What do graduates do - Wales (Spring 08)
Wales has a history of primary industry and manufacturing and the decline of these industries has had a profound effect. Key employment sectors include automotive, aerospace, pharmaceuticals, financial services, creative industries, construction and hospitality, leisure and tourism.
4.3% of graduates from 2005/6 who were known to be in employment six months after graduating were working in Wales. The region was known to employ 6,365 graduates from 2005/6 six months after graduating, down by 3% from 6,650 in 2003/4. However, the proportion working in non-graduate occupations also fell from 43.6% to 40.7% over the same period, with the number of graduates going into graduate jobs in Wales rising very slightly (see Table 1 and SOC(HE)).
| 2003/4 | 2004/5 | 2005/6 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional graduate occupations | 11.0% | 10.7% | 11.7% |
| Modern graduate occupations | 11.3% | 11.5% | 12.9% |
| New graduate occupations | 13.1% | 13.0% | 12.1% |
| Niche graduate occupations | 21.1% | 23.3% | 22.6% |
| Non-graduate occupations | 43.6% | 41.5% | 40.7% |
Health jobs were much the most important destination for graduates from 2005/6 working in Wales six months after graduation (Table 2), although the most popular single jobs were in primary school teaching and general office work. There was a large increase in the number of graduates beginning work as hospital nurses, and junior doctors, general practice nurses, pharmacists and physiotherapists were also recruited in numbers.
The roles which increased the most in numbers between 2003/4 and 2005/6 in Wales for graduates six months after graduating included hospital nursing, junior doctors, primary teaching, mechanical engineering and civil engineering.
The largest falls in numbers came in specialist adult nursing, probation officers, physiotherapy, local government and routine sales jobs.
The region also employed a higher share of graduates from 2005/6 as translators, specialist registrars and consultants, vets, speech therapists, further education lecturers and electrical engineers than its share of national employment would suggest.
| 2003/4 | 2004/5 | 2005/6 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing, Sales and Advertising Professionals | 2.2% | 2.6% | 2.5% |
| Commercial, Industrial and Public Sector Managers | 8.7% | 7.4% | 7.3% |
| Scientific Research, Analysis & Development Professionals | 0.9% | 1.0% | 0.9% |
| Engineering Professionals | 2.4% | 3.1% | 3.6% |
| Health Professionals and Associate Professionals | 15.5% | 18.0% | 17.3% |
| Education Professionals | 6.9% | 7.2% | 8.2% |
| Business and Financial Professionals and Associate Professionals | 4.3% | 4.1% | 4.3% |
| Information Technology Professionals | 2.7% | 2.9% | 2.9% |
| Arts, Design, Culture and Sports Professionals | 4.4% | 4.9% | 5.0% |
| Legal Professionals | 0.5% | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Social & Welfare Professionals | 4.5% | 3.4% | 3.7% |
| Other Professionals, Associate Professional and Technical Occupations | 5.7% | 5.5% | 5.2% |
| Numerical Clerks and Cashiers | 3.5% | 2.8% | 2.8% |
| Other Clerical and Secretarial Occupations | 13.7% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| Retail, Catering, Waiting and Bar Staff | 11.2% | 10.7% | 11.1% |
| Other Occupations | 13.0% | 13.7% | 13.0% |
| Unknown Occupations | 0.1% | 0% | 0.1% |
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% |
The health sector dominated recruitment in the region, with a quarter of graduates entering the sector in one job or another (Table 3). Jobs other than those mentioned that were important included management, youth work, occupational therapy, dentistry, midwifery and radiography.
| Employment sector | Percentage of graduates |
|---|---|
| Health and social work | 24.2% |
| Education | 13.8% |
| Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 11.2% |
| Public administration and defence; social security | 9.8% |
| Finance, law, consulting and related activities | 8.2% |
40.4% of graduates from 2005/6 who started work in the region six months after graduating were employed by SMEs, particularly in management, health and office work. Graduates working in Wales were less likely than average to use recruitment agencies to find work, and the least likely in the UK to have found their job via their university careers service (4.4%).
Copyright © 2002-2012 HECSU | Content last updated: May 08
