First destinations of higher education students in the United Kingdom for the academic year 2000/01

Introduction

This Statistical First Release (SFR) has been produced by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), in collaboration with Department for Education and Skills (DfES) statisticians. It provides details of the first destinations of students obtaining higher education (HE) qualifications in higher education institutions (HEIs) in the United Kingdom (UK), during the academic year 2000/01. In addition, summary data for previous academic years from 1995/96 onwards are included for comparative purposes.

Key Points

• Of the 239,500 former higher education students whose destination was known, 68% (164,000) reported their first destination as employment in 2000/01, compared to 69% in 1999/2000. A further 19% (46,700) were continuing their education or training in 2000/01, compared to 20% in 1999/2000. In addition, 5% (13,000) were assumed to be unemployed in 2000/01, the same proportion as in 1999/2000.
• In 2000/01, of the 183,000 first degree graduates whose destination was known, 67% (121,900) reported their first destination as employment, the same proportion as in 1999/2000. A further 20% (35,900) were continuing their education or training, the same proportion as in 1999/2000 and 6% (11,300) were assumed to be unemployed, compared to 5% in 1999/2000.
• The percentage of students (of known destination) assumed to be unemployed among former postgraduates was 3% in 2000/01, the same as in 1999/2000. For those who obtained undergraduate diplomas and certificates, the percentage in 2000/01 was 3%, the same as in 1999/2000.
• In 2000/01, 7% of males whose destinations were known were assumed to be unemployed, compared to 4% of females. These percentages are comparable with those published for 1999/2000, which were 6% and 4% respectively.
• Of those whose destination was known, 63% (116,200) of first degree graduates found employment in the UK in 2000/01, compared to 64% in 1999/2000. In 2000/01, 17% of these posts were classified as “Managers and Administrators”, 27% as “Professional Occupations”, 22% as “Associate Professional and Technical Occupations” and 17% as “Clerical and Secretarial Occupations”.

Tables

Table 1a shows First Destinations of Full-time Home and EU Domiciled Students Obtaining HE Qualifications by Level of Course and Gender, 1999/2000 to 2000/01.

Table 1b shows First Destinations of Full-time Home and EU Domiciled Students Obtaining HE Qualifications by Level of Course, 1995/96 to 1998/99.

Table 2 shows Standard Industrial Classification and Standard Occupational Classification of the First Destinations of Full-time First Degree Graduates Entering Employment in the UK by Subject Area of Degree, 1996/97 to 2000/01.

Notes to Editors

1. The statistics in this SFR are derived from data collected by HESA from publicly funded higher education institutions in the UK. The statistics therefore include first destinations of students awarded HE qualifications at UK HEIs but exclude those relating to qualifications obtained at FE colleges, the University of Buckingham and at private and independent HE colleges. 
2. The First Destinations return includes all those students whose study was primarily full-time (see Definition 4) who obtained relevant qualifications (see Definition 2) reported to HESA for the reporting period 1 August to 31 July.  
3. The HESA First Destinations Target Population contains all HE students for whom first destination data is expected and sought. The figures presented in this SFR are based on respondent information obtained by institutions and returned to HESA. In 2000/01 241,300 qualifiers responded from a target population of 303,800, an overall response rate of 79.4% (77.0% in 1999/2000).The response rate figures referred to are calculated separately from the SFR and will be presented in a statistical reference volume published by HESA (see Note 10). However, it can be seen from Table 1a that the percentage of records returned for HE students for whom destinations are known, but excluding overseas qualifiers returning overseas and for whom no other information is available is 78.8% (76.3% in 1999/2000) (see Note 7).  

4. The number of qualifications awarded in 1996/97, as reported in PR20 and published on Friday 6 February 1998, was adjusted to take account of under-reporting of first degree awards by four institutions.

   The number of qualifications awarded in 1997/98, as reported in PR28 and published on Tuesday 2 February 1999, was adjusted to take account of under-reporting of postgraduate awards by one institution.  

