BPS Graduate 2000 Project*

1
BPS Graduate 2000 Project

• Career Destinations of year 2000 Psychology
  Graduates

Dr Darren Van Laar, Applied Psychology Unit,
University of Portsmouth
Sponsored by the British Psychological Society
2
Collecting First Destinations data

• All University careers services survey the first
  destinations of their graduates in the January
  following graduation
• But how useful are first destinations to
  understanding the careers of psychology
  graduates?
• The BPS decided to fund APU Portsmouth to
  investigate the first destinations of psychology
  graduates and to investigate the career
  trajectories of year 2000 graduates, 7 years on.

3
The BPS Graduate 2000 Project

• 1. First Destinations
• In 1994 the BPS funded a survey of the first
  destinations of psychology undergraduates and
  were surprised to find that the majority of
  graduates did not enter occupations or courses
  directly related to psychology.
• No follow-up study for 20 years despite huge
  changes in the discipline of psychology and
  anecdotal evidence suggesting people came back to
  psychology careers after gaining skills and
  experience elsewhere.

4
Introduction to the BPS Graduate 2000 Project

• 2. Career Trajectories
• No one knows whether the first destinations of
  psychology students are related to their later
  careers
• Part of the reason for this lack of evidence is
  that it is extremely difficult to find out this
  information as most Universities do not keep
  track of contact details after graduation.
• However, about 10 of psychology undergraduates
  join the BPS and are still members after 7 years,
  and these can be tracked.

5
1. First Destinations 95 to 05

• HESA has been keeping data on the First
  destinations of all UK graduates since 1995.
• In the 10 years 1995 to 2005, there was an 110
  rise in psychology graduates
• 31 rise for graduates overall
• Psychology is the fastest growing degree course
  in the UK (New Statesman, 2006)

6
The rise of Psychology
7
Psychology FD 95 to 05

• Employment rates for psychology graduates rose
  (57 to 61)
• Graduates overall (64 to 63)
• Percent undertaking further study/training fell
  slightly (25 to 24.2)
• Graduates overall (21 to 22.7)
• Unemployment decreased (10 to 6.0)
• Graduates overall (9 to 6.2)

8
Type of Work 2005

• Seven categories make up 90 of the first
  destination occupations Psychology graduates go
  into
• 24.3 Other Occupations, e.g. care assistants
• 17.4 Clerical and Secretarial, e.g. admin
  officers
• 13.0 Social and Welfare Professionals, e.g.
  community workers counsellors general
  psychologists
• 11.2 Retail, Catering, Waiting Bar Staff
• 9.1 Business, Financial Professionals and
  Clerks, e.g. accountants, book-keepers
• 4.1 Marketing, Sales Advertising
• 4.0 Education Professionals, e.g. teachers
  lecturers

9
Summary Destinations

• Generally Psychology Graduates are doing well!
• Many more Psychologists are being trained than 10
  years ago
• Psychology graduates appear to enter jobs where
  they can use their people skills
• About 40 of Psychology graduates enter jobs or
  training which might lead indirectly to a
  professional Psychology qualification

10
2. Career Trajectories

• 430 Year 2000 psychology graduates who were also
  members of the BPS completed the survey
• 91.9 were currently employed, 1.2 unemployed
• 78.8 were employed in the public sector, 16.6
  in private sector, 4.5 by charities
• By 2007 90 of employment required a degree and
  96.2 were in psychology related occupations

11
Degree skills, seven years on
Skills developed on your degree course versus
used on your job
12
Salary (K) after 7 years
Average salary for those employed was
28,270 With an average of 35,480, Occupational
Psychologists were the best paid psychology
profession
13
Usefulness of sources of Careers Information
Percent agreeing useful or not useful
14
Satisfaction with career 7 years on
Percent satisfied with their career so far
15
And finally

• Most Psychology graduates do not go on to
  Psychology track jobs
• Those surveyed who do become psychologists are
  overwhelmingly happy in their job choice
• Psychology graduates have one of the lowest
  unemployment rates 6 months after graduation
• and that just about every job suitable for a
  general graduate will be done best by a
  Psychologist!

16
Thanks for listening

• Dr Darren Van Laar,
• Applied Psychology Unit, Department of
  Psychology, University of Portsmouth, PO1 2DY
• darren.van.laar_at_port.ac.uk
• Many thanks to Julie Udell, University of
  Portsmouth, was the research assistant on this
  project, and to the BPS for funding it.