College leavers confident they are more employable than graduates

Citation

(2006), "College leavers confident they are more employable than graduates", Education + Training, Vol. 48 No. 7. https://doi.org/10.1108/et.2006.00448gab.001

College leavers confident they are more employable than graduates

Some 63 per cent of college leavers believe they will have better skills and find jobs more easily than graduates, according to a survey of 156 college leavers. Over one-fifth of respondents are confident they will earn more money than graduates by entering the job market earlier and 12 per cent believe they will have less debt. The survey reveals that money is no longer the key motivator for college leavers looking for work. More than 75 per cent of respondents want to learn new skills and gain office experience in their new jobs, compared with 22 per cent of college leavers wanting to earn money. Three-quarters claimed they would happily work for free to get their foot on the ladder and 81 per cent were prepared to take on temporary work, indicating the level of competition that exists to gain entry-level jobs.

In terms of salary, the college leavers’ expectations were varied. Some 27 per cent expect to earn between £18,000 and £20,000 a year, with 23 per cent expecting even higher wages. These figures are greater than the market average of £16,000 to £18,000 for college leavers’ first roles. Half of respondents were, however, more realistic, stating they would be happy to earn from £14,000 to £18,000 a year. The media world topped the poll in terms of industry preference, gaining a 40 per cent share of the vote. This was closely followed by the banking and finance industry, which was selected by 35 per cent of college leavers. Many did not care which sector they entered – it seemed that any public or private-sector organization would suffice in terms of first job roles.

“It is clear from our survey that today’s college leaver recognizes that competition to secure his or her first position is fierce. Work experience and learning new skills were deemed more important than financial rewards. The majority even claim they will work for free or take temporary work to get their foot on the ladder. This attitude is realistic and reflects what our clients are saying. They want to employ support staff who are bright, motivated and keen to learn – for these people, the sky is the limit in terms of development opportunities,” said Ashley Williams, director of partnership products at Angela Mortimer, which carried out the survey. “What is surprising is that the majority of these college leavers think that they will be in a stronger position, with better skills, and be more employable than their graduate counterparts, by choosing work over university. With increased Government targets for universities, there will be even greater numbers of graduates on the market in three years’ time; it is little wonder that these college leavers are getting a head start now.”