An Investigation of the Factors Affecting the Post ...

An Investigation of the Factors Affecting the Post-University Employment of Chemical Science Graduates in the UK Report to the Royal Society of Chemistry funded by Chemistry for our Future

Kate Purcell and Gaby Atfield Institute for Employment Research, University of Warwick and Charlie Ball Higher Education Careers Services Unit, with Peter Elias, Institute for Employment Research, University of Warwick

September 2008

1

CONTENTS Page i iv v ix

Table of Contents Tables Figures Executive Summary

CHAPTER 1.0

CHAPTER 2.0

INVESTIGATING THE SUPPLY AND DEMAND FOR CHEMICAL SCIENCE GRADUATES AND THEIR SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

1

1.1 1.2 1.3

Background Chemical Science – defining the research population Research methodologies used and the structure of the report

1 3 4

WHO OPTS TO STUDY CHEMICAL SCIENCES AND HOW DO THEY FARE?

7

2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.10 CHAPTER 3.0

7 7 11 15 15 16 20 27 28 31

THE CHEMICAL SCIENCE GRADUATE LABOUR SUPPLY – SKILLS AND ASPIRATIONS FINALISTS SURVEY

33

3.1 3.2

33 33

3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 CHAPTER 4.0

Introduction Characteristics of Chemical Science applicants Higher education choices made by Chemical Science applicants Futuretrack Stage Two: integration into HE and evaluation of choices made Characteristics of the Stage Two Chemical Scientists How Chemical Science students spend their time Career development of Chemical Science students Chemical Science students’ skills Chemical Science students’ perceptions of their courses Summary

Introduction Characteristics of final year Chemical Science students Chemical Science students experiences of higher education Aspirations for future employment and other postgraduation options Finalists’ Experiences of Seeking Employment Summary

EXPLORING THE SUPPLY OF CHEMICAL SCIENCE GRADUATES AND THEIR LABOUR MARKET INTEGRATION: THE TRANSITION FROM HIGHER EDUCATION TO EMPLOYMENT 4.1 Introduction 4.2 First destination statistics: the 2006/7 leavers

i

34 40 50 55 57

57 57

4.3 4.4

4.5 4.6 CHAPTER 5.0

57 60 62 62 68 68

THE EARLY CAREER DEVELOPMENT OF CHEMICAL SCIENCE GRADUATES: EVIDENCE FROM THE LONGITUDINAL STUDIES

71

5.1 5.2

71 71 71

5.3 CHAPTER 6.0

4.2.1 The Chemical Science graduate profile First destinations of Chemical Science graduates from 2006/7 Where were new Chemical Science graduates employed? 4.4.1 Employment of first degree graduates in Chemical Sciences How did Chemical Science graduates find their ‘first destination’ jobs? Summary

Introduction Graduate Careers beyond First Destinations 5.2.1 Where were the Class of ’99 graduates four years on? 5.2.2 Reasons for taking current job 5.2.3 Characteristics of current job 5.2.4 Earnings Summary

THE DEMAND FOR CHEMICAL SCIENCE GRADUATES : GENERAL EMPLOYERS 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Recruitment of Chemical Science graduates 6.2.1 General employers’ reasons for recruiting Chemical Science graduates 6.2.2 General employers’ methods of recruiting Chemical Science graduates 6.2.3 Problems experienced by general employers when recruiting Chemical Science graduates 6.3. Employment of Chemical Science graduates by general employers 6.3.1 Types of employers of Chemical Science graduates 6.3.2 Types of jobs that Chemical Science graduates do 6.4 General employers’ perceptions of Chemical Science graduates’ skills 6.4.1 Skills general employers looks for 6.4.2 Skills general employers think Chemical Science graduates have 6.4.3 Skills general employers think Chemical Science graduates lack 6.4.4 General employers’ perception of the skills Chemical Science graduates offer 6.4.5 General employers’ perceptions of how Chemical Science graduates’ skills have changed over time 6.5 Summary

