First destinations of higher education students in the United Kingdom for the academic year 1998/99

Introduction

This Statistical First Release (SFR) has been produced by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) in collaboration with Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) statisticians. It provides details of the first destinations of students obtaining higher education (HE) qualifications in higher education institutions (HEIs) in the whole of the United Kingdom (UK) during the academic year 1998/99. In addition, summary data for previous academic years from 1994/95 onwards are included for comparative purposes.

Key Points

[Based on students for whom destinations are known, excluding overseas qualifiers returning overseas for whom no other information is available]

• Of the 250,300 former higher education students whose destination was known, 69% (171,600) reported their first destination as employment in 1998/99, the same as in 1997/98. A further 21% (52,300) were continuing their education or training in 1998/99, compared to 20% in 1997/98. In addition, 5% (12,200) were assumed to be unemployed in 1998/99, the same as in 1997/98.
• In 1998/99, of the 188,200 first degree graduates whose destination was known, 126,000 (67%) reported their first destination as employment, 39,500 (21%) were continuing their education or training and 10,300 (5%) were assumed to be unemployed.
• The percentage of students (of known destination) assumed to be unemployed among former postgraduates was 3% in 1998/99, compared to 4% in 1997/98. For those who obtained undergraduate diplomas and certificates, the percentage in 1998/99 was 3%, similar to that in 1997/98.
• In 1998/99, 6% of males whose destinations were known were assumed to be unemployed compared with 4% of females. This compares with 6% and 4% respectively in 1997/98.
• Of those whose destination was known, 63% (118,700) of first degree graduates found employment in the UK in 1998/99, compared with 64% in 1997/98. In 1998/99, 16% of these posts were classified as “Managers and Administrators”, 29% as “Professional Occupations”, 21% as “Associate Professional and Technical Occupations” 16% as “Clerical and Secretarial Occupations”.

Tables

Table 1 shows, for 1994/95-1998/99, the first destinations of full-time students obtaining HE qualifications at UK HEIs by level of qualification obtained. Table 1 also provides figures by gender for 1998/99.

Table 2 shows, for 1994/95-1998/99, the Standard Industrial Classification and the Standard Occupational Classification of the first destinations of full-time first degree graduates of UK HEIs entering employment in the UK. Table 2 also provides figures by subject area for 1998/99.

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Notes to Editors

1. The statistics in this SFR are derived from data collected from publicly funded higher education institutions in the UK by HESA. 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. For 1994/95, the First Destination return included all those students obtaining relevant qualifications during the 10 month period 1 October 1994 to 31 July 1995. For subsequent years, the First Destination return includes all those students obtaining relevant qualifications reported to HESA for the reporting period 1 August to 31 July. Care should therefore be taken when making comparisons between data for 1994/95 and subsequent years.
3. The number of qualifications awarded in 1996/97, as reported in PR20 and published on Friday 06 February 1998, was adjusted to include under-reporting by four institutions. Corresponding adjustments are not included in the First Destination analyses presented in this SFR due to the nature of the First Destination return. In particular, the figures published in this SFR and in PR20 for the total number of First Degree awards made in 1996/97 will not be identical.
4. The number of qualifications awarded in 1997/98, as reported in PR28 and published on Tuesday 02 February 1999, includes some adjustment to take account of under-reporting of qualifiers by one institution. Corresponding adjustments are not included in the First Destination analyses presented in this SFR due to the nature of the First Destination return. In particular, the figures published in this SFR and in PR28 for the total number of Postgraduate awards made in 1997/98 will not be identical.

5. A statistical reference volume First Destinations of Students Leaving Higher Education Institutions 1998/99 setting out more information about the first destinations of students qualifying at HEIs in the UK will be published by HESA in August 2000.

   With reference to Notes to Editors 6 below, figures published in this SFR might differ from those published elsewhere.

