First cohort of Future Skills graduates among thousands set to celebrate achievements at Kingston University ceremonies

This month’s graduations mark a significant milestone for Kingston University – with the first full cohort of undergraduate students to complete its sector-leading Future Skills programme among those crossing the stage. 

Almost 5,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students from across the University’s four Faculties will celebrate their achievements in front of proud family, friends, academic staff and special guests in ceremonies held at the Rose Theatre between 21 and 30 July. They will be joined by 31 PhD candidates, who will be conferred as doctors within their areas of expertise.

Among them are around 3,500 undergraduate students who are the first to have benefited from all three phases – Navigate, Explore, and Apply – of the University’s Future Skills programme. Informed by extensive research and engagement with industry, the University’s radical new approach to education is designed to ensure every undergraduate student is equipped with the human-centric skills, knowledge and confidence needed to thrive in their careers when they graduate.

Future Skills is now embedded as a core, taught and assessed element of every year of every undergraduate degree, alongside subject-specific learning. Employers play an active role, through setting live briefs and industry projects, offering placements, and engaging in mentoring and collaborative learning opportunities.

At its heart, the programme focuses on developing the attributes employers value most from graduates, including creative problem-solving, digital competency, adaptability, collaboration and resilience, alongside being enterprising, empathy, self-awareness and having a questioning mindset. 

Future Skills in action: stories from this year’s graduates

Among the first Future Skills cohort is Abbie Finn, who is set to graduate from her geography degree at this year’s ceremonies. Through a live industry brief with the John Lewis Partnership and participation in the inaugural Future Talent Council Global Student Fellowship programme, Abbie gained hands-on experience working with employers, developing the confidence to present her ideas in professional settings which she credits with helping her secure a graduate role. 

“In the job market today, it’s not just about having a degree,” she said. “It’s about being able to communicate your skills – and Future Skills really helps you do that.”

Also crossing the stage this summer is pharmaceutical science student Amal Yussuf, whose experience of Future Skills inspired her interest in entrepreneurship, leading her to develop an award-winning healthcare innovation. Amal secured the People’s Choice Award in the University’s Bright Ideas competition for a handheld device designed to provide chemotherapy patients with quick, non-invasive feedback. She also credited her experience of working with marketing students on a Future Skills project with helping her communicate complex scientific ideas to non-experts. As she graduates, Amal is exploring opportunities to expand her skillset into robotics and computing and develop her own business ideas. 

Another graduand who benefited from a Future Skills education is fine art student Antonio Bourouphael. As part of a live brief with global brand Unilever, his work has now been installed at the company's new UK headquarters. The experience strengthened his ambition to pursue a career in visual merchandising and retail design, while applying his Future Skills development to help identify his strengths and better understand how to position himself for opportunities in the creative industries.

Preparing graduates for career success 

Ali Orr, Student Development and Graduate Success Director at Kingston University, said the experiences being shared by graduands truly demonstrated the impact Future Skills was having on their development and career readiness.

“This year’s graduates are leaving with not only academic knowledge and subject expertise, but also the confidence, experience and human-centric skills employers tell us are essential for success in a rapidly changing world,” he said. “It’s inspiring to see the impact the programme has had on our students' ambitions, achievements and career journeys, and we look forward to seeing all they go on to accomplish."

Alongside graduates from across Kingston School of Art, the Faculty of Health, Science, Social Care and Education, the Faculty of Engineering, Computing and the Environment, and the Faculty of Business and Social Sciences, four influential figures will be recognised for their outstanding contributions to their respective fields as they receive honorary awards at this year’s ceremonies.

• Kingston University’s summer graduations will take place from 21 – 30 July. 
• Find out more about the University’s Future Skills approach to education.