Harper Adams graduates have one of the highest employment rates in UK

The proportion of these graduates from Harper Adams, near Newport, who were in full time employment was also the highest in the country in the survey results that were released this week.

The Graduate Outcomes survey explores what former students from UK universities and other higher education providers are doing 15 months after completing their studies.

The latest figures show that among UK-domiciled full-time undergraduates, nearly 98 per cent of Harper Adams graduates were in work or undertaking further study.

This was the highest figure for any university in the UK – with only three specialist higher education providers having higher figures, two of which offer only postgraduate courses – and well above the sector average for universities.

The number of these graduates who were in full time employment was also the highest for any UK university, at 78 per cent, and the proportion of them in paid employment classified as ‘highly-skilled’ was 71.8 – above the sector average for universities of 70.2 per cent.

Harper Adams University vice-chancellor Dr David Llewellyn, said: “This is another very strong performance by the university, backing up the positive outcome we achieved in this year’s National Student Survey.

"We work closely with employers across our subject base and we are extremely grateful for the support they provide to our graduates starting out on their careers.

"Our former students have also given us encouraging feedback on the way in which their course helped to prepare them for their current role.”

When Harper Adams’ UK-based, full-time undergraduate respondents were asked in the survey to think about the roles they were currently undertaking, 80 per cent either agreed or strongly agreed that they were utilising what they had learned in their studies in their current activity, 84 per cent that it fitted with their future plans and 91 per cent that their current activity was meaningful.

Overall, 77 per cent of UK-based full time undergraduates at Harper Adams responded to the survey – the highest figure among UK universities.

The university’s careers services manager, Maria Simpson, said: “Harper Adams careers service has continued to closely support students throughout the last 15 months.

"We have encouraged collaboration and continued to provide individual support, including via our vacancy service and social media networks.

"Despite uncertain times, we have worked in partnership with established and new employers to promote good graduate opportunities, reflected in the excellent outcomes we are seeing today.”