Careers Destinations Project Phase 1 Report
Dr Lisa Morrison Coulthard
Lead Policy Advisor
Background:
In August 2011, the Society launched a longitudinal study to determine the career destinations of psychology graduates 1, 3, 5 and 7 years post-graduation.
Whilst there are quite a number of careers destinations reports produced by official HE agencies (HECSU, HEFCE, HESA etc) and other cognate organisations (HEA Psychology Network, CBI Education and Skills survey) – most of these focus on destinations at 6-12 months after graduation. However, most psychology graduates do not enter full time employment in their intended career until several years’ post- graduation. This is for a variety of reasons (postgraduate training; career breaks; work experience needed; and competitive job market etc) which cannot be fully elucidated in the absence of a longitudinal study.
The project therefore aims to follow the 2011 cohort of psychology graduates for the next 7 years, evaluating their career progression at 4 key points – 1, 3, 5 and 7 years post
graduation; and to evaluate the current careers of 2005-2010 graduates as a comparator.
This should enable us to pinpoint key landmarks in the early years of employment for these cohorts (such as completion of postgraduate training, entrance into postgraduate training, completion of supervised work experience, progression/transition into a stabilised period of employment in their chosen profession).
The success of this project depends on being able to contact as many graduates as possible.
To this end, departments of psychology, alumni associations and HEI careers services were approached with a request to become a partner in the project and to contact their 2005- 2011 graduates on our behalf. At the time the project was launched, 32 partners had been recruited.
Phase 1 of Data Collection
In order to capture the career progression of the 2005-2011 graduates, data was collected
between June-August 2012. In accordance with the aims of the study, data was analysed
overall for all respondents, and then per cohort for 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2011. The main
results are summarised in this report.
Results
902 respondents had completed the survey by the phase one cut off of 31
stAugust 2012. Of these 84.6% were female.
Respondents had graduated from The Open University, Aberystwyth University, Bangor University, Bath Spa University, University of Bolton, Cardiff University, University of Central Lancs, City University London, De Montfort University, University of Dundee, Durham University, University of East Anglia, University of East London, University of Edinburgh, University of Essex, University of Exeter, University of Glamorgan, University of Glasgow, Glasgow Caledonian University, University of Greenwich, University of Hertfordshire, University of Kent, Kingston University, Lancaster University, University of Leeds, University of Leicester, University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Hope, UCL, London South Bank,
Northumbria University, University of Nottingham, Oxford Brookes University, Queens University Belfast, Staffordshire University, University of Strathclyde, University of Sussex, Swansea Metropolitan University, UWIC, University of Warwick, University of Westminster, University of the West of Scotland, and the University of York.
Overall, 85.4% of respondents had completed a Single Honours degree in Psychology. 25.5%
had achieved a first class degree; 57.5% achieved a 2:1, and 14.3% a 2:2.
29.5% of respondents graduated in 2011, 17.2% in 2010 and around 12% for 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006 and 2005. In relation to the four specific cohorts this project is focusing on, the number of respondents in each were as follows: 2005 – 66, 2007 – 97, 2009 – 105 and 2011 – 330.
24.6% are current members of the BPS (86% of these are Graduate Members). Examination of the rates across the 4 cohorts, the highest proportions of members graduated in 2005 (30.3%) and 2011 (29.6%). Of these, for the 2005 graduates, 85% were Graduate Members and 15% were Chartered Psychologists. For 2011, 81.4% were Graduate Members and 8.3%
were subscribers. The lowest uptake of membership was in the 2007 cohort at only 20.6%
Overall, 58.9% of respondents are in full time employment; 14.5% in part-time employment and 23.9% in postgraduate study. The highest percentage of respondents in full time employment were found in the 2007 cohort (72.2%), closely followed by the 2005 cohort (68.2%). However, a higher proportion of the 2005 cohort were in part-time employment than for the 2007 cohort (13.6% compared to 4.1%). The 2011 cohort had the lowest percentage in full time employment (40.7%) and the highest in part-time employment (20.1%). The highest proportion of graduates in postgraduate study was found in the 2007 cohort (27.8%) and then the 2011 cohort (27.1%). In summary, looking across the four cohorts, 12 months after graduation, over 65% of respondents were in full-time employment or postgraduate study. Within two years of graduation, this had risen to over 83% and peaks at over 99% by four years, with a slight decline at seven years, with a noticeable increase in those in part-time employment.
