BIOS: Technology Means Business

The unemployment rate for recent IT graduates has dropped from 10.7% to 10.3% this year.

However, IT graduates still suffer from the highest unemployment rate out of all subjects - a legacy of the recession that hit the industry in the early part of the decade - according to the ‘What Do Graduates Do? 2007’ report, published by the Higher Education Careers Service Unit (HECSU).

Over a third, (42.4%) of IT graduates enter employment as Information Technology professionals including, computer programmers, software designers and IT support technicians. The other 21.7% of those who enter employment follow work in a range of sectors including business and finance, industrial and public sector management and art and design. IT professions are also popular for almost a quarter (20.9%) of Electronic Engineering graduates.

The ‘What Do Graduates Do? 2007’ report tracks the initial career destinations of the 2005 first degree and HND graduating cohort, and examines the employment market by type of work and subject of study. The report is published by HECSU, AGCAS, the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services and UCAS, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service and aims to provide a guide for Year 11 and 12 students, parents and careers advisors on the potential initial employment prospects provided by different degree subjects.

‘What Do Graduates Do?’ highlights the breadth of careers available to graduates, and the lack of restrictions a degree subject can place on a the choice of a graduate career. For example, managerial roles are popular with the graduating cohort, with 9.5% starting their career in management. These jobs are most popular with business and management graduates and marketing graduates, but a range of subjects have an above average intake into this field including politics, economics, architecture and building and geography.

Mike Hill, the chief executive of HECSU, commented: "For the first time ever this year we have seen the number of graduates reach over a quarter of a million and the employment prospects for them look strong. Graduates are continuing to pursue a wide range of careers employing the breadth of skills that their degree has equipped them with. We are also seeing that graduates are unafraid to pursue careers that do not relate directly back to their course, indicating the vast career opportunities a degree offers."

‘WDGD? 07’ surveyed 206,965 graduates, 80.7% of total 2005 graduating cohort of 256,460. The full report is available online at www.prospects.ac.uk/links/wdgd.

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