UK Universities Expand Careers Support for Mid-Career Graduates

University careers services in the UK are no longer focused only on students about to enter the workforce. A growing number of institutions are extending careers advice to graduates in their 40s and 50s, responding to rising demand from alumni who want to change direction, return to work, or rebuild confidence after long periods in the same role.

Many universities now offer lifelong careers services UK, providing guidance that includes help with CV writing, interview preparation, skills mapping, and exploring new career paths. The shift reflects changes in how careers develop over time, with more people changing jobs, retraining, or re-entering employment later in life.

Graduates who completed their studies decades ago are increasingly turning back to their universities for support. For many, it comes as a surprise that these services are still available to them.

Lifelong Careers Services Gain Wider Reach

At Lancaster University, careers advisers are seeing more alumni who have not applied for a job in 15 to 20 years. These graduates often feel uncertain about modern recruitment processes and lack confidence in presenting their experience.

Gil Hamilton, who graduated in the mid-2000s, spent 17 years in the same role before deciding she needed a change. She had not prepared a CV or attended an interview in nearly two decades. Hamilton said she only discovered she could still access careers advice through Lifelong Careers Services UK after hearing about it through an alumni connection.

Through Lancaster’s careers service, she worked with a career coach who helped her update her CV, prepare for interviews, and identify transferable skills. The guidance helped her recognise strengths she had developed over time, both inside and outside the workplace.

Hamilton said interview preparation sessions were especially helpful. Practising likely questions and learning how to explain her experience clearly gave her confidence. She later secured a new role and described the process as challenging but positive.

Careers advisers say this experience is common. Many older graduates underestimate their abilities and struggle to see how their experience applies to new roles. Universities are stepping in to fill that gap with structured and trusted support.

Supporting Career Change and Return to Work

Career coaches report that older graduates often face unique challenges. Some have taken extended breaks due to caring responsibilities. Others are responding to redundancy or organisational change and are unsure how to retrain or reposition themselves.

Advisers also focus on helping graduates recognise skills gained outside formal employment. Experience gained through volunteering, community work, or managing family responsibilities can translate into valuable workplace skills when presented clearly.

In one case, a graduate who had been out of paid work for more than a decade received help reframing her experience running parent groups and school activities. With guidance and CV support, she successfully moved into an administrative role within the NHS.

According to the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services, more than 40 percent of universities in England and Wales now offer some form of lifelong careers services UK. While the model varies by institution, the trend is growing, and many more universities are exploring similar approaches.

Despite this expansion, awareness remains low. Many alumni assume career services are only for current students or recent graduates. Career professionals say improving communication with alumni is now a key priority.

For educators and institutions, lifelong careers services UK support wider learning goals. It reinforces the idea that education does not end at graduation and that universities can play an ongoing role in professional development.

For graduates in mid-career, the services offer a chance to pause, reflect, and reset. Many stay in roles out of habit or stability rather than satisfaction. Access to impartial advice can help them explore new options without immediate pressure.

As career paths become less linear, universities are adapting their support to match. Lifelong careers services UK are becoming part of the broader education ecosystem, helping learners at every stage of working life gain clarity, confidence, and direction.