ii

77 77 78 82 85 85 85 86 86 88 89 89 89 90 90 92 93 94 97 98

CHAPTER 7.0

CHAPTER 8.0

THE DEMAND FOR CHEMICAL SCIENCE GRADUATES : GENERAL EMPLOYERS 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Recruitment of Chemical Science graduates by specialist employers 7.2.1 Specialist employers’ reasons for recruiting Chemical Science graduates 7.2.2 Specialist employers’ methods of recruiting Chemical Science graduates 7.2.3 Problems experienced by specialist employers when recruiting Chemical Science graduates 7.3 Employment of Chemical Science graduates by specialist employers 7.3.1 Types of employers of Chemical Science graduates 7.3.2 Types of jobs Chemical Science graduates do 7.4 Specialist employers’ perceptions of Chemical Science graduates’ skills 7.4.1 Skills specialist employers looks for 7.4.2 Skills specialist employers think Chemical Science graduates have 7.4.3 Skills specialist employers think Chemical Science graduates lack 7.4.4 Specialist employers’ perceptions of how Chemical Science graduates’ skills have changed over time 7.5 Recruitment of Chemical Science graduates by agencies 7.5.1 Role of agencies in recruiting Chemical Science graduates 7.5.2 Agencies’ methods of recruiting Chemical Science graduates 7.5.3 Problems recruiting Chemical Science graduates 7.6 Recruitment agencies’ perceptions of Chemical Science graduates’ skills 7.7 Demand for Chemical Science graduates by Universities 7.8 Summary CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS OF THE INVESTIGATION 8.1 The fit between the supply and demand 8.1.1 Making the match between supply and demand 8.2 Trends and projections 8.3 Implications for key stakeholder groups 8.3.1 Providers of Chemical Science undergraduate programmes 8.3.2 Higher Education Careers Services 8.3.3 Higher education students 8.3.4 Employers 8.3.5 Professional bodies

iii

101 101 102 102 104 106 108 108 108 109 109 111 112 115

117 118 119 119 120 121 121 125 125 126 128 130 130 132 133 134 135

APPENDIX 1

Sample surveys and statistical significance

139

APPENDIX 2

List of Universities whose students participated in the finalists survey

141

APPENDIX 3

Employment categories from What Do Graduates Do? Used in this report

143

APPENDIX 4

Methodology for approximating the number of postdoctoral researchers in first destination data, adapted from What Do PhDs Do?

145

APPENDIX 5

Additional Table and Figures

147

APPENDIX 6

Organisations consulted in the employers survey

149

TABLES Table 2.1 Table 2.2 Table 2.3 Table 2.4

Table 2.5

Table 3.1 Table 3.2 Table 3.3

Table 4.1 Table 4.2 Table 4.3 Table 4.4 Table 4.5 Table 4.6

Table 4.7

Ethnicity breakdown of students accepted to study Chemical Sciences Reasons for applying to enter full-time HE, all applicants and Chemical Science applicants Reasons for choice of subject, comparing Chemical Sciences and all accepted applicants Proportion agreeing with statements about key aspects of HE, comparing Chemical Sciences and all accepted respondents Self-assessment of skills levels by students at the end of their first year of study

10

Number of respondents who had been offered a job in each sector Where finalists have looked for future employment Skills and attributes finalists think employers are looking for, independent of subject expertise, when they specify that job applicants should be graduates

51

UK Degrees awarded in 2006/7, by specialist Chemical Science subject UK First Degrees awarded in 2006/7, by specialist Chemical Science subject UK Chemical Science Degrees awarded in 2006/7, by ethnicity, compared with science and engineering UK Chemical Science First Degrees awarded in 2006/7, by ethnicity, comparing MChem and BSc First destinations of first degree Chemical Science graduates from 2006/7 – comparison of MChem and BSc First destinations of doctoral Chemical Science graduates from 2006/7 compared with those for all science and engineering Occupational distribution of UK-domiciled first degree graduates from 2006/7 working in the UK six months after

