Number of University of Wolverhampton graduates finding work at record levels

THE number of students from the University of Wolverhampton obtaining jobs or going onto further study following graduation is at record levels.

The Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) Survey is a national audit of everyone who has recently graduated from university or Higher Education college in the UK.

Each year universities, on behalf of the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), contact graduates six months after they have completed their studies to find out their employment status.

Overall, 95% of students who graduated from the University of Wolverhampton in 2014 were in work or further study after they had left – outperforming the UK average for all universities.

The university said the results highlighted the fact its graduates were also going on to support the local economy, with 81% of Wolverhampton graduates opting to stay and work in the West Midlands, with a further 66% of these going on to work in graduate level jobs (professional/managerial) earning graduate level salaries.

According to the survey 65% of Wolverhampton graduates reported earnings of between £15,000 and £29,999 while 12% reported they were earning salaries of between £30,000 and £59,999.

More than 200 University of Wolverhampton students have also gone on to set up their own businesses. The SPEED Plus programme, is a university scheme created to support graduate start-ups. Since July 2012 it has supported 212 students and helped start 106 business ventures, creating 150 new jobs.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ian Oakes, said: “This is a fantastic achievement and a great advert for the success of our students. The simple message is that if you come to the University of Wolverhampton you have an extremely high chance of getting a job afterwards.

“We know from speaking to students and parents that is something that is very important to them. They want to have great courses, facilities and teaching when they are at university but ultimately what they really want is to know they are going to get the career they want after they graduate.

“It also shows that our graduates are helping support economic regeneration and growth, with the vast majority of them going on to work in the West Midlands and also to set up their own businesses and two thirds are getting graduate jobs with graduate salaries.”

He added that the university had maintained a strong focus on ensuring its students obtained the right kinds of skills and had access to the right kind of support, including the introduction of a new employability award.

“This means our graduates are more equipped that ever with the skills and training that employers demand,” he said.

Dean of Students, Jon Elsmore, said: “We have had a great inward focus on employability in the curriculum and increased the number of staff in our careers, advice and guidance teams to support students.

“We have also been working with greater number of employers across the region in order to match up our graduates to roles that they have available.”