§ Mr. Michael Marshallasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information is available to him regarding the mechanisms used by universities and polytechnics to measure the demand for graduates of particular subjects in universities and polytechnics.
§ Mr. DunnThe main statistical information about the employment of graduates is derived from the first destination surveys of recent graduates undertaken annually by universities and polytechnics. For some employment (including teaching, medicine and veterinary science) there are national assessments of prospective demand, of which higher education institutions are informed. Careers advisers and academic staff in institutions of higher education have a wide range of contacts with potential employers locally and nationally, covering both the demand for graduates and the content of courses.