From Heroes to Zeroes in three years?

Arriving in Durham, students proudly clutch a CV boasting a glowing academic career, not to mention a wealth of extra-curricular activities. Statistics show that Durham students hold the third best A-levels for any university in the country, but fast-forward three years to graduation and the position Durham students leave in is very different. The University’s Careers and Employability Report last year polled Durham graduates’ employability rate at a startling 36th, placing the University way behind both its usual league table neighbours and institutions such as Surrey, Newcastle and Sheffield; a far cry from the promise the third highest entrants seemed to hold. So, why the disparity?

First of all, it is important to take a closer look at the statistics. When comparing universities on a numerical basis, one inevitably experiences difficulty: league tables differ in rankings, and a whole host of methodological issues arise over how such statistics are calculated. Added to which, the emerging 2010 statistics are more reassuring; The Times’ Good University Guide, for example, places Durham fifteenth for graduate employability. However, there are worries; in The Complete University Guide, Durham’s immediate successor, Queens Belfast, boasts an identical graduate statistic of 78.3. But look at entry standards, and their average UCAS tariff score comes in at 358.3; over 100 points inferior to Durham’s 459.0. So, what is going wrong?  Why is the potential of Durham arrivals not being reflected when, clutching their hard-earned degree, they walk under the Cathedral’s arch and out into the world of work? Why does it look like some of the best undergraduates with the best results end up going into distinctly less-than-top jobs while others boasting initially weaker grades are beating them hands down in the hustle and bustle of the job market?

The main issue appears to be timing. Vice-Chancellor Professor Chris Higgins notes: “If the statistics looked at what graduates had achieved [in five years’ time] not just in terms of money, but also at how they are progressing in their respective fields – Durham leavers would be shown to excel”. As the ‘Who’s Who’ shows, a higher proportion of Durham graduates are on the list than graduates from any other English university. “What is really important is investing in our students’ futures”, stated Professor Higgins. This investment in long term prospects is shown in the University’s emphasis on extra-curricular activities, but could this, in fact, have an adverse affect on employability? Trying to juggle an executive position, a role on a sports team and a part in a college play, on top of a challenging degree, can students simply run out of time to gain work experience and apply for jobs?

Far from enriching the university experience, could piling the daily plate too high result in adverse consequences when it comes to getting the necessarys done? A weighty burden rather than that much-promised potential career boost. The answer to this may, in fact, be yes.

Being so involved during their years in Durham, many students reach graduation feeling unprepared for what is ahead. However, the University assures that graduates are more ready than they realise. Natalie Crisp, DSU President, highlighted that “by doing so much, everyone is gaining so many valuable and desired skills, such as organisation, leadership, initiative and the time management needed to balance it all, often without realising it. These are the skills that employers want, and Durham students have them. I think the main problem is that it almost becomes second nature for people to be doing all these things so that articulating them when it comes to interviews or writing CVs, because it is so ingrained, often proves difficult for students”.
Professor Higgins, a Durham graduate himself, echoed the value of the opportunities Durham provides, stating: “Durham provided me with the skills and confidence that I needed to succeed”. However, he too emphasised the need for students to be able to articulate such skills: “Students must realise that everything they do at university is part of their education. Take these experiences and skills and start thinking about how valuable you are to an employer as a result”.

Of course, the University’s career system is far from perfect, main criticisms being the lack of presence and outreach ability of the Careers Advisory Service (CAS), the varied effort made by colleges, and the ineffectiveness and low uptake of the Personal Development Planning (PDP) system. Similarly, there appears a striking gap between the levels of guidance from different departments: where Law, Medicine and Economics help their students obtain necessary work experience and internships, students of other subjects receive far less assistance.

Pro-Vice-Chancellor Anthony Forster was keen to highlight the measures being taken to resolve such issues. In June 2009, Senate (the University’s supreme governing body in all academic matters) set out a range of steps to “ensure that our graduates and postgraduates stand the very best chance of securing the type of employment they want…and that the University produces ‘Durham Graduates’ who are in very high demand by employers”. Action being taken includes a review of the CAS, the creation of employability and skills steering groups and a full a relaunch of a revised PDP plan to boost its uptake and effectiveness. In response to the disparity between subject areas, Chris Higgins agreed to work with Professor Forster on the possibility of introducing a specific career lecture in every subject.

However, student initiative was also something emphasised by Professor Forster: “we know the jobs market is more competitive than it has ever been and the University is working hard to play its part in offering information, advice and guidance. But students need to take responsibility for this too…with careful planning Durham students really are well placed to succeed”.
However, student initiative was also the topic of emphasis by Mr Forster: “We know the jobs market is more competitive than it has ever been and the University is working hard to play its part in offering information, advice and guidance. But students need to take responsibility for this too…With careful planning Durham students really are well placed to succeed.”

The message, therefore, seems clear: the University’s career support is there and working hard to improve every year. Yet ultimately, students themselves must self-motivate. Use the support mechanisms on offer, take advantage of all the opportunities Durham provides and work hard to gain the valuable skills that employers will be looking for, because, as many recent graduates will testify, that moment of walking, degree in hand, out of the cathedral and into the world, comes round very quickly indeed.