More than half of UK graduates in jobs that don’t require degrees

More than half of graduates in the UK work in jobs that do not require a degree, a report has claimed, with calls for a national debate on creating more opportunities for highly-skilled workers.

The number of students graduating from university entering non-graduate jobs has reached “saturation point”, the report from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development said.

This is leaving too many young people with an unnecessary burden of debt as they enter the workplace, warned the report, entitled Over-Qualification and Skills Mismatch in the Graduate Labour Market.

Just under 60% of graduates in the UK work in non-graduate jobs, it said, adding that countries with a history of strong vocational training such as Germany have only up to 10% of graduates in non-graduate positions.

The UK has a graduation rate of 54%, the second highest in the OECD, the report said, adding that while a rise in graduates outstripping the number of highskilled jobs available is a trend in most countries, it is “particularly pronounced in the UK”.

The research supports the idea that an apprenticeship may be a better option for many teenagers.

CIPD chief executive Peter Cheese said: “Our report highlights why young people should think carefully about opting for university when, for example, going into an apprenticeship at 16 or 18 could be a much better choice.”

The CIPD said the Government should launch a review of higher education, ensure there is a focus on creating more high-skilled jobs, and continue to make more apprenticeships available.

It also called on employers not to use a degree as a screening process when recruiting for jobs that do not require a university education, and to work more closely with schools on traineeships and apprenticeships.

Parents should make sure they discuss the alternatives to university with their children, it added.