rather than dividing the two, ensuring that undergrads feel prepared before leaving their studies.
Boasting three-stage modulws across three academic years, being Navigate, Explore, and Apply, the university entirely devoted itself to, alongside the new classrooms, new employees were brought in specifically to deliver these modules.
Third-year Media & Communications student Emily Freer was critical of some elements of the programme: “I think it can be quite repetitive by rewriting my CV over the past three years, and I found that quite impractical,” she explained. Despite student dissatisfaction with Future Skills, Kingston University has significantly invested in the programme.
Despite some complaints about the Future Skills programme, others have also praised the new module. “The assessment centre and the interview practice we’ve done is useful, it works on skills I need to harness, and it is a useful course beneath all the repetition,” Freer said.
While it initially was trialled in 2023, the start of the 2025 academic year saw Future Skills made compulsory in every course. The university has also made the Future Skills programme the heart of a £24 million redevelopment plan of the Penrhyn Road campus.
This includes dedicated Future Skills classrooms and new branded learning spaces that have been added to teach employability, digital skills, problem-solving, and workplace readiness. A Kingston University spokesperson said: “The University’s Future Skills programme prepares our students for career success in a rapidly evolving digital-first world.”
“Many students have spoken about the positive impact, with some even visiting the Houses of Parliament to meet policymakers and politicians and discuss the opportunities Future Skills has opened up for them.”
An anonymous survey respondent added: “The course has given me a good understanding of what to expect when applying for a job in the future.”
Others still wish more from the scheme, Media & communications student Maryann Achigbue said: “I remember going into the programme just thinking and wishing that it was an actual internship we were getting interviewed for.”
A Kingston University spokesperson added: “The programme was developed following extensive research involving both industry experts and our students”. They took surveys from business leaders and YouGov, who stated they were looking for graduates who could think critically, adapt quickly, and collaborate successfully.
