Encouraging Veterinary Careers
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) carried out a major review of its careers material. Together with DEFRA and several of the veterinary schools in the UK, RCVS received DfES funding under the ‘Gateways to the Profession’ initiative. RCVS asked IES to carry out research for the first stage of the project, which aimed to find out about the perceptions that students (secondary and sixth form), teachers and career advisers have about the veterinary profession, and what messages veterinary schools are giving about the profession via open days and prospectuses. IES reviewed careers websites and university information, and ran focus groups and interviews with students, science teachers, careers advisers and university admissions tutors.