Overall, 66.3% of respondents indicated that their current employment was related to their
long term career plan. Looking across the cohorts, a steady pattern emerges. For the 2011
cohort, only 48.6% of respondents indicated that their current employment was related to
their long term career plan. This percentage then increases for the 2009, 2007, and 2005
cohorts (70.9%, 74.7% and 81.8% respectively).
Overall, 56.7% of respondents were employed on a permanent contract and 26.6% on a fixed term contract. Closer examination of the responses from the different cohorts shows that a slighter higher percentage of 2005, 2007 and 2009 graduates are on permanent contracts (65.5%, 59% and 60% respectively). A higher percentage of 2011 graduates are on temporary/casual contracts than respondents from other cohorts (12.1%). Overall, 48.3%
had been in their current job for up to one year, 34.4% for 1-3 years, 11.6% for 4-6 years and 5.7% for more than 7 years. Looking at the responses from the specific cohorts, the
expected pattern of responses is found with higher rates of longer-term employment in the 2005 and 2007 graduates. Although interesting, in the 2011 cohort, 13.1% of respondents indicated that they had been employed in their current job for over 7 years. Further mining of the data reveals that this is most likely accounted for by the number of respondents who had graduated from the Open University.
Overall, 54.6% of respondents indicated that the possession of a degree in psychology had been a requirement for obtaining their current job. This was more likely for 2005 and 2007 graduates (76.4% and 72.2%) than for 2009 and 2011 graduates (49.4% and 31.8%).
Overall, 53.8% of respondents were employed in the public sector; 34.7% in the private sector and 11.5% in the not for profit sector. Interestingly, looking across the different cohorts, more 2005 graduates were employed in the public sector than the private sector (69% and 23.6%). However, this delineation becomes less acute across the 2005, 2009 and 2011 graduates. So that for the 2011 graduates, the percentages in each sector were very similar (42.3% and 44.5%).
Overall, 41.6% of respondents indicated that their current job is in the field of psychology.
Closer examination of the specific cohorts, 54.5% of 2005 graduates responded that their current job is in the field of psychology. This percentage then declines to 50.6% for 2007, 38.8% for 2009 and 31.8% for 2011.
Respondents indicated that they are currently employed in the following sectors:
Alternatives Percent Value
Manufacture of food products 0,1 % 1
Manufacture of beverages 0,1 % 1
Printing and reproduction of recorded media 0,1 % 1 Manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products 0,1 % 1 and pharmaceutical preparations
Manufacture of computer, electronic and 0,7 % 5
optical products
Other manufacturing 1,0 % 7
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning 0,3 % 2 supply
Construction (including civil engineering) 0,4 % 3
Wholesale and retail trade 3,1 % 21
Accommodation and food service 1,2 % 8
Publishing 0,1 % 1
Programming and broadcasting 0,7 % 5
Telecommunications 0,7 % 5
Computer programming, consultancy and 1,5 % 10
related activities
Banking, finance and insurance 2,9 % 20
Legal and accounting 1,0 % 7
Scientific research and development 4,7 % 32
Advertising and market research 3,1 % 21
Other professional, scientific and technical 2,2 % 15
Travel agency, tour operator and other 0,3 % 2
reservation service
Office administrative, office support and other 6,0 % 41 business support activities
Public administration and defence; social 1,2 % 8 security
Education 22,3 % 152
Human health (including health care 23,1 % 157
professions)
Residential care 2,6 % 18
Social work 3,8 % 26
Arts, entertainment and recreation (including 1,6 % 11 museums, libraries, sports)
Membership organisations 0,3 % 2
Other 14,2 % 97
Total 681
For the 2005 and 2007 cohorts, graduates were principally employed in the education and human health sectors (23.6% and 32.7%). This pattern of results is also evident for the 2009 cohort, but there is also an increase in the number employed in other sectors (notably the office administrative sector). For the 2011 graduates, the greater concentration of
graduates employed in education and human health is still evident, however, graduates are also employed in a broader range of occupational sectors:
Alternatives Percent Value
Manufacture of food products 0,5 % 1
Manufacture of beverages 0,5 % 1
Printing and reproduction of recorded media 0,5 % 1
Manufacture of computer, electronic and 1,4 % 3
optical products
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning 0,5 % 1 supply
Construction (including civil engineering) 0,5 % 1
Wholesale and retail trade 8,9 % 19
Accommodation and food service 2,3 % 5
Programming and broadcasting 1,4 % 3
Telecommunications 2,3 % 5
Computer programming, consultancy and 1,9 % 4
related activities
Banking, finance and insurance 4,2 % 9
Legal and accounting 0,5 % 1
Scientific research and development 2,8 % 6
Advertising and market research 3,3 % 7
Other professional, scientific and technical 1,4 % 3
Travel agency, tour operator and other 0,9 % 2
reservation service
Office administrative, office support and other 8,0 % 17
business support activities
Public administration and defence; social 1,4 % 3 security
Education 19,2 % 41
Human health (including health care 14,1 % 30
professions)
Residential care 4,2 % 9
Social work 4,2 % 9
Arts, entertainment and recreation (including 2,3 % 5 museums, libraries, sports)
Other 12,7 % 27
Content analysis of open-ended responses from respondents relating to their current occupation revealed that psychology graduates go into a wide range of jobs outside of psychology, including: yoga therapy, speech and language therapy, policing, teaching, mental health work, banking, HR, recruitment, medicine, accountancy, advertising, TV production, journalism.
