Graduates are poorer

30 November -0001

0Comments | Comment on this Article

Students heading for university over the coming weeks are likely to get a shock when they graduate.

More than half of the graduates turned out by Universities are likely to take more than a year to get a job. Once they do, it may turn out to be only marginally better than if they had skipped higher education altogether.

Those worst off are likely to be those studying arts subjects, with men in the arts, ending up earning less, over the course of their careers than non-graduates.

Part of the reason for this may be the sheer number of people attending university. In 1980, just 13% of school leavers went on to universtiy. Now the figure is over 33% and still rising. If the government meets it's targets over the next few years, that figure could rise to over 50%.

The employment market is already having trouble adjustng to these changes. Employment agency manpower found that 54% or graduates are still looking for a job, more than a year after graduation. Only 37% or employers believe that graduates have the right skills for work.

Research at Swansea university shows that graduates are indeed earning less than non-graduates. According to researchers there, men will only earn and extra £3'500 per year more, whilst women eran £4'000 a year more than if they hadn't been to university at all.

0Comments | Be the first to comment!