§ Phil SawfordTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what action he is taking to monitor the first destination of first degree graduates each year in terms of(a) those who find employment and (b) the type of employment they find. [173088]
§ 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. 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.