Graduates worry it’s harder than ever to get a job

Eight out of 10 students surveyed, who had completed three-year degrees, said they felt they had the skills employers wanted, but a similar number (84 per cent) felt it was harder than ever to get a job, research by the Higher Education Careers Services Unit found.

However, researchers found one in 10 believed the skills they developed on their course had not made them more employable and six per cent said they did not have the skills employers wanted.

More than 50,000 students were tracked from UCAS application until two years after graduating for the Futuretrack research at the University of Warwick.

The third stage of the project surveyed how third year students felt about their readiness for the world of work and revealed a discrepancy between what employers look for and what skills students think will be valued by recruiters.

Students said they thought commercial awareness, numeracy and computer literacy were less important than softer skills such as communication and work ethic.

Researchers found those surveyed felt increasingly confident about their skills as they progressed through university.

Men rated their skills higher than women, although their achievement levels suggest that this reflected greater confidence rather than necessarily higher skills, researchers said.

Students who had developed high numeracy skills were significantly more confident about finding a job than history, philosophy, creative arts and mass communication students, the survey showed.

Jane Artess, the unit’s research director, said: “Students were more likely to believe that they had skills employers were looking for than they were to believe the skills they developed on their course had made them more employable, reflecting a realistic evaluation of the current economic climate.

“There is a big question mark over how quickly new graduates will find work. The graduate labour market continues to be tough and it will not be easy, particularly for those who lack employability skills. We urge graduates to seek advice from their university careers services as soon as possible.”