HESA publishes first destinations data 1997/98

The fourth annual reference volume First Destinations of Students Leaving Higher Education Institutions 1997/98 is published today by HESA.

According to these most recent statistics available from HESA, 63% of student qualifiers whose destination was known entered employment in 1998. As in the previous year, a further 19% were continuing their education or training. There was a decrease in the numbers assumed to be unemployed, from 6% in 1996/97 to 5%. Of the 119,541 UK domiciled first degree graduates who entered employment, 30% were employed in ‘professional occupations’ and 17% as ‘managers and administrators’.

Other key points

• 91% of first degree qualifiers in medicine & dentistry entered UK employment
• Among home postgraduate qualifiers, 81% were reported as being employed in the UK, with those qualified in education reporting an even higher rate of 89%
• 5% of all qualifiers and 6% of UK domiciled males with postgraduate qualifications are working overseas
• 21% of home first degree graduates who entered work did so in property development, renting, business & research activities
• 63% of all UK qualifiers entering full-time employment held contracts due to terminate after 30 September 1999 or that were not fixed term
• UK domiciled male first degree qualifiers are almost twice as likely than females (18% compared with 10%) to study for a higher degree by research.

Notes for editors

1. The Reference Volume First Destinations of Students Leaving Higher Education Institutions 1997/98 provides a statistical reference of the first destinations of students leaving Higher Education in the UK for 1997/98.
2. The HESA FDS Target Population 1997/98 includes all students obtaining relevant qualifications during the period 1 August 1997 and 31 July 1998, whose study was primarily full-time (which includes full-time and sandwich student modes plus those writing up theses).
3. There were 269,469 respondents to HESA’s First Destinations Return 1997/98 out of a potential 324,184, a response rate of 83.1%. Whilst this response rate is high it should be noted that the 16.9% who did not respond are likely to be self-selected, which introduces an element of bias.
4. The Reference Volume is available, price £32, from the Customer Services Team, HESA Services Ltd., 95 Promenade, Cheltenham, GL50 1HZ; telephone: 01242 255577. An electronic version on disk is available, price £35 + VAT. A list of other publications is also available from the Customer Services Team.
5. HESA cannot accept responsibility for any inferences or conclusions derived from the data by third parties.
6. Press Enquiries should be directed to Data Provision Officer at HESA, 95 Promenade, Cheltenham, GL50 1HZ; telephone: 01242 255577. Other enquiries about HESA data should be addressed to the Data Provision Team at the same address.

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