Universities UK has responded to the publication of graduate destination figures for 2008-09, released today by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).
Nicola Dandridge, Chief Executive of Universities UK, said: “Despite the difficult economic circumstances, these figures show that there remain good graduate jobs out there and that employers continue to value degree-level skills. It is encouraging that graduate salaries have remained solid during this turbulent time.
“The coalition government's aim to create more jobs will depend heavily on graduate-level skills. These skills will be key to the economy's path out of recession. All the indicators suggest that, as the UK economy continues to shift towards knowledge-based activities, a greater proportion of the workforce will need higher-level skills in the future.
“Despite this still being a challenging time for the jobs market, there are signs that some of the country's largest graduate recruiters will be increasing the number of graduate vacancies available this year.
“It is worth bearing in mind that these figures relate to 6 months after graduation. We know that some graduates will have postponed looking for a first job in order to undertake further study, to do graduate internships or for other reasons such as periods of travel. Figures looking at the picture three and a half years after graduation have shown the majority of these graduates to be in full time employment (2.9% assumed to be unemployed).”
Notes
- The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) graduate employment figures for 2008-09 are available online.
- Many graduates' first jobs do not reflect their eventual careers. The Higher Education Statistics Agency's (HESA) 'Destination of Leavers' Longitudinal Survey published in 2009 showed the percentage of graduates (full-time, first degree) assumed to be unemployed 3.5 years after graduation was 2.9%. The report is available online.