27th Jan 12
Graduate jobs to fall in 2012
by Adam Richards
Life after uni: employers prefer work experience to fast track degrees
Life after uni: employers prefer work experience to fast track degrees
Graduate employment woes are likely to continue in 2012 with employers predicting a fall in the amount of university-level jobs available, revealed the latest analysis.
Companies have also spoken of their concerns about two-year degrees – which have been introduced at a number of universities to combat rising tuition fees – as students will not be given sufficient time to partake in the work experience and the extra-curricular activities which employers value.
The most recent Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR) survey found that the amount of graduate vacancies are expected to drop by 1.2 per cent this year, compared to last year’s rise of 1.7 per cent.
Students tempted to try and complete a degree in just two years in order to save money might also make it more difficult for themselves to find the placement of their preference after university, said the employers, as they will not have been able to develop the sought-after skills due to heavy workloads.
The AGR’s chief executive Carl Gilleard said that employers expect two-year degrees to be popular among students. However, he pointed out that employers value graduates that have work experience, and students who have worked a year in their field during a four-year degree.
Mr Gilleard went on to say that, consequently, there are real concerns surrounding students who take two-year degrees because they do not have sufficient time to gain experience in the workplace.
However, in brighter news, the average graduate starting salary is expected to go up by four per cent to £26,000 this year, following a period of stagnation. Graduate starting wages have remained at £25,000 since 2009. This year’s predicted increase is the highest since 2005, when salaries went up by seven per cent, found the survey of 214 graduate employers.
Mr Gilleard said that the increase in salaries was “significant”, which alongside only a modest decline in job vacancies, came as a “relief” for the university-leavers job market during a period of economic uncertainty. He said that with the job market being intrinsically connected to business confidence, he is cautiously optimistic regarding graduate recruitment this year, adding that it is encouraging that only a slight fall is predicted.
In more evidence that two-year degree courses might not command the same level of respect, half of the surveyed employers said they had never heard of them. Among the universities which offer two-year degrees are Plymouth, Northampton, Gloucestershire, Staffordshire and Cambridge’s Anglia Ruskin University, while more universities are likely to follow suit as the rise in tuition fees begins this year.
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