Employers insist graduates have 2:1 degree

With more graduates chasing fewer jobs, three quarters of employers will only consider applicants with a first class or 2:1 degree.

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by Victoria Bischoff on Jul 06, 2010 at 11:37

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Nearly three quarters of UK employers will now only consider applications from graduates with a 2:1 degree classification, new research has revealed.

With more UK employers cutting back on graduate recruitment programmes this year the number of graduate jobs available is predicted to fall by nearly 7%, according to a report by the Association of Graduates Recruiters (AGR).

Meanwhile the number of graduates applying for each job vacancy has surged to 70, up from 48 applications per job in 2009 and 31 in 2008. This is the highest figure recorded.

With more graduates chasing fewer jobs employers can afford to be more choosy about who they consider for roles. As a result, the number of employers that insist applicants have at least a first class or 2:1 degree classification has increased by 10% since last year.

Around two thirds of students usually achieve either a first class degree or a 2:1, which means the remaining third who have also passed their exams may not be considered for jobs.

Carl Gilleard, chief executive of AGR, said: ‘While this approach does aid the sifting process it can rule out promising candidates with the right work skills unnecessarily’.

‘We are encouraging our members to look beyond the degree classification when narrowing down the field of candidates to manageable proportions’, he added.

Martin Birchall, managing director of High Fliers Research, said: ‘University-leavers from the ‘Class of 2010’ are still facing huge competition to land a good graduate job this summer. Employers have already received an unprecedented number of applications this year for their graduate vacancies and many organisations have now filled all their places for 2010 or have closed-off their applications early’.

According to the AGR report fast moving consumer goods, IT and telecommunications and retail are among the sectors expected to be hit hardest. On the other hand the number of vacancies in banking, insurance and accountancy sectors is expected to rise this year.

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7 comments so far. Why not have your say?

Forget the class of 2010, there are plenty from the class of 2009 still trying to get a job.

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Employers might wish to consider that when people are too highly intelligent they are often lacking in practical skills. You also have the falling quality of qualifications, where higher marks are easier to obtain in more recent years. Certain degrees are a lot harder than others. If it isn't enough for people to obtain a degree, what is the point of the system? Since only a smaller proportion of people gain higher levels of a degree, are the rest then to be cast down to the supermarket checkouts to work and to suffer all their debts for eternity? Having a qualification does not make a person intelligent either, it just proves that they could stick-out working through the required curriculum.

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Not looking forward to being a "class of 2011"!

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I thought this was always the case. it was certainly drummed into us in the late 1980's that employers would be looking for a 2:1 or better before wanting to take us on in a graduate role.

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Two thirds get 1/2.1 so to all intents and purposes a third of so called graduates do not have a degree. So much for Labour's higher education policy.

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cue universities to stop awarding below 2.1. I'm afraid a 2.2 is the new fail.

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Rory G Hammond

Jul 07, 2010 at 05:32

well heres the thing...75% of all students get a 1st or 2.1...bullshit....all students cannot pass with a first or any other grade....lets just say the % needed for a first is 70%.....and every single student get 70-90%.....well the 90% will be a first and the 70% must be a fail....its all about numbers...only X % can have a first,and 2.1 etc down to 3rd and fail.

And as for employers only accepting 2.1 or 1st....well clearly none of those surveyed were in sales....and how do most Companies make money ?....no degree on the planet teaches how to be good at sales...none....and as for those employers requiring real in depth knowledge in a particular field ....well they have always wanted a 1st or 2.1.

Rubbish reporting,waste of money on the research....and my advise to all new graduates.....think outside the box on your future....some of the most successful people on the planet don't even have a degree....what grade did Bill Gates get anyone ?

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