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Statistics Release First Destination of Graduates and Diplomates in Scotland: 2000-01
Annex : Statistical Notes to News Release
First Destinations of Graduates and Diplomates in Scotland: 2000-01
1. Data Sources
The figures in these tables contains information on destinations of the target population of students, from both Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and Further Education Colleges (FECs), who successfully completed a higher education course in Scotland. In particular, information is shown for the first destination of students after graduating.
Students in Scotland can undertake higher education courses in either Higher Education Institutions or Further Education Colleges.
The information on the numbers and characteristics of graduates and diplomates, and their destinations after qualification, are collected from these two sectors separately:
- Prior to 1 July 1999, The Scottish Executive (formerly The Scottish Office) collected information from Further Education College in Scotland on those who had achieved a higher education qualification, and their destination after leaving. Since 1 July 1999, the Scottish Further Education Funding Council (SFEFC) has collected this information.
- HESA (the Higher Education Statistics Agency) undertakes the collection of information from all HEIs in the UK since 1994 - 1995.
2. Information Collected
2.1 Destination of Graduates and Diplomates
SFEFC (Scottish Further Education Funding Council) collects annual information from FECs in Scotland on first destinations of full time students only who achieved a higher education qualification.
The collection of destinations for graduates and diplomates from HEIs is based on a population target of primarily full time students (including sandwich students and those writing up theses) during the academic year. HESA ceased collecting information on non-EU students in 1999-2000, therefore these students have been excluded from both HEI and FEC figures in this publication, in order for comparisons to be made.
The data presented in this release, therefore, relates solely to graduates and diplomates from full-time higher education in Scotland.
Information is collected by the colleges and universities through a voluntary survey to individual students of all nationalities within the European Union who have successfully completed their course. Details are requested about the graduate's or diplomate's destination on 31 December (or any definite arrangements starting by 31 March) following the end of the academic session in which they qualified.
Information on the destinations of graduates and diplomates shown in this release has been collated from all responses to the survey.
HESA is currently carrying out a fundamental review of its first destination survey.
2.2 Data Quality and Coverage
The structure of the higher education sector in Scotland changed as a result of the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 1992. The 8 universities previously funded by the Universities' Funding Council, the SOEID-funded central institutions, the teacher education institutions and the Scottish Agricultural College, funded by Scottish Office Agriculture and Fisheries Department, are now grouped together under the heading 'Higher Education Institutions'. The other institutions offering higher education courses in Scotland are the FECs and the Open University. Throughout this release, the term 'higher education in Scotland' denotes provision by HEIs and FECs only, and excludes figures for the Open University in Scotland.
In 1994-95, HESA assumed responsibility for the collection of information on students at all HEIs in the UK. With this change in administration came an inevitable change in coverage. For example, for the first time continuing education courses and those students engaged in distance learning at the 8 universities previously funded by the Universities' Funding Council were captured in the figures.
Data on students on non-vocational courses and those attending continuing education courses in universities were not previously collected and therefore are not included in the data up to 1993-94. From 1994-95, those on continuing education courses are included but cannot be separately identified in order to extract them.
This release gives data for a number of years to allow trends to be identified more easily. In doing this, some data have been reclassified, so may no longer agree with previously published data. Where this is the case, this bulletin should be assumed to supersede any previous publications . This year two main revisions have been made. Firstly, all first destination of graduates and diplomates data has been revised to exclude all non-European Union students, due to a change in the data collection population. Secondly, Tables 4 and 5 have been revised to align with HESAs Standard Industrial Classification and Standard Occupational Classification categories.
Due to an improvement in data quality, the information for 2000-01 is not fully comparable with previous years. It is likely that the number of final year HE group award qualifications achieved, in relation to higher education students in Further Education Colleges, was overstated in the period before 2000-01, with an equivalent understatement of students continuing to study. At this stage it is not possible to precisely calculate the effect of this change on data for previous years. Exploratory work on estimating these effects will be carried out in 2003 when more information becomes available. In the meantime comparison between 2000-01 and that for earlier years should be regarded with caution.
Where a breakdown of data was unavailable certain assumptions have been made. Where a student's gender was unknown, the figures have been apportioned pro-rata to known, where available.
Nursing students were absorbed into the Higher Education Institution sector in 1996-97, and counted in returns for the first time in that year.
2.3 Response Rate for Destinations Survey
Response rates for 1994-95 to 2000-01 have been calculated as the percentage of all graduates and diplomates in the target population who were sent a questionnaire and replied stating a known destination. Therefore non-respondents and unknown responses have been excluded from Tables 1-7.
Not all graduates and diplomates were part of the destinations surveys, as noted in section 2.1 above.
The overall average response rate to the first destination survey has stayed relatively constant since 1994-95. There is a discontinuity of comparisons with response rates prior to 1995 due to the change in data collection from 1994-95 onwards.
The response rates for each year are given in Table 8.
3. Definitions
3.1 Level of Study
The three levels of study used are:
Postgraduate - students successfully completing courses where a first degree qualification is an entry requirement. This includes students gaining higher degrees, postgraduate diplomas or equivalent.
First Degree Graduate - students successfully completing courses leading to a first degree or equivalent.
Sub Degree Diplomate - students successfully completing courses classified as higher education but not classified as postgraduate or first degree. These qualifications include the Certificate of Higher Education and Diploma of Higher Education, and Higher National Diplomas and Certificates (HNDs/HNCs); however they exclude Higher National units below group award level.
The term ' graduate' refers to a student who has successfully completed a course at first degree level or above; the term ' diplomate' refers to a student who has successfully completed a course at below first degree level.
3.2 First Destination of Graduates and Diplomates
Full-time Study - graduates and diplomates who are taking another course leading to a higher education qualification or who are undertaking teacher training or other training, e.g. Law Society and Bar exams, excluding those training whilst in employment.
Permanent UK Employment - graduates and diplomates who gain employment or return to a previous employer in the UK.
Temporary UK Employment - graduates and diplomates who gain employment which is expected to cease within 3 months.
Overseas Employment - graduates and diplomates who gain employment working exclusively overseas or who expect to spend the major part of their time working abroad.
Believed Unemployed - graduates and diplomates who are available for employment or study and have no firm arrangements to start employment or study by 31 March.
Other - graduates and diplomates who are: returning to an employer overseas; overseas students leaving the UK; and those not seeking employment for whatever reason.
3.3 Type of Work
Table 4 shows the nature of the work carried out by graduates and diplomates.
Categories are based on HESA's Standard Occupational Classification.
For further information regarding these categories, please refer to the Web link below.
http://www.hesa.co.uk/manuals/01016/01016a04.htm
3.4 Type of Employer
Table 5 shows the type of industry of the employer rather than the graduate or diplomate's occupation.
Categories are based on HESA's Standard Industrial Classification.
For further information regarding these categories, please refer to the Web link below
http://www.hesa.co.uk/manuals/01016/01016a03.htm
3.5 Percentages
Percentages may not add up to 100 due to rounding.
4. Enquiry point of contact
For further information and enquiries please contact:
Kirsty MacLean
Scottish Executive
Enterprise & Lifelong Learning Department
Further & Higher Education Statistics
Analytical Services
3 rd Floor, Meridian Court
5 Cadogan Street
Glasgow, G2 6AT
E-mailfhestatistics@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
Tel. (0141) 242 0270
Fax. (0141) 242 5455
Web publication document date: 30 th January 2003
Further information about HESA can be found on their Website www.hesa.ac.uk .
Further information about SFEFC can be found on their Website www.sfefc.ac.uk .
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