The Brighton Factor Revisited

Does it work and is it important?

This second stage of the Brighton Factor research explored whether University of Sussex graduates’ expectations were met, how early careers developed in the local labour market, the factors that helped and hindered careers, and whether the city of Brighton and Hove continued to influence their decisions about where to live and work.

The research involved three distinct elements and three separate research papers – each using a different research approach, a different research specialist, and a different set of data subjects. All three elements examined the same issue – graduate retention – but from a different perspective.

• The first research paper, Do graduates stay in Brighton and Hove?, presents findings from a statistical analysis of both Brighton Factor survey data and secondary data on graduate destinations and labour market actions six months after leaving the University of Sussex.
• The second research paper, How do graduates’ careers develop in Brighton and Hove?, presents findings from a qualitative exploration of local graduate labour market experiences.
• The third research paper, What is the Brighton Factor?, presents findings from an econometric analysis of the association between city performance and graduate talent.