Response to Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) report on graduate employment

20 Aug 2015 01:40 PM

Evidence from the most recent Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) survey suggests that, far from being under-employed, the majority of graduates are in jobs that use their skills.

Yesterday the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) released a report, which, among its key points, notes that the recent increase in graduates does not match to an increase in high-skilled jobs. 

Measuring the extent to which graduates are fully using their skills and knowledge is, as the CIPD analysis suggests, a complex issue. But findings from the DLHE show clearly that graduates find employment which suits their skills. 

The DLHE survey asks all graduates what they were doing roughly six months after completing their studies, and gets responses from approximately 80 per cent. 

In 2013-14, 296,000 graduates completed the DLHE survey, and 209,000 of them recorded their main activity as working. A further 53,000 were engaged in further study. 

Of those students whose main activity was employment, 70 per cent were in professional or managerial occupations. When asked ‘Did you need the qualification you recently obtained to get the job you were doing?’ 42 per cent said that it was a formal requirement. A further 23 per cent said it gave them an advantage. 

Explore the findings of the DLHE in more detail