What do graduates do - North West (Spring 08)
The student population of the region continues to expand and important employment sectors include chemicals and pharmaceuticals, retail, public sector, financial services, aerospace and leisure and tourism.
10.9% of UK-domiciled graduates from 2006 were working in the North West six months after graduating, with 15,905 graduates from 2005/6 known to be working in the region six months after graduating – a modest rise of 1.2% from 15,710 in 2003/4. Over the same time period, the proportion working in jobs not requiring a degree fell from 41.4% to 38.8%, with an increase in niche and new graduate occupations (see Table 1 and SOC(HE)).
| 2003/4 | 2004/5 | 2005/6 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional graduate occupations | 11.4% | 11.6% | 11.1% |
| Modern graduate occupations | 12.1% | 12.1% | 11.8% |
| New graduate occupations | 13.8% | 13.2% | 15.5% |
| Niche graduate occupations | 21.3% | 21.9% | 22.9% |
| Non-graduate occupations | 41.4% | 41.3% | 38.8% |
Over this three year period, the proportion of graduates entering health professions in the North West rose (see Table 2), with the numbers of nurses, pharmacists, junior doctors, midwives and physiotherapists all increasing. The numbers of graduates entering primary and secondary teaching fell between 2003/4 and 2005/6, as did the number entering retail management.
Other jobs that saw an increase in graduates between 2003/4 and 2005/6 included probation officers, advertising and marketing roles, sports coaches, chartered accountants (although the numbers of graduates in the region entering more junior roles in the finance industry fell), housing officers, social workers and mechanical and aeronautical engineers.
The region also employed a higher share of graduates from 2005/6 as probation officers, aeronautical engineers, independent financial advisers, physiotherapists, physiologists, housing officers and careers advisers than its share of national employment would suggest.
| 2003/4 | 2004/5 | 2005/6 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing, Sales and Advertising Professionals | 3.6% | 3.5% | 3.7% |
| Commercial, Industrial and Public Sector Managers | 9.6% | 9.7% | 8.9% |
| Scientific Research, Analysis & Development Professionals | 1.0% | 1.2% | 1.0% |
| Engineering Professionals | 2.6% | 2.4% | 2.9% |
| Health Professionals and Associate Professionals | 12.7% | 13.2% | 14.9% |
| Education Professionals | 7.7% | 7.3% | 7.0% |
| Business and Financial Professionals and Associate Professionals | 5.7% | 6.0% | 6.5% |
| Information Technology Professionals | 3.4% | 3.4% | 3.4% |
| Arts, Design, Culture and Sports Professionals | 4.5% | 4.8% | 4.7% |
| Legal Professionals | 1.0% | 0.8% | 0.7% |
| Social & Welfare Professionals | 3.3% | 2.8% | 4.1% |
| Other Professionals, Associate Professional and Technical Occupations | 5.6% | 5.5% | 5.7% |
| Numerical Clerks and Cashiers | 3.4% | 3.2% | 2.7% |
| Other Clerical and Secretarial Occupations | 11.5% | 11.5% | 10.2% |
| Retail, Catering, Waiting and Bar Staff | 10.6% | 10.8% | 10.4% |
| Other Occupations | 13.5% | 13.8% | 13.4% |
| Unknown Occupations | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0% |
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% |
With the prevalence of health jobs in the region, it is not surprising that over one in five, 21.2%, of graduates from 2005/6 working in the region six months after graduating were in the health sector (see Table 3), with the main jobs being in junior doctoring, nursing, midwifery, physiotherapy and radiography.
| Employment sector | Percentage of graduates |
|---|---|
| Health and social work | 21.2% |
| Finance, law, consulting and related activities | 12.5% |
| Education | 12.2% |
| Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 11.7% |
| Public administration and defence; social security | 7.4% |
38.2% of graduates from 2005/6 known to be working in the region six months after graduating were employed by SMEs. Graduates were slightly more likely than the national average to have found their job on an employer’s web site.
Copyright © 2002-2012 HECSU | Content last updated: May 08
