Graduate women 'find more jobs'

Employers complain students graduate with a lack of work skills

Men are more likely than women to be unemployed six months after graduating from first degree, Masters and PhD courses, according to research.

An estimated 8% of men were jobless six months after a first degree, compared with 4.7% of women, reported the Higher Education Careers Service Unit (Hecsu).

The study of 2004 graduates found more women took part-time or unpaid work, or combined work with further study.

But women were slightly more likely to be in work that did not need a degree.

Dr Charlie Ball, Hecsu labour market analyst, said: "It would seem some men and some women graduates are approaching job seeking rather differently, particularly when they are having a little bit of trouble finding work straight away.

"The women's view is, 'My dream job hasn't arrived, so I will go out and get a few more skills and more experience under my belt so that when it arrives I will be ready'.

"Men are perhaps thinking, 'My dream job hasn't arrived yet - I will just stay here until it does'."

Skills shortage

Hecsu found 6% of male Masters graduates were unemployed after six months, compared with 3.8% of women. The figures after PhD were 4.5% for men and 3.1% for women.

Total employment figures, which exclude those in further study and unavailable for work, after first degree were 73.6% for women and 70% for men.

Students we find part-time work for will have an advantage over someone with no work experience at all Obi Okwuadigbo Programmes manager, Thefutureworks

Men remained marginally behind women after gaining Masters qualifications, with 80.5% employment compared with 81.4% for women.

After doing PhDs, 87% of men had jobs after six months and 86.8% of women.

A report earlier this year by the Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR) predicted a 15% rise in graduate positions, but said that as well as academic achievement employers wanted good team-workers with communication skills and cultural awareness.

Work experience

Addressing that problem is one of the aims of a commercial recruitment agency, Thefutureworks, launched by Coventry University.

As well as helping graduates locate permanent posts, the agency finds part-time work for undergraduates.

I am learning a lot of skills that I will be able to put forward when I graduate Victoria Collins Coventry University student

Programmes manager Obi Okwuadigbo said undergraduates with part-time jobs gained invaluable experience including working in a team and communicating with different types of people.

The agency had placed about 100 students in positions working up to 15 hours a week, said Mr Okwuadigbo.

"The students that we do manage to find part-time work for, they will have an advantage over someone who has no part-time work experience at all," he said.

"They are ahead of the game, and in a much stronger position."

He added that several employers had already expressed an interest in permanently retaining students after they graduated.

"From an employer's point of view it is fantastic - they are getting intellectual people who are currently students and are eager and keen to experience the working world."

'Life lessons'

Second-year marketing management student Victoria Collins was one of the first people found part-time work by the agency.

The 20-year-old said her work at education charity Young Enterprise West Midlands allowed her to apply her studies, and also offered "life lessons".

"For me, getting up on time and getting into a lecture had been mission impossible," she said.

She was learning business procedures, to communicate with people at all levels of the organisation, and applying theory learned for her degree in areas such as accounting.

"I am doing something that I absolutely love, and I am learning about it all the time.

"It complements my studies, which I am so thankful for, and I am just learning a lot of skills that I will be able to put forward when I graduate."

The annual Unite survey of student life this year reported that more than 40% of students took part-time jobs.