§ Mr. WigginTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what research his Department has commissioned regarding the number of university graduates who enter graduate jobs within six months of graduating. [186942]
§ Alan JohnsonThe Department's main data source for monitoring the destination of graduates is the First Destination Survey (FDS), which is collected annually by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). This records the employment position of graduates six months after graduation, including the type of work obtained by those graduates entering employment. These figures are published by HESA annually in 'First Destinations of Students leaving Higher Education Institutions', a copy of which can be found in the House Library.
Following a comprehensive review, the FDS has been expanded for 2002–03 to cover students completing part-time courses and to collect additional information on the student's employment.