In relation to the employability skills acquired during their psychology degrees, over 60% of respondents indicated that self management, team-working, problem solving,
communication and literacy, application of numeracy, application of information technology were, at least, well developed. However, very low numbers of respondents felt that skills in business and customer awareness were well developed.
In relation to “psychological skills”, over 60% of respondents indicated that a basic knowledge of the critical subject matter of psychology, scientific and critical
analysis/problem solving, applying psychological knowledge to work, relationships and the broader community, behaving ethically, recognising, understanding and fostering respect for diversity, and being insightful and reflective about one’s own and others’ behaviour and mental processes were, at least, well developed during the completion of their psychology degree. Looking across the responses from the different cohorts, slightly higher numbers of the 2011 graduates indicated that these skills were well developed than the other cohorts.
Many of these employability skills were also used most of the time in their current job by at least 60% of respondents. With the exception of a basic knowledge of psychology, the majority of “psychological skills” acquired were used at least most of the time by over 50%
of respondents. No significant diversion from this was found in the responses across the four cohorts.
With regard to the factors that contributed to respondents decisions to take up their current
job, the overall responses are depicted on the chart overleaf:
Alternatives Percent Value 1 It was exactly the type of job that I wanted 40,8 % 278
2 The salary level 30,0 % 204
3 Other conditions of employment (annual leave, 20,0 % 136 flexible working etc)
4 I wanted to work in this locality/region 38,8 % 264
5 I wanted to work for this employer 25,3 % 172
6 It offered interesting work 53,2 % 362
7 It offered career development opportunities 49,0 % 334
8 It offered job security 25,4 % 173
9 Other, please specify 17,5 % 119
Total 681
Looking across the cohorts, “it offered interesting work” was the most cited factor for the 2005, 2009 and 2011 graduates (67.3%, 56.3% and 42.1% respectively). For the 2007 graduates, “it offered career development opportunities” was most popular (58.2% of respondents). 2005 graduates also cited “salary” as an important factor (43.6%) whereas for 2007, 2009 and 2011 graduates “locality” was important (43%, 42.5% and 36.4%).
With regard to what factors were relevant in relation to obtaining their current job, overall, the following responses were received:
1 Your psychology degree 56,1 % 353
2 The grade/classification of your degree 39,9 % 251
3 GBC accreditation of your degree 14,5 % 91
4 A postgraduate qualification that you have 28,6 % 180 completed following your psychology degree
5 A professional qualification that you have 11,6 % 73 completed following your psychology degree
6 Employment experience in this organisation in 26,7 % 168 a different job
7 Employment experience in a different 60,4 % 380 organisation
Examining the responses from the different cohorts, “My psychology degree” was cited by
63% of 2005 graduates, 68.9% of 2007 graduates, 53.3% of 2009 graduates and 41.6% of
2011 graduates.
The table below depicts the other most cited factors across the cohorts:
Factor/Cohort 2005 2007 2009 2011
Employment experience in a different organisation
57.4% 67.6% 54.7% 63.5%
Employment experience at the same organisation
29.6% 18.9% 32% 25.3%
Grade of degree
48.1% 47.3% 36% 27.5%
Postgraduate qualification
