Increased recruitment from the region’s biggest employers has created more graduate employment opportunities in the North East, according to the latest survey from The Complete University Guide.

Published today, the figures show that in 2013 the region’s five top employers recruited 15% more graduates compared to 2012.  

Marc Lintern, Director of Newcastle University Careers Service, said: “It is encouraging to see that recruitment in the region is increasing, with nearly half of our graduates securing work in the North East when they graduate, with the same high levels employed in professional and managerial roles.

“In terms of graduate employability, Newcastle University consistently has one of the best records in the country with 93.7% of our 2013 graduates entering employment or further study within six months of graduating, with well over three quarters employed immediately in professional or managerial roles. 

"We collaborate with regional and national employers to ensure that we are investing our students with appropriate skills and to encourage engagement to their mutual benefit. The support from our award-winning Careers Service aims to boost our graduates’ employability prospects, including application advice, advertising paid work experience and graduate vacancies, and organising careers fairs, employer presentations and skill development sessions to help our students into the job market.” 

Dr Bernard Kingston, principal author of TheCompleteUniversityGuide.co.uk, said: “The figures show a welcome and predicted improvement in graduate recruitment in the region. The analysis shows exactly which organisations recruit graduates, and the pattern of recruitment by region.

“We believe it is a valuable facility for young people looking for graduate level employment in extremely challenging times.”

The Careers Service organises placement schemes open to students and graduates, through which employers receive a salary subsidy to employ them. This includes the Santander Universities Internship Programme, and scheme called 'Improving SME Performance through Graduate Apprentices' which offers a three month paid introduction to a North East based organisation. 

Through the Graduate Apprentices scheme companies receive a salary subsidy to employ a graduate, while receiving all the benefits of a full-time employee. The scheme is open to graduates from any UK university who graduated in the last three years, and its’ success is seen in the fact that to date over 90% of graduates who have taken part have been retained by their company in longer term employment.

Graduates are also able to join the Newcastle University Alumni Association LinkedIn group to network with other Newcastle graduates.

In addition to providing careers support to graduates, the Careers Service organises a number of initiatives to help student and graduate entrepreneurs bring their start-ups to commercial success. 

Marc Lintern explains: “We also recognise that for many students starting their own business is their preferred career choice and so our nationally recognised Rise Up Team provides support to our students and recent graduates to help them to do this.” 

The Complete University Guide’s analysis of the Destination of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) survey shows that, when doctors, dentists and nurses are excluded, PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) is the leading employer of graduates nationally.

In the North East local authorities are increasing their graduate recruitment, while financial services companies Deloitte and PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) also recruited more graduates each in 2013. 

The analysis excludes smaller companies with fewer than four graduate recruits and graduates who have launched their own businesses. Doctors, dentists and nurses are excluded because they would normally seek employment within the NHS. It allows graduating students and applicants to see the key areas of demand for their skills nationally, by region and by sector.

The employment data are complementary to the main tables and other information viewable at TheCompleteUniversityGuide.co.uk. The team behind The Complete University Guide has compiled university league tables for more than 15 years.

published on: 24 November 2014