Graduate employment stable with some tech bright spots, finds HECSU data
11 October 2012
Employment levels for recent graduates has remained relatively stable at 61.8% for 2012, with engineering and IT opportunities boosting the figures following a drop in public sector roles, according to Higher Education Careers Service Unit (HECSU) data.
Thu, 11 Oct 2012
Employment levels for recent graduates has remained relatively stable at 61.8% for 2012, with engineering and IT opportunities boosting the figures following a drop in public sector roles, according to Higher Education Careers Service Unit (HECSU) data.
In January 2012, of 245,000 graduates who had graduated six months previously, 61.8% were employed, compared with 62.2% in 2011. The number unemployed (8.6%) was up by 0.1 percentage points, with a 0.4 percentage point drop in those in further study, to 13.5%.Self-employment rose from 3.3% in 2007 to 4.4% last year and 4.8% in this survey, while those ‘working and studying’ rose from 7.6% to 8.4%.
Despite the struggling construction sector, there was an increase in graduates finding employment as engineering professionals, with 65.8% of mechanical engineering graduates, 36.2% of electrical and electronic graduates and nearly 60% of civil engineering graduates employed in engineering roles, with such figures up by over 5% in all three cases.
Meanwhile, 47.3% of those who studied IT were in IT jobs, up from 38.8% previously. But public sector cuts continue to impact on graduates finding entry-level roles, with graduates entering fewer admin jobs in health and education. Those most affected include occupational therapists, physiotherapists, medical radiographers, secondary and primary school teachers, probation officers and social workers.
Charlie Ball, deputy research director at HECSU, says: “Many of the jobs created during the recession have been with smaller firms and therefore, when looking for vacancies, graduates should not just focus on large organisations but widen their search, taking advantage of local information, careers services and informal contacts.
“The figures show that even in difficult times, graduates can and do get jobs. Students need to prepare for a difficult jobs market, but there are opportunities out there, so don’t give up hope.”
Employment levels for recent graduates has remained relatively stable at 61.8% for 2012, with engineering and IT opportunities boosting the figures following a drop in public sector roles, according to Higher Education Careers Service Unit (HECSU) data.
In January 2012, of 245,000 graduates who had graduated six months previously, 61.8% were employed, compared with 62.2% in 2011. The number unemployed (8.6%) was up by 0.1 percentage points, with a 0.4 percentage point drop in those in further study, to 13.5%.Self-employment rose from 3.3% in 2007 to 4.4% last year and 4.8% in this survey, while those ‘working and studying’ rose from 7.6% to 8.4%.
Despite the struggling construction sector, there was an increase in graduates finding employment as engineering professionals, with 65.8% of mechanical engineering graduates, 36.2% of electrical and electronic graduates and nearly 60% of civil engineering graduates employed in engineering roles, with such figures up by over 5% in all three cases.
Meanwhile, 47.3% of those who studied IT were in IT jobs, up from 38.8% previously. But public sector cuts continue to impact on graduates finding entry-level roles, with graduates entering fewer admin jobs in health and education. Those most affected include occupational therapists, physiotherapists, medical radiographers, secondary and primary school teachers, probation officers and social workers.
Charlie Ball, deputy research director at HECSU, says: “Many of the jobs created during the recession have been with smaller firms and therefore, when looking for vacancies, graduates should not just focus on large organisations but widen their search, taking advantage of local information, careers services and informal contacts.
“The figures show that even in difficult times, graduates can and do get jobs. Students need to prepare for a difficult jobs market, but there are opportunities out there, so don’t give up hope.”
