United Kingdom Articles

Third of graduates in 'non-graduate' jobs

(Filed: 23/07/2006)

A third of university graduates are in jobs that do not require a degree, a new report has found.

The Higher Education Statistics Agency (Hesa) 34.4 per cent of UK students who finished their first degrees in 2004-05 and went into full-time jobs were in "non-graduate" work.

While two-thirds of 2005 university leavers were in jobs which used their degrees, including software design, teaching and law, the other third were in non-graduate occupations, working as bar staff, kitchen assistants, secretaries, farm labourers, factory workers, postal staff, among other jobs.

Wes Streeting, vice-president of the National Union of Students, said the statistics would make teenagers think twice before going to university and taking on the debt of tuition fees.

From this autumn, English students will be charged top-up fees of £3,000 a year for their degree courses.

However, the Government insisted that students should not be deterred by these figures. Bill Rammell, higher education minister, said: "With other countries also aiming to increase the proportion of their population educated to university level, we must keep apace if we are to remain competitive.

"Just six months after leaving university graduates are earning on average £18,000 per year. And this is just the start of what, for many, will be fulfilling and lucrative careers."

Boris Johnson, the shadow higher education minister, said: "Even if they are temporarily going into so-called non-graduate jobs the statistics still show that they will probably benefit financially from their university education.

"It is a wonderful thing to have irrespective of the kind of job you end up doing. Of course university isn't for everyone and there are some people who do waste their time.

"But the point of university is not to produce oven-ready graduates who can just be slotted into the job they have been prepared for."

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