LIVERPOOL Hope University has one of the best rates in the country for graduates finding employment, a new report out today reveals.
The report from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) showed that 97.3% of Hope University’s graduates were employed or engaged in further study within a year of graduation.
The results make the university the highest ranking non-specialist college or university in England for graduate employment, beating such well-known institutions as Oxford, Cambridge and University College London.
Liverpool’s two other universities also performed well. The University of Liverpool showed a graduate employment rate of 96.4%, while at Liverpool John Moores University the figure was 92.3%.
The specialist Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts had an employment rate of 91.2%.
The results put Liverpool Hope University ninth in England and 13th in the UK for graduate employment, although only specialist colleges such as those for art, music and medicine came higher than Liverpool Hope University in the league table for England.
The report assessed employment levels for students who graduated in 2007.
Hope University cited its broad range of courses, high standard of teaching, work placement schemes and extra-curricular activities as some of the reasons its graduates were so successful in finding employment.
John McCarthy, Hope’s director of marketing and recruitment, said: “The university prides itself on providing a very supportive environment where students are encouraged to follow all their interests and ideas.
“We take a very rounded approach to the educational experience. Academic study and exam results are important, but it is often the confidence they gain from the university experience or a passion for an activity or interest outside their degree subject which, in addition to their degree, makes them attractive to employers. Our aim is to deliver a well-rounded education, and I believe this is one of the reasons our graduates are among the most employable in the country.”
The results follow recent reports that employers are concerned about the lack of basic skills possessed by graduates.
Work placement schemes at Hope University include Business Bridge, which places students in short term placements with local companies; volunteering schemes which offer placements with local charities; and Hope Works which provides employment opportunities on campus.
Dr Liz Gayton, director of the Student Success Zone at Hope University, said: “Our students have a real opportunity to supplement their academic teaching with a wide variety of work placements and initiatives, equipping them with the knowledge and skills that ensure they meet employers’ standards when they graduate.”
The Higher Education Statistics Agency is the official agency for the collection, analysis and dissemination of information about higher education.
