TWO-THIRDS OF GRADUATES ARE IN NON-GRADUATE JOBS
A Blackburn-based butcher has said he was “flabbergasted” when he received 235 applications for an apprentice position with his company – and that many were from graduates desperate for work.
Offering an insight into of the true extent of the graduate unemployment problem in the UK, Mr Ewens told the Daily Mail:
“We’ve been flabbergasted at the applicants. Lots of graduates have applied with absolutely no butcher or counter experience but holding law degrees. There were people with a lot of qualifications but who’d never worked in a butcher’s before – graduates, lawyers, solicitors, surveyors. It’s unbelievable but just shows the state of the country at this moment in time.”
Ewans placed an advert in the local Jobcentre seeking two apprentices, with some experience preferred.
Although he was impressed at the standard of applicants, he said he was unlikely to hire a graduate for the role, saying:
“We don’t want to take on a graduate who will be off as soon as another job comes along that suits their qualifications better.”
A new survey gave another astonishing glimpse into what life is really like for university graduates in 2011.
According to research by talent management company SHL, almost two-thirds of recent university leavers are either unemployed or ‘under-employed’ – meaning they are doing a job that doesn’t require a degree.
Sean Howard, the company’s vice-president, said:
“The UK is failing its graduates. School leavers are faced with difficult decisions. not only has the cost of going to university risen, but UK employment options are bleak.”
However, some experts say graduates shouldn’t assume their degree is worthless just because they haven’t managed to secure a job yet.
James Callander at recruitment consultancy Fresh Minds told Graduate Fog:
“At the end of the day, the best employers will always favour candidates with a good degree from a top university. As an agency, we have in no way seen a shift away from this fact from our clients. If anything, recruitment in the financial services, management consultancies, and professional services is growing exponentially, as is the demand for employees with a truly impressive academic track record that demonstrates their hard working ethos and their aptitude to learn fast.”
*Are you applying for non-graduate roles?
What jobs have you been going for – and why? Have you had any joy? Do you agree that there are simply not enough graduate jobs out there – and that a large number of university leavers will end up in jobs that don’t require a degree? What is the solution to this problem?
I never really suspected that ‘TWO-THIRDS OF GRADUATES ARE IN NON-GRADUATE JOBS’. Is it really that high?
If so, its nice to know I’m not alone. Having graduated last year I currently work in a coffee house and what would probably be described as underemployed. I enjoy the work, but its a far cry from graduate employment.
The poor man! This is an interesting insight. I must admit I jump on anything offering training too.
Perhaps this demonstrates the need for more entry level roles? Is it fair to assume graduates don’t need any work based training? (nope)
“Do you agree that there are simply not enough graduate jobs out there?”
Maybe you have got that question the wrong way round: is it that there are too many graduates out there?
I’m going to throw in a new factor here. Yes there are too few jobs, yes there are too many graduates: but when it comes to a place like Lancashire another factor needs to be considered – geography.
The fact of the matter is that despite rail access to Manchester and Liverpool, I would speculate that there are a large number of geographically immobile graduates within that reason. The current unemployment stats are about 5% for that area. That butcher also said ‘lawyers, solicitors, surveyors’ applied – suggesting that the older (and media ignored) unemployed are also applying.
Regarding underemployment, I think that these statistics can be spun to give the impression that 2/3 grads are working in factories or cleaning toilets (sadly I think that some probably are), but rather that 2/3 are working in jobs they could have obtained without a degree. There are a lot of jobs, some very interesting and challenging even for a grad that can be won without a degree. Lets not assume we’re all rotting away here!
At one time a “trainee butcher” job would go to a non-academic, but reasonably bright, 16 year-old school-leaver. Even an 18 year-old ex-sixth-former would be classed as too old, and academically over-qualified, let alone a 21+ year-old graduate. Thankfully, job selection based on age is now illegal – which means anyone can apply – but the “over qualification” aspect is still relevant.
Unfortunately the main souce for this story appears to be the Daily Mail – so much of the accuracy will be questionable. Nevertheless, there are a lot of graduates working in retail – often doing jobs that don’t even require GCSEs.
At the same time, the UK has been relying on skilled workers from abroad to carry out a lot of jobs. These workers mainly come from countries where training has been state funded, and where there isn’t the same stigma attached to skilled “manual” labour as has existed here. These are not jobs that can be done by people with poor intelligence – “nous” is still a prerequisite.
The country we should be looking at is Germany – where they have continued to train people to do skilled jobs – and where there isn’t the same stigma attached to earning a living by doing something other than sitting behind a desk.