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Featured Know-how

Forvis Mazars: How employers can build AI-ready talent

The impact of AI on entry-level jobs was one of the defining themes of this year’s ISE Student Recruitment Conference. Erin McKelvey and Robbie White of Forvis Mazars explore the implications, how AI is fundamentally changing the future of early careers and how employers can prepare talent.

Nov 04, 2026
Apprentice Development, Apprentice Recruitment, Graduate Development, Graduate Recruitment, Technology

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Featured ISE Research

How mass applications are changing early careers recruitment

In the second of a four-part series covering key themes from our Student Recruitment Report 2026, Claire Tyler considers how employers are managing record levels of applications while rethinking how they recruit and select talent.

Nov 04, 2026
Apprentice Recruitment, Apprentice Selection & Assessment, Graduate Recruitment, Graduate Selection & Assessment, Technology

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Know-how

Forvis Mazars: How employers can build AI-ready talent

The impact of AI on entry-level jobs was one of the defining themes of this year’s ISE Student Recruitment Conference. Erin McKelvey and Robbie White of Forvis Mazars explore the implications, how AI is fundamentally changing the future of early careers and how employers can prepare talent.

Apprentice Development, Apprentice Recruitment, Graduate Development, Graduate Recruitment, Technology

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Know-how

Who are you really competing with for graduates?

Ahead of his opening keynote at the ISE Early Talent Intelligence Summit, Toby Culshaw, author of Talent Intelligence and co-founder of the Talent Intelligence Collective, asks how well early careers teams really know their competition.

Graduate Attraction & Marketing, Graduate Recruitment, Strategy

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Know-how

Finding authentic talent in an AI powered recruitment market

In response to member demand, ISE hosted a virtual open forum where employers shared concerns and solutions for finding authentic talent amid a flood of applications.

Apprentice Recruitment, Apprentice Selection & Assessment, Graduate Recruitment, Graduate Selection & Assessment, Technology

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Know-how

What skills are important for the new hiring season?

As employers prepare for the new recruitment cycle, the skills conversation is changing. An ISE webinar explored what employers are looking for and how young people can develop and demonstrate them.

Apprentice Development, Apprentice Recruitment, Graduate Development, Graduate Recruitment

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Insight ISE Research

ISE Research

How mass applications are changing early careers recruitment

In the second of a four-part series covering key themes from our Student Recruitment Report 2026, Claire Tyler considers how employers are managing record levels of applications while rethinking how they recruit and select talent.

Apprentice Recruitment, Apprentice Selection & Assessment, Graduate Recruitment, Graduate Selection & Assessment, Technology

Read the Article

ISE Research

What the ‘stabilised’ graduate market really looks like

ISE’s Claire Tyler examines what this year's hiring figures reveal about the state of the early careers market. This is the first of a four-part series that explores key themes from our Student Recruitment Report 2026.

Apprentice Recruitment, Graduate Recruitment

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ISE Research

ISE data: 5 priorities to improve EDI strategy

ISE’s special report on EDI provides vital insight and recommendations for employers seeking to boost their strategies.

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion, Social Mobility

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ISE Research

5 top trends from ISE’s Development Survey 2026

ISE’s Claire Tyler unpacks the five hottest trends from this year’s Student Development Survey.

Apprentice Development, Graduate Development, Technology

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Insight Case Studies

Case Study

How Severn Trent is building the workforce of the future

Building the workforce of the future starts with aligning strategy with business needs, explains Kellie Emery at Severn Trent.

Apprentice Development, Apprentice Recruitment, Graduate Development, Graduate Recruitment, Strategy

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Case Study

BDO blends virtual & in-person work experience for impact

In a competitive talent market work experience is an important way of broadening access to careers and engaging future talent early. Jane Baker explains how BDO has developed their strategy both in-person and virtually.

Strategy, Work Experience – Schools

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Case Study

How UEL delivers industry-centric apprenticeships

Apprenticeships at the University of East London (UEL) are a deliberate and strategic diversification. Daljinder Kaur Hopal, Associate Director of Employer Partnerships and Apprenticeships, explain their approach.

Apprentice Development

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Case Study

How NESO built an outstanding graduate programme

Molly Edwards, Early Careers Manager at NESO, explains what’s behind their graduate scheme, which won ISE’s Outstanding Graduate Development Programme Award 2026.

