Title | Positive destinations of Scottish domiciled graduates from Scottish Higher Educations Institutions |
Associated target | Direction of travel: Increase in percentage of graduates in positive destinations |
Brief description | Percentage of Scottish domiciled graduates from Scottish Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) that are in "graduate level jobs" (Elias & Purcell definition - see below) in Scotland or in continued study 3 ½ years after graduating. This measure captures how graduates of Scottish HEIs meet the demands of employers for highly qualified labour in Scotland. The indicator also captures the extent to which Scottish employers offer sufficient opportunities to Scottish graduates to fulfil their aspirations in Scotland. The data have been collected for the first time this year, relating to graduates in the academic year 2002-03 (Destinations of Leavers of Higher Education, Longitudinal Survey - Higher Education Statistics Agency); it is intended to collect the information every second year. |
Strategic Objective(s) to which indicator relates | Smarter |
| More detailed definitions | |
Definitions of keywords/denominators | Positive destinations: In graduate level occupations as defined in the report: Elias & Purcell 'SOC (HE) A Classification of occupations for studying the graduate labour market' (Institute for Employment Research, Warwick) or studying on 27 November 2006, approximately 3 ½ years after graduating. Scottish Domiciled Graduates from Scottish HEIs: students with a Scottish pre-study address, obtaining a qualification at postgraduate or first degree level from a Scottish Higher Education Institution (excluding the Open University) during the academic year 2002-03. Percentages are calculated excluding refusals and excluding those who did not give sufficient detail of location or occupation (currently 21%). |
Evidence Source | Scottish Government analysis of data underlying the report "Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Longitudinal Survey, Higher Education Statistics Agency 2007"; www.hesa.ac.uk |
Proxy for main indicator (Evidence Source) | Scottish Government analysis of data underlying the report "Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Institutions", Higher Education Statistics Agency; www.hesa.ac.uk |
Baseline and Past Trends | This is the first time the data have been collected; currently, relating to the activity on 27 November 2006 of those graduating in 2002-03, the indicator stands at 70%. |
Proxy for main indicator (Baseline and Past Trends) | The baseline for the proxy measure is the academic year 2002-03 (as this corresponds to the year of graduation for those graduates included in the main indicator and will show the relation, for that year, between the proxy measure and the main indicator) at which point the percentage of Scottish graduates in positive destinations 6 months after completing their course was 61%. During the following 3 years this proportion rose to 70% and remained at that level in the most recent year (2006-07). |
Methodology for Data Source | The data source of this indicator is a follow up survey to the DLHE (described above), details of this survey process can be found through following link: DLHE method. |
Proxy for main indicator (Methodology for Data Source) | The DLHE is a census, therefore there are no confidence intervals for the figures derived from this. Details of the methodology can be found through the following link: DLHE method. |
Data Ownership and Quality Assurance | Data is paid for and owned jointly by; Scottish Government, Department for Innovation Universities and Skills (DIUS), Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), Training Development Association (TDA), Department of Health (DH), Scottish Funding Council (SFC), National Assembly for Wales (NAW), Higher Education Funding Council Wales (HEFCW), Department for Employment and Learning (Northern Ireland) (DEL NI), Research Councils UK and Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). Quality assurance is conducted by HESA, a producer of official statistics |
Proxy for main indicator (Methodology for Data Source) | As Above. |
Publication of Data | HESA website www.hesa.ac.uk/publications A second survey is currently in the field and will be reported in summer 2009 |
Proxy for main indicator (Publication of data) | HESA website www.hesa.ac.uk/publications This is one of HESA's standard annual publications, usually published in the autumn. |
Methodology for Recent Change Arrow on Scotland Performs | The evaluation of performance based on this proxy measure is based on the following consideration. Any difference in the percentage within +/- 2 percentage points of the previous year's figure suggests that the position is more likely to be maintaining than showing any change. An increase of 2 percentage points or more suggests the position is mmproving; whereas a decrease of 2 percentage points or more suggests the position is worsening. The threshold of 2 percentage points chosen is based on an assessment of the data available at this time, and may need to be reviewed as more information becomes available in the future. |
Proxy for main indicator (Methodology for Recent Change Arrow on Scotland Performs) | As above. |
Future issues or reviews | The longitudinal survey is expected to be repeated every two years. |
Proxy for main indicator (Future issues or reviews) | The main indicator will be available every 2 years, so the proxy measure will continue to be published alongside to provide indications of trends relating to academic years not covered by the main indicator. |