5. For the years up to 1999, the HESA First Destinations Target Population included UK, EU and non-EU domiciled students. From 2000, non-EU domiciled students were excluded from the survey. In order to provide a time series on a consistent basis, Tables 1a and 1b have been re-based to include home and EU domiciled students only. The figures for 1999 and earlier years shown in Table 1b of this SFR will therefore differ from those reported in SFR46 published on Monday 29 April 2001. 
6. The equivalent SFR for 2000 (SFR46) was published earlier than usual (March), accommodating release in April 2001 of the first set of performance indicators (PIs) about the employment outcomes of higher education. As a consequence of this shortened schedule, SFR46 did not contain Table 2. However, Table 2 in this SFR does contain figures for 2000. 
7. In the calculation of all numbers based on known destination in Tables 1a and 1b, the category ‘overseas graduates reported as returning overseas (no other information available)’ has been treated as unknown destination. 
8. The First Destination return was amended for the survey of students graduating in 1999/2000 in order to provide the information used to produce two indicators of employment outcomes. Some details relating to data capture arrangements were revised for 2000 and subsequent years. In addition, in 2000 the timing of the collection was reduced (see Note 6). Also, an alternative collection methodology was piloted in parallel with the 1999/2000 return. It is thought that these changes may have contributed to the small percentage reduction (2.5%) in overall response rate seen in 1999/2000 (77.0%) compared to the previous year (79.5% in 1998/99). 
9. With reference to Notes to Editors 4, 5 and 7 above, it can be seen that the figures published in this SFR might differ from those published elsewhere. 
10. A statistical reference volume ‘First Destinations of Students Leaving Higher Education Institutions 2000/01’ setting out more information about the first destinations of studentsqualifying at HEIs in the UK will be published by HESA in August 2002.  

Definitions

1. HE students are those students on programmes of study that are of a standard that is higher than the Advanced Level of the General Certificate of Education, the Higher Grade of the Scottish Certificate of Education, or the BTEC or SCOTVEC National Certificate/Diploma. 

2. The reference date of this First Destination return was 3 January 2002.

   Relevant qualifications for the First Destination return include postgraduate degrees, Postgraduate Certificates in Education (PGCE), first degrees, Diplomas of Higher Education, Certificates of Higher Education, Higher National Diplomas or Higher National Certificates.

   The First Destination survey does not cover students who have gained a number of other qualifications, examples of which include; postgraduate diplomas and certificates (other than PGCE), professional qualifications (for example; associate membership or membership of a body such as the Institute of Bankers), and undergraduate diplomas and certificates (other than HND, DipHE, HNC and CertHE). 

3. Level of course

   Doctorate degrees and PGCEs have been tabulated separately; masters degrees and higher bachelors degrees have been combined to form the category “Other Postgraduate Degrees”.

   Doctorate degrees, Other Postgraduate degrees and PGCEs have been combined to form the category “Postgraduates”. 

   First degrees include first degrees, first degree with eligibility to register to practice (doctor/dentist/veterinary surgeon), first degrees with qualified teacher status, enhanced first degrees and first degrees obtained concurrently with a diploma.

   Undergraduate diplomas and certificates include all higher education qualifications not included above which are within the scope of the return.

4. Full-time (for the purposes of the First Destination return) includes full-time and sandwich modes plus those students writing-up theses (from 1998/99 only those writing-up who had previously studied full-time).

5. Domicile

   All tables include students who are normally resident in the United Kingdom, including those living in the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man (Home), and those students who are normally resident in countries which were European Union (EU) members, or in their designated territories, as at 1 December in the relevant academic year. 

6. Location of main activity

   Respondents to the HESA First Destination survey were asked to supply the location of their employment or education/training. Where this was unknown, a United Kingdom location has been assumed. 

7. Unemployment

   The category “Assumed to be unemployed” includes those students who gave their main activity as “Seeking employment or training” and “Looking for a job or course”, or “No other activity” as their secondary activity. In Tables 1a and 1b, students whose main activity was given as “Seeking employment or training” and who had employment, study or training as a secondary activity are included within the category “Others”. 

8. In the tables, ‘1996’ refers to the academic year 1995/96, ‘1997’ refers to the academic year 1996/97, ‘1998’ refers to the academic year 1997/98, ‘1999’ refers to the academic year 1998/99, ‘2000’ refers to the academic year 1999/2000 and ‘2001’ refers to the academic year 2000/01. The definitions of the symbols used are:

   '0.0'       zero

   '-'         non-zero, less than the least significant figure shown.

   The figures presented in the tables are shown in thousands, or percentages calculated on the base data.

9. Press enquiries should be directed to  Press Officer at the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA); 95 Promenade, Cheltenham, GL50 1HZ, Tel: 01242 211133. General enquiries about the data contained within this SFR should be addressed to Rachael Millichope, Data Quality Manager, HESA (at the same address), Tel: 01242 255577.

ENDS

Table 1a - First Destinations of Full-time Home and EU Domiciled Students Obtaining Higher Education Qualifications by Level of Course and Gender, 1999/2000 to 2000/01

Table 2 - SIC(1) and SOC(2) of the First Destinations of Full-time First Degree Graduates Entering Employment in the UK by Subject Area of Degree, 1996/97 to 2000/01