Graduate Development, Graduate Recruitment, Strategy

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Insight Articles

Article

Graduate jobs stabilise, but AI use disrupts recruitment

ISE’s Student Recruitment Report 2026 shows that graduate jobs have stabilised, but AI misconduct and record applications are disrupting recruitment.

Apprentice Recruitment, Apprentice Selection & Assessment, Graduate Recruitment, Graduate Selection & Assessment, Technology

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Article

Remembering Tessa McEwan

Earlier this year, a long-time friend of ISE, Tessa McEwan, sadly passed away. Tessa was someone who worked in early careers for over two decades, both as a graduate recruiter and as a trainer. Tessa was known by many across the early careers sector, some of whom have shared their thoughts and memories for this piece.

Graduate Development, Graduate Recruitment

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Article

New appointments to ISE board

ISE has announced changes to its board including appointing three new directors.

Careers

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Article

What you need to know about post-16 skills reforms

In this article Anne-Marie Campion unpacks the recently published White Paper on post 16 Education and Skills and current proposal for apprenticeship reform.

Apprentice Attraction & Marketing, Apprentice Development, Apprentice Recruitment, Apprentice Selection & Assessment, Careers, Equality, Diversity & Inclusion...

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Insight Research

Research

What employers can learn from care-experienced students

Emerging findings on how care-experienced students understand and navigate employability provide useful insight for employers looking to make early careers more accessible, explains Laura Dorian, Deputy Director of Careers and Enterprise at Durham University.

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion, Graduate Attraction & Marketing, Graduate Recruitment, Social Mobility, Student Insight

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Research

Mental wellbeing is a critical part of early careers success

New research shows that mental health difficulties among young people have doubled in the past decade. Dr Dominic Kelly, Senior Research Fellow at UCL and Dr Claire Tyler, ISE Head of Insights, explore the challenge, and how employers can support the wellbeing and success of early career hires.

Apprentice Development, Graduate Development, Student Insight

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Research

The graduate jobs market isn’t collapsing

Ahead of his session at ISE’s Recruitment Conference, labour market expert Charlie Ball from Prospects at Jisc delves into the data to explain what’s really happening with entry-level jobs.

Graduate Recruitment, Student Insight

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Research

Students use AI to compete, yet oppose AI assessment

Growing pressure on students and graduates is driving major shifts in job search behaviour, particularly around the use of AI and high-volume applications. Chris Rea from Prospects at Jisc shares the latest insight.

Apprentice Recruitment, Graduate Recruitment, Student Insight, Technology

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Insight Opinions

Opinion

ISE response to Adzuna graduate vacancy figures

Stephen Isherwood, joint CEO, Institute of Student Employers responds to the Adzuna data released 24 August 2026 that shows a 45% year-on-year decline in graduate job vacancies.

Graduate Attraction & Marketing, Graduate Recruitment

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Opinion

Why graduate employers need different thinkers

Neurodiverse students should be of particular interest to employers, explains Dr. David Gordon, an Associate Professor at De Montfort University and member of ISE’s EDI Working Group.

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion, Graduate Attraction & Marketing, Graduate Recruitment

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Opinion

We must challenge the way we think about technical education

Apprenticeships matter, but so does how we value skills. Harlow College Principal Karen Spencer explores the recent reforms, what’s really holding technical education back and how we can address skills shortages.

Apprentice Development, Apprentice Recruitment, Policy

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Opinion

Top takeaways from ISE Recruitment Conference 2026

Hollie Valler, ISE Board Director and European Early Careers Manager at Arcadis, reflects on the themes that stood out at this year’s ISE Student Recruitment Conference.

Apprentice Recruitment, Graduate Recruitment

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Insight Feature

Feature

How AI is reshaping entry-level roles?

IBM and The Coca-Cola Company share how AI is impacting entry-level development programmes.

Apprentice Development, Graduate Development, Technology

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Feature

Who won at the ISE Awards 2026?

Early careers professionals came together in sunny Brighton to celebrate achievement, share best practice and recognise outstanding contributions to the profession.

Apprentice Development, Apprentice Recruitment, Graduate Development, Graduate Recruitment, Strategy

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Feature

Top 10 most read articles of 2025

As 2025 comes to a close we look back at ISE’s most popular content of the year. Here are the articles you shouldn’t miss.

Apprentice Recruitment, Graduate Development, Graduate Recruitment, Technology

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Feature

ISE welcomes three new Board Directors

Institute of Student Employers called an Extraordinary General Meeting(EGM) to formally appoint three new Directors to its Board.

Careers, Policy

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