Supply and Demand for Graduate Talent in Key Sectors for Yorkshire

This is the write up of the key discussions and recommendations from the breakout group discussions at the 11 July 2024 YU conference: ‘Overcoming employer challenges and championing graduates across Yorkshire’.

Key questions in sessions 1&2:

What are the key strengths to emphasise in how supply and demand of graduate talent are connected in Yorkshire?
What are the key opportunities to highlight for better connecting supply and demand of graduate talent in Yorkshire?
What do we want to highlight in the narrative around the flexibility between supply and demand of graduates?
What do we want to highlight in the narrative around challenges of employer perceptions for connecting supply and demand of graduates?

Sessions 1 & 2 discussions emphasized the need for better communication of regional opportunities, including supply and demand for graduate talent in Yorkshire, highlighting key sectors like STEM, IT, and business and the importance of transferable skills and nonlinear career paths. The importance of entrepreneurial skills and adaptability was highlighted in both sessions.

Key discussion points and recommendations from session 1:

1. Increase awareness of local opportunities:

Develop initiatives to inform students about job opportunities within their region, particularly in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Consider showcasing Yorkshire as a whole rather than individual areas to students regarding career opportunities. There’s an important partnership implication to this.
Combat myths about local job markets and highlight diverse career options available locally.
Highlight the importance of partnerships between universities, employers, and students to address the challenges and opportunities in the graduate labour market. It’s a missed opportunity if Yorkshire graduates don’t understand the supply and demand issues in the region.

2. Improve sector alignment:

Enhance career guidance services to better match students’ interests with opportunities in various / key sectors.
Use careers registration to understand student decision-making processes better.
Offer more industry-specific insights and connections to help students navigate sector-specific career paths.

3. Promote flexible career pathways:

Emphasize the value of transferable skills, flexible and non-traditional career paths that may not directly align with a student’s field of study but are still viable.
Provide resources and support for students exploring unconventional career trajectories.

4. Support alternative career progression:

Encourage and support students who are reassessing or changing their career paths as a positive development.
Offer career counselling to help students refine their career goals and strategies, even if it means reconsidering their initial plans.
Promote understanding that it’s okay for career thinking to evolve over time rather than having a fixed path

5. Consider business size in graduate satisfaction:

Explore how satisfaction with graduates varies by business size and tailor support or interventions to address any identified issues. (Not evident in Employer Skills Survey)
Consider collecting and analysing data more granularly to understand student perspectives, outlooks, and career journeys to better support them.

Working together with employers and local authorities, educational institutions and career services can better align their support with the needs of students and employers, improving career outcomes and satisfaction.

Key discussion points and recommendations from session 2:

1. Enhance STEM engagement and funding:

Early engagement: foster interest in STEM from a young age through school programs.
Adequate funding: secure sufficient funding for STEM university courses to maintain their viability.
Promote STEM degrees and career pathways: address declining demand for STEM fields (e.g. chemistry) by highlighting their value and career opportunities. Create more direct pathways from undergraduate programs to STEM careers to reduce reliance on postgraduate studies.

2. Integrate leadership and management education:

Broaden curriculum to incorporate leadership, management, and commercial awareness into all subjects to develop entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial skills in students. Essential to creating and running own business.
Importance of embedding employability skills in the curriculum to ensure students are well-prepared for the workforce.

3. Reassess the ‘Shortage Subjects’ narrative:

Balanced education: avoid overemphasizing ‘shortage subjects’ which can lead to unrealistic job expectations and undermine the development of well-rounded graduates.

4. Create attractive propositions for key areas:

Develop incentives and attractive propositions to encourage students to pursue and remain in key areas with declining demand.
Learn from good practice: regional initiatives like the RISE scheme in bridging the gap between graduates and employers.

5. Adapt to changing employer needs and addressing employer perceptions:

Employer perceptions were mixed, with 80% of employers believing graduates are well prepared, but smaller companies often lack the resources to support early career development.
Emphasis on the need for a balanced approach to addressing the skills deficit, considering both the responsibilities of universities and employers.
Proactive engagement: Employers should be proactive in providing experiential learning opportunities and adapting to their evolving recruitment needs.
Support small businesses: Assist SMEs in crafting effective and inclusive job descriptions and recruitment strategies to better attract and retain graduates.

6. Promote graduate adaptability:

Skills development: The role of universities equipping students with the necessary skills like flexibility, adaptability (i.e. graduates’ ability to learn and adapt to new technologies and environments) and continuous learning. Employers should also be ready to offer opportunities for experience to align with expectations.

7. Focus on skills:

Shift focus from the value of degrees alone to the development and application of practical skills.

8. Facilitate the transition from student to professional:

Identity and support: Provide support mechanisms to help students transition smoothly from university life to the professional world, addressing issues of identity and confidence.
Work experience: Importance of embedding work experiences within the degree to help students transition from student life to professional life.

These recommendations aim to align educational practices with industry needs, enhance career readiness, and improve support for both students and employers.

Session leads:

Peter Glover, Economic Evidence Manager, West Yorkshire Combined Authority
Marina Tapley, Policy and Research Officer, Yorkshire Universities

Related resources: