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Graduate employment Graduates from Scotland’s universities are showing resilience in the jobs market despite real challenges facing all young people Though graduates have not been immune from the recession, they continue to demonstrate greater resilience in the jobs market than other young people aged 16-24.
The survey results showed: •
Graduates from Scotland’s universities had the highest rate of “positive destinations” in the UK. 93% of graduates from Scotland were in positive destinations compared to 90% of graduates from English universities. “Positive destinations” include employment, further study and a combination of work and further study.
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Graduates from Scotland’s universities had higher starting salaries than the UK average. At £21,500 compared to a UK average of £21,000.
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Graduates from Scotland’s universities had the lowest unemployment levels in the UK. The rate of assumed unemployment was 7% for Scottish graduates compared to 9% across the UK and 10% in England.
Graduate employability is a key priority for Scotland’s universities and is embedded into the learning and teaching strategies of every university. Data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) follows graduate destinations from universities across the UK, sixth months after their graduation. The data return is a National Statistics Publication and is the most reliable and robust indicator of graduate destinations available. Universities invest significant resource into ensuring a high response rate to be confident the survey is representative. This year’s survey of graduates in 2010/11 saw over 19,000 responses from Scottish firstdegree graduates.
Data from this year show that graduates from Scotland’s universities had the highest level of positive destinations, the highest starting salaries and the lowest levels of unemployment in the UK
Graduate employability
The data is encouraging as it suggests a gradual recovery in the graduate jobs market may be taking effect: this is the third consecutive year in which graduate jobs have increased
Graduate vacancies on the increase
What are universities doing to support students and graduates?
This data is encouraging as other sources suggest a gradual recovery in the graduate jobs market may be taking effect in 2012 with an increase in graduate vacancies.
Employability is a priority issue for universities.
The latest High Fliers survey from July 2012 indicates that employers are set to take on 0.9% more graduates in 2012 than they did last year. Although the number of vacancies available is still lower than pre-recession levels, this is the third consecutive year in which graduate jobs have increased. The High Fliers survey polls some of Britain’s biggest graduate employers, including PricewaterhouseCoopers, Procter & Gamble, BP and IBM, as well as public bodies such as Teach First and the Civil Service. Several Scottish employers have also said there are new vacancies open to graduates as reported in 360Degrees (below).
Every university has employability embedded as a core part of their learning and teaching strategies. Each institution also has a set of graduate attributes which they look to develop in every student irrespective of their course or discipline studied. You can find out more about the common themes that underpin graduate attributes at the QAA Scotland Enhancement themes here.
360Degrees: Equipping Scotland’s Graduates for Success
Universities regularly engage with employers, professional bodies and others in the design, development and accreditation of the courses offered. At last count universities worked with over 115 professional bodies. Universities accept the challenge to work as part of an “allScotland” response to the issue of youth employment and are keen to work with business and industry to see what more we can do together to tackle youth unemployment.
Universities Scotland worked with AGCAS Scotland to publish a collection of graduate success stories in July 2012 alongside comments from businesses with an optimistic outlook on the graduate jobs market. The 19 graduates featured in the pages of 360Degrees show that young people with the right skills and attitude can still succeed. You can read 360Degrees here.
Universities work hard to create as many different opportunities for work placements, work-based learning and “live” projects for students as possible. As well as regularly inviting speakers from industry and commerce to deliver lectures, case-studies, workshops or master-classes. All of these activities contribute to the employability of students.
Enterprise and entrepreneurship Enterprise and entrepreneurship within the curriculum has taken hold within Scotland’s universities in recent years. As well as the Scottish Institute for Enterprise, which has a presence on every university campus, there are a plethora of different enterprise and entrepreneurship activities, modules and societies available for students at each individual university. Sharing best practice Universities also have a sectorwide network to share best practice on employability called the Scottish Higher Education Employability Forum (SHEEF). It brings together key stakeholders including universities, the Scottish Funding Council, university careers services amongst others and affords students a key role in the strategic development of employability initiatives through NUS Scotland’s involvement.
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