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Access Careers Centre launches platform refresh as sector faces pressure to evidence graduate outcomes
AI-powered career support aims to help universities demonstrate long-term employability impact in era of heightened regulatory scrutiny
Access Careers Centre, the evolution of Abintegro, unveiled a substantive platform refresh at the Graduate Futures Institute's Leadership Conference on the 6th and 7th of January 2026 – as careers leaders grappled with mounting pressure to evidence graduate outcomes within increasingly constrained resources.
The timing proves critical. With the Office for Students intensifying focus on employability metrics and linking outcomes to funding decisions, universities face a stark challenge: how to deliver personalised, scalable career support that demonstrably prepares students for "work-ready for life" careers, not simply first-destination statistics.
Access' career development platform already supports an important share of UK universities, handling millions of career interactions each year and integrating deeply into institutional ecosystems. However, careers provision is often fragmented across multiple systems and touchpoints, making it hard to deliver a coherent, personalised journey for every student. Students need far more than a list of vacancies – they need labour market insight, core human skills, and safe spaces to test, fail and iterate, not just collect credentials.
"Universities are navigating a perfect storm of financial constraint, regulatory pressure, bombardment of touchpoint tech offerings and evolving student needs. Our AI powered platform addresses this by integrating career discovery, workplace readiness and job application support seamlessly, while providing the rich data careers teams need to evidence engagement, progression and long-term impact. This isn't about replacing human expertise – it's about enabling advisers to focus on high-impact strategic coaching while providing students foundational support 24/7."
The refresh brings together career discovery tools, workplace readiness training, and job application support in one integrated system, addressing the fragmentation that has long challenged university careers services. And it responds directly to sector feedback emphasising that graduate employability "takes a whole university," not isolated careers services, by enabling students to independently explore careers, build confidence through iterative practice and develop transferable skills – mirroring the conference's emphasis on preparing graduates for portfolio careers in volatile labour markets, rather than outdated linear progression models.
"We're building the future of career support. Students need more than job boards – they need the confidence to articulate their skills and spaces where they can experiment, learn and grow. Our platform and impactful content make this possible, giving universities the evidence to prove they are equipping students for lifelong career success, not just their first graduate role."
As universities face growing pressure to transform, Access Careers Centre stands as vital infrastructure helping institutions meet regulatory expectations, demonstrate real impact and deliver personalised support at scale – even as resources tighten.
This commitment reflects a deeper focus: supporting the crucial partnership between universities, students and employers that strengthens society as a whole. By listening to the evolving challenges facing the sector and dedicating significant investment to innovation, Access is building infrastructure designed not for today's pressures alone, but to shape better futures for the next generation of graduates.
Access Careers Centre continues to develop new features based on feedback from university partners across the sector.