» An overview2005 university entry figures from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) show that there has been a revival of interest in all science subjects, with acceptance figures for biology up by 9.9% from the previous year, chemistry by 17.3% and physics by 11.4%. According to the chief executive of UCAS, Anthony McClaran, “This is good news, not only for the universities and colleges but for the country and economy as a whole.” And the good news does not end there. With unemployment figures falling for the second year in succession, there is now strong evidence that the Information Technology (IT) sector is on the long-term road to recovery. According to a survey by the Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR), IT vacancies will increase at a faster rate over the coming period than in any year since the dotcom boom of 2000. » DestinationsThis is the first time sports science is featured in this publication. Sports science graduates enjoyed the highest employment rate amongst scientists - 70.7% including those both working and studying, and the lowest unemployment at 5.1% (see Table 1). Table 1: First destinations of 2004 science, maths and IT graduates. | Numbers graduating (survey respondents) | Entering employment (%) | Entering further study/training (%) | Working and studying (%) | Unemployed at time of survey (%) | Other (%) |
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| Biology | 3,490 | 57.4 | 21.4 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 7.7 | | Chemistry | 2,110 | 49.6 | 31.2 | 6.1 | 5.8 | 7.2 | | Environmental and physical geographical sciences | 3,530 | 60.5 | 17.7 | 6.6 | 6.2 | 9.1 | | Physics | 1,660 | 42.2 | 31.9 | 8.2 | 9.1 | 8.5 | | Sports science | 3,945 | 62.5 | 17.1 | 8.2 | 5.1 | 7.1 | | Mathematics | 3,630 | 48.7 | 22.9 | 13.5 | 5.8 | 9.1 | | IT | 13,070 | 64.7 | 10.9 | 6.1 | 10.7 | 7.7 | | All first degree subjects | 204,165 | 62.7 | 14.1 | 9.3 | 6.1 | 7.8 |
Six months after graduation, science graduates, especially those from physics and chemistry, were more likely to have entered further study/training than those from other disciplines. In 2004, over 30% of physics and chemistry graduates went on to further study (as a sole activity) compared with 14.1% of all first-degree graduates. This reflects the fact that to pursue a research and development career within science, a postgraduate qualification is often useful, and in many cases, even a prerequisite. The relatively low employment rate for mathematics graduates (62.2%, including working and studying) was mainly attributed to the larger numbers in the further study/training category (22.9%), rather than unemployment. The numbers unemployed also fell from 7.1% in 2003 to 5.8% in 2004, and was now below that for all subjects (6.1%). The total percentage of IT graduates in employment (including those working and studying) was just below the average for all subjects – 70.8% compared with 72%. IT graduates were also less likely to be in further study and more likely to be unemployed. At 10.7%, the unemployment rate represented an improvement on the level a year earlier (12.1%), but was still substantially higher than the average for all subjects. After years of recession, the IT industry is certainly on the road to recovery. According to Computer Weekly, demand for graduates to fill IT posts has increased at a faster rate than it has for any other occupation. The number of people working in IT also rose for the third successive quarter in the last three months of 2004, and a survey by the SSL and Computer Weekly suggests that the upturn in salaries and jobs for IT professionals is here to stay - at least until 2008. However, all this has occurred alongside a general decline in the numbers entering IT courses in higher education. According to Computer Weekly, the UK, Germany and France saw student numbers falling between 5% and 20% between 2001 and 2005. Such trends have sparked fears of an impending skills shortage. Nevertheless, the relatively high unemployment rate amongst IT graduates suggests that opportunities are finite and that graduates need to market themselves effectively if they are to get ahead of the competition. The key to success for prospective IT students lies in choosing courses where the content is relevant to industry and key business skills are nurtured alongside technical excellence. An industrial placement can also be a distinct advantage. » Types of workAn examination of the types of work that graduates went into six months after graduation reveals that in 2004, 23% of chemistry graduates were working as scientific researchers, and 19.4% of sports science graduates were employed as sports professionals. Despite enjoying a high employment rate, sport science also has the highest percentage of graduates (52.7%) in non-graduate occupations compared with other science subjects, although many fitness occupations fall within this classification. Six months after graduation, 40.1% of IT graduates were working as IT professionals – a slight increase from 37.5% a year earlier and provides further suggestion of an expanding IT sector. Mathematics graduates entering employment comprised 28.8% in business and financial positions at a professional or associate professional level. The next most popular vocation was teaching at 12%. » SalariesFor 2004 full-time first degree graduates entering full-time employment, the average salary was £18,046 for computer science graduates and £17,992 for mathematics graduates. Salaries for chemistry and physics graduates were slightly lower at £17,049 and £17,579 respectively, but were still comparable with the average for all first degree graduates (£17,029). A report entitled The Economic Benefits of Higher Education Qualifications, published by Pricewaterhouse Coopers and commissioned jointly by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) and the Institute of Physics (IOP), claims that graduates in chemistry and physics earn up to 30% more than those with A-levels only. The research also demonstrated that the Exchequer can benefit from greater numbers of chemistry and physics graduates with graduates in these subjects paying £135,000 more in tax than those with A-levels (or equivalent) alone and £40,000 more than the average graduate over their working life. Dr David Giachardi, the RSC Chief Executive, commented “The tax man should be very concerned about universities not cherishing chemistry and physics, while undergraduates in these areas will be looking forward to being ahead of the field financially for the rest of their lives after graduating”. » Contacts and resourcesWebsitesResources on this siteGeneral links
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