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Employment of leavers summary: UK Performance Indicators 2015/16

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Summary

This publication relates to the UK Performance Indicators for the academic year 2015/16. These are produced to supply an objective illustration of how the higher education (HE) sector is performing with respect to widening participation, retaining students and graduate outcomes.

Following the earlier reports this year on recruitment and retention, this summary will focus on the employment outcomes of individuals. Approximately six months after completing their qualification, individuals are requested to complete the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) survey, which gathers information on what graduates have gone on to do after their studies.

As in previous years, around three quarters of the eligible population responded to the survey, with response levels being highest among those who were studying for full-time first degree qualifications. Further information on response rates is provided in Table G and Table H. Note that data prior to 2002/03 is based on the First Destinations Supplement (FDS) and is not comparable with data taken from the DLHE survey. As such, the indicators have been omitted from Table G. Due to changes to the DLHE questionnaire, the employment indicator from 2011/12 onwards is not comparable with those prior to 2011/12, see note below for more details.

Table G - Response rates of UK domiciled full-time first degree qualifiers by academic year

 

 

 

Table H - Response rates of UK domiciled qualifiers by level of qualification and mode of qualification 2015/16

 

 

 

The proportion of full-time first degree graduates in employment and/or further study continues to show a steady rise, as exemplified in Chart 11. Table I displays the outcomes for this cohort in more detail. This year has seen a slight fall in the proportion moving into employment only, with there being a rise in the percentage going into further study. Meanwhile, Table J displays the destinations by level and mode of qualification for the 2015/16 cohort. It is worth highlighting that those on other undergraduate degrees tend to continue with their studies to a far greater extent than those on first degrees.

 
 

      

 

 

Chart 11 - Percentage of UK domiciled full-time first degree leavers in employment and/or further study by academic year

 

Table I - Employment outcomes of UK domiciled full-time first degree qualifiers by academic year

 

 

 

Table J - Employment outcomes of UK domiciled qualifiers by level of qualification and mode of qualification 2015/16

 

 

 

Chart 12 shows how the percentage of full-time first degree leavers in work or study varies across higher education providers in the UK. The vast majority of providers have over ninety per cent of their leavers in employment and/or further study around six months after graduation.

 
 

      

 

 

Chart 12 - Frequency percentage of UK domiciled full-time first degree leavers who are working or studying (or both) 2015/16

 

Tables

  • Table E1a - Employment indicator: UK domiciled leavers obtaining first degrees from full-time courses 2015/16
  • Table E1b - Employment indicator: UK domiciled leavers obtaining first degree qualifications from part-time courses 2015/16
  • Table E1c - Employment indicator: UK domiciled leavers obtaining other undergraduate qualifications from full-time courses 2015/16
  • Table E1d - Employment indicator: UK domiciled leavers obtaining other undergraduate qualifications from part-time courses 2015/16
  • Table SE1 - Employment rates by level of qualification, mode of qualification and subject of study 2015/16
  • Table SE2 - Employment rates by level of qualification, mode of qualification and entry qualification 2015/16
  • Table SE3 - Employment rates by level of qualification, mode of qualification and age on entry to higher education 2015/16
  • Table SE4 - Employment rates by level of qualification, mode of qualification and sex 2015/16
  • Table SE5 - Employment rates by level of qualification, mode of qualification and ethnic group 2015/16.

Download all tables

Notes

Why is there a break in the time series between 2011/12 and 2012/13?

In 2011/12, the questions on the DLHE questionnaire were modified and as a result, the concept of activity was redefined for use in HESA publications. The DLHE population was also extended to include leavers with additional qualifications. Both of these factors had an impact on the employment indicators making data prior to 2011/12 not comparable with data from 2011/12 onwards. Please see the changes document for more details.

Why is there a break in the time series between 2001/02 and 2002/03?

Prior to 2002/03, the employment indicators were based on the FDS and are not comparable with data taken from the DLHE survey from 2002/03 onwards. Please see the changes between 2001/02 and 2002/03 document for more details.

How are the OU students dealt with?

Prior to the 2014/15 publication, all Open University (OU) entrants were considered to be in England, where the university has its administrative centre. However, since the 2014/15 publication, entrants have been allocated to the country where their national centre is located.

Why do the figures published in Table I and J differ from those published in the main tables and chart 11?

The percentages reported in Table I and J include leavers who returned their activity as 'other' or did not answer the question. These leavers are excluded from the published tables E1a-E1d. More detail can be found at our employment indicator definitions webpage.

Why do employment figures published within the UK Performance Indicators differ slightly from those published elsewhere by HESA?

The UK Performance Indicators tables only include those students whose normal residence is in the United Kingdom, excluding Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man. For data published by HESA, Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man are included as part of the UK. The Employment Performance Indicators are further restricted to full-time and part-time undergraduates.

Where can I find information on any merger or changes to HE providers?

These can be found here. Note that any new providers will have their non-continuation data suppressed until they have been in the sector for at least two years allowing for their students to be tracked across academic years.

Are there any additional notes on the Performance Indicators to accompany this publication?

For more information relating to the Performance Indicators, please click here.

HESA cannot accept responsibility for any inferences or conclusions derived from the data by third parties.

Press enquiries should be directed to the Press Office at HESA, 95 Promenade, Cheltenham, GL50 1HZ, +44 (0)1242 211120, [email protected]. General enquiries about the data contained within this release should be addressed to the UKPI team, HESA (at the same address), +44 (0)1242 211115, [email protected].