March 10, 2022, by Leah Sharpe
A Snapshot of the Labour Market for Science Graduates
By Sally Hall, Faculty Careers and Employability Consultant
The data is positive!
According to the Luminate ‘What do Graduates Do’ report published in January, the UK remains a global leader in scientific research, with the government expressing its commitment to investing in research and innovation over the next five years. Priorities include the achievement of net zero carbon emissions and investing in world-class assistive technology. The latest High Fliers Graduate Labour Market report confirms the national upward trend for graduate recruitment.
We are the second most targeted university for graduate recruitment by top employers, so make sure our MyCareer jobs board is one of your go-to search tools. View our Graduate Jobs webpages for other key job search tools and the Bright Network list of graduate scheme deadlines.
The UK’s top employers increased their graduate recruitment by a better-than-expected 9.4% in 2021 and are set to expand their graduate intake by a further 15.7% in 2022, the highest annual increase for more than 15 years. If you are interested in finance or professional services, this sector is expected to be the biggest recruiter in 2022 with around 7400 vacancies. In 2021-22, pharmaceuticals has been one of the biggest growth sectors for graduate jobs.
It’s worth noting that there is a reported skills shortage in STEM roles, especially in technician jobs. Healthcare, the public sector, and employers recruiting for information and communication roles, are all reporting difficulties in recruiting suitable candidates. Your degree experience will equip you with many relevant skills for these sectors, so explore our website for advice and resources to help you ensure you are articulating these clearly in strong applications.
Finally, there are some positive forecasts on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the graduate labour market. A report by PwC suggests that extra jobs will be created in areas linked to AI such as data science, and robotics, and that overall demand for graduates may increase by about 10%.
What to do now?
You can learn more about all of these sectors by exploring our Career paths webpages. Whether you’re looking for general science careers, science careers beyond the lab, data science and analysis, or careers with a mental health focus, to name just a few, there are plenty of industry insights to access.
Avoid getting overwhelmed
Delving into the range of possible career pathways can feel overwhelming. Narrow it down by trying some of the activities on our website to develop your self-awareness. This will help you gain clarity on what motivates you and what you’re good at, giving you a filter to apply to your job search.
If you would like to talk through your options, book an appointment with one of the Careers team.
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