Understanding employers

The graduate recruitment market has never been more competitive. In 2015 the CIPD concluded that over-qualification is at ‘saturation point’ – there are increasingly too many graduates to the number of skilled jobs. Yet graduates of specialist, regionally focused and smaller universities have an outstanding record for being work-ready and able to launch their careers.

HESA figures for 2012/13 show that small and/or specialist institutions make up half of the top 30 UK institutions for graduate employment. Meanwhile SSIs make up almost two-thirds of those ranked in the top 15 for contributions to social mobility and graduate-level employment, according to CentreForum.

As Excellence in Diversity shows, these institutions deliver highly skilled graduates ready for the work place, because of key factors:

  • Successful working partnerships with specific professions, businesses and industry sectors
  • The ability to understand and adapt to often significant changes in industry practice and patterns of employment
  • The involvement of employers in the design of courses, so provision remains on top of current industry trends
  • Lecturers who are current practitioners and industry experts with years of experience in their sectors.

See the chapter: Employability and Enterprise 

 

See other key messages: