What do graduates do - South West (Spring 08)
The region is diverse, with some very prosperous areas, but also some of the most deprived areas of the UK, especially in the rural south west of the region and in some towns. The region has an ageing workforce and employers in some industries find difficulty filling posts. Important sectors regionally include aerospace, ICT, food and drink, marine industries and tourism.
7.3% of graduates from 2005/6 who were known to be in employment six months after graduating were working in the South West. The region was known to employ 10,735 graduates from 2005/6 six months after graduating, a rise of 4.6% from 2003/4 levels of 10,260. The region had the highest proportion of new graduates in non-graduate occupations in England in 2003/4, at 42.1%, but a sharp fall between 2004/5 and 2005/6 has meant that the level of 37.8% in non-graduate occupations is respectable for a region outside London (see Table 1 and SOC(HE)).
| 2003/4 | 2004/5 | 2005/6 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional graduate occupations | 9.8% | 10.2% | 10.6% |
| Modern graduate occupations | 12.2% | 12.3% | 13.7% |
| New graduate occupations | 14.5% | 14.9% | 15.5% |
| Niche graduate occupations | 21.5% | 21.5% | 22.4% |
| Non-graduate occupations | 42.1% | 41.2% | 37.8% |
Health remains the most popular job type for new graduates working in the region, and the proportion of graduates in these jobs increased sharply in 2005/6, with a significant increase in the number of junior doctors and hospital nurses recruited in the South West (Table 2).
The other most commonly entered jobs in the region in 2005/6 for graduates included primary teaching (which saw a fall in numbers over the last three years), social work (which saw a strong increase), retail management (which stayed relatively steady), software design (which increased modestly) and mechanical engineering (which saw healthy year on year increases).
The roles which increased the most in numbers between 2003/4 and 2005/6 in the South West for graduates six months after graduating included nursing, social work, junior doctors, probation officers, mechanical engineering, mental health nursing and legal and paralegal work.
The largest falls in numbers came in primary teaching, specialist adult nursing, physiotherapy, office management and aeronautical engineering.
The region also employed a higher share of graduates from 2005/6 as naval officers, aeronautical engineers, mental health nurses, mortgage consultants, employment agents and vets than its share of national employment would suggest.
| 2003/4 | 2004/5 | 2005/6 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing, Sales and Advertising Professionals | 4.1% | 4.2% | 3.5% |
| Commercial, Industrial and Public Sector Managers | 9.7% | 9.6% | 9.8% |
| Scientific Research, Analysis & Development Professionals | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1.2% |
| Engineering Professionals | 3.9% | 4.0% | 4.4% |
| Health Professionals and Associate Professionals | 11.5% | 11.5% | 13.4% |
| Education Professionals | 6.3% | 5.8% | 5.9% |
| Business and Financial Professionals and Associate Professionals | 6.1% | 6.4% | 6.7% |
| Information Technology Professionals | 3.5% | 4.0% | 4.2% |
| Arts, Design, Culture and Sports Professionals | 5.1% | 5.5% | 5.4% |
| Legal Professionals | 0.5% | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Social & Welfare Professionals | 2.7% | 2.8% | 3.8% |
| Other Professionals, Associate Professional and Technical Occupations | 5.8% | 5.4% | 5.5% |
| Numerical Clerks and Cashiers | 3.2% | 2.7% | 2.4% |
| Other Clerical and Secretarial Occupations | 12.9% | 13.5% | 10.6% |
| Retail, Catering, Waiting and Bar Staff | 9.7% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| Other Occupations | 13.8% | 13.5% | 13.2% |
| Unknown Occupations | 0.2% | 0% | 0.1% |
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% |
The health sector was the most important sector for the first destination of 2005/6 graduates working in the region, with one in five graduates working in the sector six months after graduating (Table 3). Other important roles in the South West that have not been mentioned already included general practice nurses, midwives, office staff, occupational therapists and radiographers.
| Employment sector | Percentage of graduates |
|---|---|
| Health and social work | 20.0% |
| Finance, law, consulting and related activities | 11.7% |
| Education | 11.2% |
| Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 9.7% |
| Public administration and defence; social security | 9.2% |
41.2% of graduates from 2005/6 who started work in the region were employed by SMEs - with teaching, IT, media and advertising roles all prominent.
Copyright © 2002-2012 HECSU | Content last updated: May 08
