§ 18. Mr. Evennettasked the Paymaster General what assessment he has made of the current employment prospects of graduates; and how these compare with previous years in the current decade.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeI am pleased to say that according to information published recently by the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services, the standing conference of employers of graduates and the central services unit of the university and polytechnic careers services, employment prospects for new graduates this year are better than they have been in any year since 1980.168W In 1980 49 per cent. of new graduates from both universities and polytechnics went directly into permanent employment in the United Kingdom. In 1981 this fell to 46 per cent. for university graduates and 45 per cent. for polytechnic graduates. By 1985 it had risen to 55 per cent. for university graduates and 59 per cent. for polytechnic graduates. However, by December 1985 only 9.5 per cent. of new graduates were still seeking employment and the majority of those people are likely to find employment within a year of graduating.
This year vacancies are 5 per cent. above the 1985 level and this increase affects graduates across all disciplines. Young people leaving higher education for the labour market this summer have very good job prospects, especially if they are prepared to be flexible and mobile.