Trends in initial employment of UK biochemistry graduates
A survey of trends in initial employment of first degree and PhD graduate biochemists is presented using data from the annual Graduate Employment Surveys that the Society performs. Percentages throughout the 1990s entering the various types of further training or employment are shown in Table 1, and data on the first-degree classes of graduates starting research training in Table 2.
First degree graduates
- The proportion remaining in biochemistry was stable between 50 and 60% throughout the 1990s (and also throughout the 1980s).
- The proportion going on to research training was similarly stable between 30 and 34%.
- The proportion of graduates with Firsts electing to start research training fluctuated somewhat throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, but the figure for 1999 (59.7%) was the lowest recorded in the 1990s (Table 2).
- The proportion of graduates with Firsts in the research pool increased in the late 1980s and 1990s roughly in line with the increase in proportion of graduates getting Firsts (Table 2). However, the proportion of Firsts decreased in 1999 for the first time in 4 years. This may reflect a reluctance of some of the best graduates to incur further student debt, faced with uncertain career prospects in academic science, and will need to be monitored in future years.
- There was a small upward trend through the 1990s in proportion moving to research in industry. The proportion entering other science-based work (hospital or civic laboratories, or non-laboratory work requiring biochemical knowledge) also tended to increase, but was more variable. The marked increase in 1999 was largely due to more graduates entering MLSO-type positions.
- The proportion starting teacher training has always been quite low, and dipped in the mid-1990s. The introduction of a £5000 'golden hello' in 1998 caused only a small increase in take-up, which was maintained in 1999.
- The proportion moving outside science increased slowly throughout the 1990s but may have plateaued at about 20%.
- Despite the large increase in graduate numbers during the 1990s, the proportion still looking for a job after 6-8 months remained low (3-7%). In each year the proportion of unemployed biochemistry graduates was lower than national statistics for first-degree graduates overall.
PhDs
- The proportion remaining in biochemistry was quite stable throughout the 1990s, nearly always within the range 65-75%.
- The proportion continuing research in academia was remarkably constant at just above 40% throughout most of the 1990s. There was certainly no decrease in recent years despite the well-known difficulty in securing a tenured position.
- The proportion starting research in industry was in the range 12-16% for all except one year. The proportion entering other science-based careers fluctuated between 4 and 11% with no clear pattern
- Only a very small proportion moved to teacher training.
- The proportion of PhD graduates moving outside science fluctuated between 2 and 7% with no clear pattern.
- Apart from one year the proportion unemployed at the time of the survey was in the range 0-3%. The data for biochemistry PhDs compared very favourably with national statistics for PhDs overall.
Table 1 Trends in initial employment of biochemistry graduates
Figures represent the percentage of total students entering the category of employment |
|---|
| | 1990 | 1993 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 |
| After BSc | | | | | | | |
| Research training | 34.3 | 33.1 | 30.5 | 31.1 | 31.0 | 33.7 | 32.3 |
| Research in academia | 5.2 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 2.9 | 3.5 | 2.4 | 2.8 |
| Research in industry | 5.4 | 4.4 | 7.5 | 6.5 | 7.7 | 8.1 | 7.9 |
| Other science-based careers | 7.9 | 6.1 | 8.3 | 8.9 | 10.0 | 8.4 | 13.1 |
| School education | 3.0 | 4.4 | 5.3 | 3.5 | 3.0 | 4.2 | 4.2 |
| Total remaining in biochemistry | 55.8 | 51.4 | 55.0 | 52.9 | 55.2 | 56.8 | 60.3 |
| Other professional training or employment | 16.2 | 14.6 | 15.2 | 18.3 | 18.2 | 20.6 | 19.9 |
| Moved abroad | 1.5 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 1.2 | 1.0 |
| Unplaced, seeking employment | 5.3 | 7.1 | 5.4 | 6.2 | 4.2 | 3.3 | 4.0 |
| After PhD | | | | | | | |
| Research training | 3.6 | 4.0 | 11.0 | 4.2 | 1.3 | 0 | 0 |
| Research in academia | 35.7 | 41.2 | 41.8 | 40.4 | 41.9 | 43.8 | 43.7 |
| Research in industry | 12.9 | 6.6 | 12.6 | 13.6 | 16.2 | 14.4 | 13.2 |
| Other science-based careers | 10.8 | 4.3 | 6.2 | 9.3 | 9.6 | 4.1 | 10.5 |
| School education | 1.9 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 0.5 |
| Teaching in higher education | 0 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 1.5 | 2.1 |
| Total remaining in biochemistry | 64.9 | 58.2 | 74.2 | 70.5 | 71.6 | 65.9 | 70.0 |
| Other professional training or employment | 2.1 | 5.6 | 2.6 | 3.9 | 4.4 | 7.2 | 2.6 |
| Moved abroad | 10.7 | 12.8 | 5.5 | 3.3 | 5.6 | 9.3 | 7.4 |
| Unplaced, seeking employment | 3.3 | 0.8 | 5.8 | 0.9 | 2.2 | 2.1 | 0.5 |
Notes
1. Figures do not add to 100% since overseas students, those unplaced but not seeking employment, and those of unknown destinations are excluded.
2. Figures under 'Research training' for PhDs may have been wrongly classified by some departments in the earlier 1990s eg including post-docs here rather than under 'Research in academia'.
| Table 2 Degree classes of biochemistry graduates starting higher degrees by research in the 1980s and 1990s |
|---|
| | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 |
| Graduates with class 1 degrees as percentage of total with class 1 and class 2 degrees | 8.8 | 8.6 | 8.9 | 10.5 | 10.1 | 13.2 | 14.9 | 14.5 | 14.1 | 12.5 |
| Percentage of graduates with class 1 degrees electing to start higher degrees by research | 58.4 | 71.4 | 68.3 | 59.2 | 66.9 | 75.2 | 65.3 | 65.9 | 70.2 | 59.7 |
| Percentage of students with class 1 degrees among the total cohort starting higher degrees by research | 17.7 | 20.1 | 19.4 | 21.1 | 21.7 | 26.9 | 30.9 | 31.1 | 33.2 | 26.1 |
| Percentage of students with class 2.1 degrees among the total cohort starting higher degrees by research | 74.7 | 70.7 | 67.6 | 68.0 | 71.6 | 63.0 | 58.9 | 62.8 | 58.7 | 66.7 |
| Percentage of students with class 1 or class 2.1 degrees among the total cohort starting higher degrees by research | 92.4 | 90.8 | 87.0 | 89.1 | 93.3 | 89.9 | 89.9 | 94.5 | 91.9 | 92.8 |
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