GoJobsite.co.uk has revealed that todayís graduates remain unconvinced about their career prospects although they are studying towards the careers of their choice.
With many recently graduated from university facing the daunting prospect of entering professional life, GoJobsite asked 300 graduates and undergraduates how they perceived the current employment market and how they planned to fit
into it.
Of the undergraduates asked ëwhether they planned to get a job directly related to their area of studyí - 71% responded positively - showing that graduates are taking the more vocational approach to their studies and plan
to use them.
GoJobsite then asked the same undergraduates if they ëfelt optimistic about the current state of the employment market, opinions were divided - with 45%
saying ënoí, with an unconvincing 40% saying ëyesí.
GoJobsite then asked those that had already graduated whether they, being a year or so further up the career ladder - whether they are now ëusing their degree qualification as part of their day-to-day professional responsibility í. An overwhelming 59% of graduates now working stated that they do not use their degree as part of their work - with only 39% stating that they have
put their qualification to some practical use.
Jackie Jones, GoJobsiteís HR manager, sheds some light: ìThis is very encouraging that the graduates of tomorrow are so positive in their studies being so closely related to the careers that they wish to pursue, but many
factors will result in graduates pursuing careers totally unrelated to their area of study.
ìFor example competition for jobs in many industries will mean that graduates with less experience, or a lower class of degree may at a very early stage after leaving university - be forced to look for employment
elsewhere.
ìThis may only be temporary however as it is quite possible that a graduate will work in an area unrelated to their study for several years and then return to their specialisation when they have gained the skills and
commercial experience looked for by many employers.î
It is also well-documented that young people seeking financial security should look towards higher education as a starting point, but also well-documented is that although likely to benefit us in the end, many of us can be expected to take home debts of up to and beyond 10,000 from
university - which can take up to 10 years pay off.
The government has set itsí targets high (getting 50% of under 30s into university by 2010) but with standard/craft skills still in strong demand there is still an argument that the UK should be developing distinct academic and vocational pathways.
The government has been working to try and boost the status of vocational courses. The governmentís Green Paper on the education of children aged between 14-19 has been expressly designed to build parity of status between vocational and academic routes.
Undergraduates motivated but not necessarily optimistic
.