Manchester Grads Upbeat Despite Downturn

HIGH-FLYERS from the University of Manchester expect to earn at least £21,700 when they start work, according to a recent survey.

Despite the recession, it seems Manchester’s finest expect to earn more than the average graduate, who looks to pocket £19,300 if employed within six months of leaving university.

Over a third of prospective Manchester graduates anticipated entering the job market after completing their degrees, while 22% planned to continue studying for a postgraduate degree.

These figures, obtained by student and graduate recruitment researchers High Fliers, as part of their annual UK Graduate Careers Survey, contradict recent reports that predict a gloomy future for graduates, with recruitment stalling or even declining in most sectors. Indeed, Mancunians seem much more positive about their career prospects than the national average. Half of the 16,357 students surveyed nationwide feared that even if they secured a job, the offer would be withdrawn before they actually started, or they would be made redundant within the first year.

High Fliers Managing Director Martin Birchall said: “Although many students began their job search earlier than usual and made an increased number of applications to employers, noticeably fewer have been successful in securing a graduate position than last year.

“Having invested an average of £15,000 on their degrees, tens of thousands of finalists are now set to leave university without a job offer and feel they have little prospect of finding work in the immediate future.”

Surprisingly, the usual long-faced comments about poor student satisfaction did not appear to register with the final years responding to the survey, with 90% of them believing that attending the University of Manchester would help get them a decent job.

824 final years from the University of Manchester took part in the survey back in March.