Graduates remain loyal to region, study says

NEARLY half (46%) of Yorkshire and Humber graduates remain in the region during and after university and 25% study elsewhere before returning to work.

That’s according to a Higher Education Careers Services Unit (HECSU) study Graduate Market Trends, which looks into how successful regions are at retaining their graduates six months after they left university, which is essential to improving local economies.

It found that areas closer to London will find retention much harder than those further away.

Four graduate migration patterns have been identified:

Regional Loyals – 46% of newly-employed Yorkshire and Humber graduates studied and worked in their home region. They were most likely to be women, and employed in health, education, welfare, business project management, or marketing and PR roles.

Regional Returners – a quarter of newly-employed Yorkshire and Humber graduates had moved away to study, but returned to work. They were the most likely group to be working in non-professional jobs (43%). Important professional roles for Returners included medicine, nursing, social work, teaching, marketing, HR, financial advice, graphic design, accountancy, pharmacy, IT and retail management.

Regional Stayers – 18% of newly-employed Yorkshire and Humber graduates had left their home region to study and work there. They were the most likely to be young (21 to 24) and male as well as to be employed in marketing, sales or PR roles.

Regional Incomers – 11% of newly-employed Yorkshire and Humber graduates had neither studied nor were domiciled there. The majority (79%) were in professional level jobs and most likely to find a job in STEM, management, the arts or business and finance.

Charlie Ball, head of higher education intelligence at Prospects and its parent charity HECSU said: “Graduation migration patterns are complex. The research demonstrates the differences between different forms of retention, the challenges in thinking of graduate retention, and what that might actually mean.

“It highlights two clear approaches for universities and local authorities looking to secure graduate talent – targeting graduates originally domiciled in their region and those who went to university there. A skilled and educated workforce is a boon to any region looking for economic growth and the regional agenda for graduate employment is becoming increasingly important.”