6. A change in classification of the data for some overseas students has reduced the percentage of qualifiers for whom destinations are known. To enable fairer year on year comparisons, the category ‘overseas graduates returning overseas (no other information available)’ has therefore been treated as destination unknown in the calculation of the percentage distribution of destinations. The percentage distribution shown in Table 1 for the years prior to 1998/99 will therefore differ from those shown in SFRs for earlier years.

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 HESA First Destination Target Population contains all HE students for whom first destination data was sought. 79.5% of students for whom first destination information was sought had data returned to HESA by institutions. The percentage of data returned for HE students for whom destinations are known, but excluding overseas qualifiers returning overseas for whom no other information is available, is 76.6% (see note 6 above). The HESA First Destination Target Population includes all students obtaining relevant qualifications (see 10 below) during the reporting period whose study was primarily full-time (see 12 below).
3. The reference date of the First Destination return was 31 December. Institutions were asked to report the destinations of qualifiers which had been firmly determined by this date and which took effect not later than 31 March.
4. Relevant qualifications for the First Destination return include postgraduate degrees, Postgraduate Certificates in Education (PGCE), first degrees (including intercalated first degrees in 1994/95 only), Diplomas of Higher Education, Certificates of Higher Education, Higher National Diplomas or Higher National Certificates.
5. 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).

6. Level of Qualification Obtained

   Postgraduate qualifications include doctorate degrees, masters degrees, higher bachelors degrees and PGCEs. In Table 1 doctorate degrees and PGCEs have been tabulated separately; masters degrees and higher bachelors degrees have been combined to form the category “Other Postgraduate Degrees”.

   First degrees include first degrees, first degrees with Qualified Teacher Status/registration with the General Teaching Council for Scotland, enhanced first degrees and first degrees obtained concurrently with a diploma. For 1994/95 only, intercalated first degrees were also included in the first degree category.

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

7. Full-time (for the purposes of the First Destination return) includes full-time and sandwich modes plus those students writing up theses (in 1998/99 only those who had previously studied full-time.)
8. UK domiciled students are those normally resident in the United Kingdom, including those living in the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.

9. Duration of employment

   Employment with termination date before 30 September includes all employment expected to terminate between the reference date of 31 December and 30 September.

   UK Employment with an unknown employment termination date is not separately tabulated, but is included within the total UK Employment category.

   There was a difference in coding behaviour of the field “Duration of employment” between 1995 and 1996, which resulted in significantly fewer students reported by institutions as having unknown duration of employment. Care should therefore be taken when making comparisons between 1994/95 and subsequent years.

10. 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.

11. 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 Table 1, 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”.

12. The definitions of the symbols used in the tables are:

    ‘0.0’ zero.

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

    ‘..’ not applicable.

13. Press enquiries should be directed to the Data Provision Team at the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), 95 Promenade, Cheltenham, GL50 1HZ; Tel: 01242 211133. General enquiries about HESA data contained within this SFR should be addressed to Denise Bamford, Data Provision Officer, at the same address.

Ends

Table 1 - First Destinations of Full-time Students Obtaining HE Qualifications by Level of Qualification Obtained and Gender 1995-1999

• (1) Includes those employed in the UK with unknown employment termination date.
• (2) See note 15 in 'Definitions'.
• (3) Includes those students whose main activity was given as "Seeking employment or training" and who had employment, study or training as a secondary activity.
• (4) Percentage distribution based on known destination excluding Overseas graduates reported as returning overseas (no other information available) - see 'Notes to Editors' 6.

Table 1 - First Destinations of Full-time Students Obtaining HE Qualifications by Level of Qualification Obtained and Gender 1995 -1999 (continued)

• (1) Includes those employed in the UK with unknown employment termination date.
• (2) See note 15 in 'Definitions'.
• (3) Includes those students whose main activity was given as "Seeking employment or training" and who had employment, study or training as a secondary activity.
• (4) Percentage distribution based on known destination excluding Overseas graduates reported as returning overseas (no other information available) - see 'Notes to Editors' 6.

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 1995 -1999

• (1) Standard Industrial Classification.
• (2) Standard Occupational Classification.
• (3) Of motor vehicles, motorcycles & personal & household goods.