Events management awards in the UK in view of First Destination Employment (FDE) : a student perspective

The ongoing expansion in university attendance in the UK has led to the development and growth of a number of vocational awards. Amongst these, Events Management has become one of the fastest growing sectors. In recent years, events management education (EME) has come under scrutiny receiving a number of critical accounts that appear to be lacking any academic underpinning. Considering the scarcity of publications on the topic, this paper has gathered data directly from the main source (the student) and aims to provide a foundation on which to base a more comprehensive discussion on EME. The study provides an insightful evaluation from a student perspective providing data on the challenges, developments and strategies universities face in providing the events industry with new recruits. Results suggest that while a great deal of student satisfaction with EME is evident, EME awards must review the broad content approach in order to meet the sometimes unknown needs of the student and the extensive needs employer