The institute of Student Employers (ISE) have reported that the graduate job market is recovering, shown by the number of graduate vacancies increasing by 20% than before the pandemic. ISE’s Vacancy Survey carried out in 2022 represents graduate employers across the UK, these employers reported that their graduate roles will be increasing by 22% in 2022!
There are certain sectors that are undergoing the biggest job growth this year including energy, engineering, environment and health, and pharmaceuticals who are all showing over 35% growth. This growth in graduate roles is the first time we are seeing hiring of graduates’ return, and exceed, to that pre-pandemic.
Competition for graduate roles has also increased, and reached a high in 2021, this competition is now dropping as there are more graduate vacancies available. The decrease in applications may also be explained by ‘Zoom/Online Fatigue’, with many careers event still having to take place online, it can be difficult to engage students and graduates with online events as most have returned to face-to-face on campus learning at university, who may be holding their own in-person events.
18% of employers have found that the quality of graduate applications has dropped, and many have also expressed the need for students to start focussing on career planning and the application processes involved in applying to graduate roles in order to show readiness.
There is also evidence that the graduate job market is again a student-driven market, and a chance for students to make the most of both online and in person careers events representing the growth in the graduate job-market. It also gives graduates more opportunity to find a role better suited to them. It also means that the graduate job market is still very competitive and although there are now more jobs available, students still need to make every application count and really apply themselves to their job search.
UCAS also recorded record numbers for applications and university offers in 2021, and increases in searches for apprenticeships. In June 2021 there were 1,998,690 university/college offers made, those that did enrol into university will still be making their way through their courses however, this shows how there will be an increase in competitiveness within the graduate jobs market and that current students should continue to attend careers events and make the most out of services such as their university careers teams for help in CV writing, application process and searching for a graduate role.
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