Graduate Employment

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Graduate Employment AimHigher HE
Advisers Conference
Sophie Miller, Careers Centre April 2008
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Aims of Session

• By the end of the session, you will
• Have considered some frequently asked questions
  and answers about graduate employment trends
• Be informed about graduate destinations
• Know how the University Careers Centre works with
  employers how we support student employability

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Summary of 2006 UK Graduate Destinations
www.prospects.ac.uk
Unemployed 6.2
Other 8.3
Further Study 13.6
Employment 62.9
Work Study 9.0
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• The average salary of full-time, 2006 first
  degree leavers who entered full-time employment
  was 18,501

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Graduate salaries at UK employers in 2007, by
sector or industry
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The Graduate Outlook

• AGR survey predicted a 12 year on year rise in
  graduate vacancies for 2007/08.
• No company/business sectors anticipated a decline
  in vacancies however, the banking financial
  sector does now look vulnerable.
• The UK governments list of shortage occupations
  provides clues about future opportunities for
  graduates
• the health profession,
• teaching,
• veterinary science,
• engineering,
• social work,
• Biomedical scientific Lab Officers and so on.
• London is the most popular place for new
  graduates starting work.
• The proportion of media jobs based in London is
  approximately 50 according to the Prospects
  Media Briefing

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How graduate vacancies have changed since 2006,
by sector or industry
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Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Industry Top
companies in Birmingham by number of employees

• Birmingham City Council
• GKN Plc
• Signet Group Plc
• IMI Plc
• Sandwell Borough Council
• Severn Trent Plc
• RPL Productions Ltd
• Halfords Group Plc
• Linpac Group Ltd
• Nuffield Hospitals
• Taylor Wimpey Plc
• Solihull Borough Council

• Arup Group Ltd
• University Hospital Birmingham NHS Trust
• Wagon Plc
• National Grid Gas Plc
• Aga Foodservice Group Plc
• University of Birmingham
• Specialist Computer Holdings Plc
• Biffa Plc
• Signet Trading Ltd
• Claire Accessories

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Overview of University of Birmingham Graduate
Destinations 2006
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Graduate Level Employment

• 65.4 of 2006 University of Birmingham graduates
  in employment, were in graduate level jobs
• Graduate level employment is defined by HESA and
  the national league tables as jobs that fall
  within the following categories of the Standard
  Occupational Classification System
• 1 Managers and Senior Officials
• 2 Professional Occupations
• 3 Associate Professional and Technical
  Occupations
• A significant proportion of graduates are in
  non-graduate jobs sometimes low paid jobs in
  order to
• Earn money while they prepare to travel, look for
  graduate level employment or start a postgraduate
  course
• Gain relevant experience that will assist their
  move into a graduate level occupation

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Type of Employment
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The UK Graduate Careers Survey 2007 High
Fliers Research
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Further study type of course

• One third of 2006 graduates were engaged in
  Further Study or Work Study
• University of Birmingham is a research led
  university and therefore attracts a significant
  proportion of graduates who stay on to undertake
  post graduate study - Masters PhDs
• PGCE Law conversion are also popular options
  with new graduates

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What do employers look for?Type of degree

• Degree Class
• Varies according to employer and nature of
  employment
• excellent degree or 2.1 or above often
  specified
• Vocational subject
• Over two thirds (70) of vacancies advertised are
  open to graduates from any degree discipline
  (Prospects Directory salary and vacancy survey
  (Winter 06/07)
• Degrees dont get jobs, people do!

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What employers look for? Student Employability

• Evidence of transferable skills
• employer surveys suggests the desired skills for
  graduates fall into four broad areas
• Self Reliance
• People Skills
• General Skills
• Specialist Skills.
• Work Experience
• an average of 70 of work experience summer or
  year long placements led to a graduate job offer.
  

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Employer Targeting

• Employers target University of Birmingham
  students
• Concentration of recruitment effort by employers
  rather than barring
• More than 3,000 employer vacancies advertised
  this year
• Approx 200 employers are involved in recruitment
  activities on campus each year
• Type of employers include PricewaterhouseCoopers,
  Accenture, QinetiQ, Balfour Beatty, Allen
  Overy, Logica, NHS

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Employer Engagement with students

• Employer presentations
• Recruitment Fairs
• Finance Consultancy
• Science, Engineering Technology
• Law
• Work Experience
• National Graduate Recruitment Fair NEC
• This year Public Voluntary Sector fair
  Summer Fair
• Employer database/ Vacancy database
• Enterprise Skills Series
• Skills Series
• Employer engagement in academic departments

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Supporting students their employability - Our
Services

• Skills Development
• Personal Skills Award/ Personal Development
  Planning
• Guild Activities
• Employer led Skills Workshops eg Skills Series
• Work Experience
• Placement opportunities in departments
• Careers Centre Central resource
• Awards Schemes eg/ Honey Pot
• Graduate Advantage student placement programme
• Work Experience Fair

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• Job Search Making Applications
• Career Centre Workshops
• Information website
• Advice Guidance
• Careers Centre Events
• Specialist careers days eg/ Media
• PhD Fair
• Finalists Fair
• English Alumni Event

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Areas of Development

• Focussed activity to engage First Year students
• Investing in their employability from the outset
• Proactive about developing skills and experience
• Creating and investigating opportunities for work
  experience
• Developing self awareness and ability for
  reflection
• Engaging Regional Employers SMEs

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Your Thoughts?