1. Graduate skills, employment and careers Peter Elias, Institute for Employment Research, University of Warwick and Kate Purcell, Employment Studies Research Unit, University of the West of England

2. Graduate transitions: the last 20 years explore assimilation of graduates within labour market develop new typology of occupations – used to study occupational change and graduate career paths compare experiences of three ‘cohorts’ of graduates -1979/80 grads (NCDS and 1980 Graduate Survey) -1992 grads (BCS, recontacted 1999/2000) -1995 grads (‘Moving On’ recontacted 2002/2003) explore movement of these graduates into/between occupational groups as they move through the labour market conduct detailed analysis of graduate outcomes 7 years on Slide 2

3. Slide 3 Developing the new typology of occupations Traditional graduate occupations Modern graduate occupations New graduate occupations Niche graduate occupations Non-graduate occupations

4. Sources of information LFS (0.5 million graduates, 1991-2001 on SOC90, 2002-2003 on SOC2000) LFS text descriptions of job requirements, 1996/97 Development work for SOC90 and SOC2000 Slide 4

5. Slide 5 Traditional graduate occupations The established professions, for which, historically, the normal route has been via an undergraduate degree programme Solicitors Medical practitioners HE, FE and secondary education teachers Biological scientists/biochemists

6. Modern graduate occupations Slide 6 The newer professions, particularly in management, IT and creative vocational areas, which graduates have been entering increasingly since educational expansion in the 1960s Chartered and certified accountants Authors/writers/journalists Software engineers, computer programmers Primary school and nursery teachers

7. New graduate occupations Slide 7 Areas of employment to which graduates have increasingly been recruited in large numbers; mainly new administrative, technical and ‘caring’ occupations Marketing & sales, advertising managers Physiotherapists, occupational hygienists Social workers, probation, welfare officers Architectural technicians Clothing designers

8. Niche graduate occupations Slide 8 Occupations where the majority of incumbents are not graduates, but within which there are stable or growing specialist niches which require higher education skills and knowledge Entertainment and sports managers Hotel, accommodation managers Buyers (non-retail) Medical, dental and other scientific technicians Nurses, midwives

9. Non-graduate occupations Slide 9 Graduates are also found in jobs which are likely to constitute under-utilisation of their higher education skills and knowledge Call centre operators Sales assistants Filing and record clerks Debt, rent and cash collectors Routine laboratory testers Secretarial job, PAs, receptionists

10. Slide 10

11. Slide 11

12. Slide 12

13. The movement of graduates out of non- graduate jobs, males Slide 13

14. Movement of graduates between 1998/99 and 2002/03 Slide 14

15. Slide 15

16. Slide 16

17. Category of job in 2002/03 by type of institution where degree obtained Slide 17

18. Category of job in 2002/03 by 1995 Degree Subject Slide 18

19. Mean value of measure of 'how appropriate do you think your current (2002/03) job is for someone with your qualifications?‘ (1 = very inappropriate, 7 = ideal) Slide 19

20. Average annual earnings in 2002/03 for 1995 graduates, by type of job and gender, full-time employees only Slide 20

21. Percentage of 1995 graduates who are ‘not very satisfied’ or ‘dissatisfied’ with the way their career has developed to date (2002/03), by type of occupation and gender Slide 21

22. Percentage of respondents stating that their current (2002/03) job is a 'dead-end' job, by type of occupation and gender Slide 22

23. Key issues viz graduate skills and jobs What do graduates do? What skills and knowledge are required in their work and how do these relate to the skills and knowledge developed on undergraduate courses? How has the expansion of HE impacted upon the occupational structure and the construction of jobs by employers? Slide 23

24. Respondents’ use of skills in current (2002/03) job Slide 24

25. The qualitative investigation 200 interviews with a sub-sample of survey respondents (-almost 100 completed) Objectives: –To explore ‘How?’, ‘Why?’ and ‘Why not?’ questions – reasons for career outcomes; opportunities pursued, alternatives considered and perceptions of obstacles; the cumulative impact of decisions taken (- time out, obtaining further qualifications, impact of job moves or stability…); the actual jobs that graduates do. Methodology: structured telephone and face-to-face interviews, transcribed verbatim, analysed with Nvivo software) Slide 25

26. The ‘intrinsic’ occupational classification: three elements of ‘graduate occupations’ EXPERTISE (possession of specialist information, technical virtuosity and knowledge, etc.) STRATEGIC SKILLS (ability to co-ordinate, have vision, plan and manage projects and operations, take responsibility, etc.) INTERPERSONAL SKILLS (emotional intelligence, persuasion and counselling) Slide 26

27. Traditional graduate occupations EXPERTISE INTERPERSONAL SKILLS STRATEGIC SKILLS Slide 27

28. Modern graduate occupations EXPERTISE STRATEGIC SKILLS INTERPERSONAL SKILLS Slide 28

29. New graduate occupations EXPERTISE STRATEGIC SKILLS INTERPERSONAL Slide 29

30. Niche graduate occupations EXPERTISE MANAGEMENT INTERPERSONAL SKILLS Slide 30

31. Non-graduate occupations INTERPERSONAL SKILLS EXPERTISE STRATEGIC SKILLS Slide 31

32. NEW GRADUATE – Technical Expert /interpersonal skills Unit Manager, large manufacturing company Salary: £30,000 - £32,999 Degree: Electrical & Electronic Engineering, 2:1, Old University Production systems management, emphasis on technical/engineering knowledge & problem-solving, budgetary controls, staff management Interview 23, male aged 29 Slide 32

33. NEW GRADUATE - Hard and soft interpersonal skills/specialist knowledge Recruitment Consultant, Resourcing and Business Consultancy Salary: £40,000 - £49,999 Psychology, 2:1, 1960s University Client interface, candidate search, interviewing and recommendation, pitching for business - presentations, cold-calling... Interview 51,male aged 32 Slide 33

34. NEW GRADUATE - Information management, specialist knowledge, counselling and negotiation skills Welfare Advice Worker, Charity - Community project Salary: Less than £9,999 (p/t) History/Social Science, 2:2, HE College Provision of support/advice on range of welfare issues, interviewing, home visits... Interview 12, female aged 40 Slide 34

35. ‘NON-GRADUATE’ job - ‘1990s niche?’ occupations Grocery manager, large multinational retail corporation; Salary £27,000; Economics 2.2, ‘old’ university; Dealing with suppliers, developing and presenting promotional materials, development of promotional plans with regional clients, analysing sales trends, selling products and negotiating orders. Interview 90,male aged 28 Slide 35

36. Other ‘NON-GRADUATE’ jobs recorded on the self-completion questionnaire Administrators Civil servants Countryside rangers Customer service representatives Farmers Detective constables and policemen Museum Documentation Assistant Slide 36

37. Implications In the graduate labour market there are distinct clusters of ‘graduate jobs’ which attract a graduate earnings premium and after seven years, most graduates have entered one of these. The subjective perceptions of the majority of graduates is that they are in appropriate employment for people with their skills and qualifications. Career aspirations, earnings and expectations vary considerably among graduates, according to qualifications and occupational area. There is little evidence to support the argument that there is an oversupply of graduates. Over the past 25 years, the number of jobs which can accommodate graduates has increased by 3 million. Forecasts suggest this trend will continue. Slide 37