Labour market “dramatically improves” for building and engineering graduates, reports HECSU

The employment outcomes for graduates with first degrees in building and engineering were better year-on-year than graduates from all subjects - according to new research by the Higher Education Careers Services Unit (HECSU) published today (25 September 2014).

HECSU’s annual What do graduates do?1 publication reveals the destinations of 256,350 full and part-time first degree graduates in January 2014 - six months after they had left university. It includes the employment outcomes of the 14,245 building and engineering graduates, which saw large proportions in jobs related to their degree.

Employment prospects for graduates going into some of the more severely recession-hit sectors have improved dramatically in the last 12 months:
 
· Architecture and building: Employment increased from 80.3% to 83.6%, unemployment dropped from 8.8% to 6.1%
· Civil engineering: Employment increased from 76% to 78.8%, unemployment dropped from 8.5% to 6.3%
· Electrical and electronic engineering: Employment increased from 75.1% to 76.6%, unemployment dropped from 11.7% to 9.8%
· Mechanical engineering: Employment increased from 77.5% to 79.5%, unemployment dropped from 8.4% to 7.6%

The unemployment rate for graduates from all subjects fell from 8.5% to 7.3% year-on-year, marking the biggest drop in early graduate unemployment in 15 years. The graduate employment rate increased from 73.6% to 75.6% year-on-year.

Almost 8,500 graduates were working as engineering and building professionals, accounting for 4.5% of all graduates in employment. Occupations that saw the biggest increases were other engineering professions, civil engineers, mechanical engineers and architects.

Charlie Ball, deputy director of research at HECSU said: “The last 18 months are a fascinating example of how quickly the market can change, with graduates from construction-related subjects enjoying one of the most dramatic improvements in their employment outcomes.

“The variations in the employment rates of these graduates reflect the complex relationship between the construction industry and the economy. Students must bear this in mind when deciding which subject to study. It’s vital that they seek careers advice early and take work experience to better inform their decisions and prepare for employment.”

What do graduates do? can be downloaded from 25 September 2014 at www.hecsu.ac.uk