58

iv

12 13 14

27

51 54

58 59 59 61 62

63

Table 4.8

Table 4.9

Table 4.10

Table 5.1

graduation, comparing Chemical Sciences, all science and engineering and the 2006/7 graduate population as a whole Types of employment undertaken by UK-domiciled first degree graduates from 2006/7 in Chemical Sciences working in the UK six months after graduation – comparison of MChem and BSc Occupational roles undertaken by UK-domiciled first degree graduates from 2006/7 in Chemical Sciences working in the UK six months after graduation by sector Occupational distributions of 2006/7 UK-domiciled doctoral graduates, comparing Chemical Sciences, all science and engineering and all PhD-holders working in the UK six months after graduation

64

65

67

1999 graduates: average earnings in current job, four years after graduation 1995 graduates; average earnings in first job after graduation and current job, seven years on

79

Table 6.1 Table 6.2 Table 6.3

Interviews conducted with general employers by sector Methods of recruiting Chemical Science and other graduates Comparison of Chemical Science graduates’ skills with the skills of graduates in general

85 87 94

Table 7.1: Table 7.2:

Interviews conducted with specialist employers by sector Methods used by specialist Chemical Science employers to recruit chemical scientists Chemical Science graduate skills compared to graduates in general Role of agencies in the recruitment of Chemical Science and other graduates Methods used by agencies to recruit chemical scientists

101 104

Table 5.2

Table 7.3: Table 7.4: Table 7.5: Table 8.1: Table 8.2:

FIGURES Figure 2.1 Figure 2.2

Figure 2.3 Figure 2.4 Figure 2.5 Figure 2.6 Figure 2.7 Figure 2.8

Final year students’ awareness of the skills employers consider most important Congruence between the skills and attributes that employers perceive as lacking in Chemical Science graduates, and those finalists saw their courses as not enabling them to develop much

Outcomes of applicants who applied to Chemical Science courses in Futuretrack Stage One Age breakdown of students accepted to study Chemical Sciences, comparing Chemical Sciences with all accepted students for 2006 UCAS tariff points of applicants to Chemical Sciences Educational background of Chemical Science applicants Comparative distribution of Chemical Sciences and all applicant responses to ‘career planning’ scale Paid employment of Chemical Science students in their first year of higher education Why did Chemical Science students do paid work in their first year? Why did Chemical Science students do voluntary work in

v

79

114 118 119 127 128

8 9

10 11 14 17 17 18

Figure 2.9 Figure 2.10 Figure 2.11 Figure 2.12 Figure 2.13 Figure 2.14

Figure 3.1 Figure 3.2 Figure 3.3 Figure 3.4 Figure 3.5 Figure 3.6 Figure 3.7 Figure 3.8 Figure 3.9

Figure 3.10

Figure 3.11 Figure 3.12 Figure 3.13 Figure 3.14 Figure 3.15 Figure 3.16 Figure 3.17 Figure 3.18 Figure 3.19 Figure 3.20 Figure 3.21 Figure 3.22 Figure 4.1

Figure 4.2 Figure 4.3

their first year? What kind of other extracurricular activity did Chemical Science students undertake in their first year? How has your experience of higher education so far affected your career plans? What kinds of careers advice did you access in your first year? How often did you visit your university careers service? Types of postgraduate study Chemical Science students plan to undertake How did you feel about the standard of work required on your Chemical Science course?

19 22 24 24 26 29

Type of course by length of course Class of degree realistically expected by type of course Industrial placements by type of degree Finalists’ experience of paid and unpaid work during term time and vacations How far finalists felt that their course had enabled them to develop traditional academic skills ‘very much’ or ‘quite a lot’ How far finalists felt that their course had enabled them to develop ‘employability’ skills ‘very much’ or ‘quite a lot’ How far finalists felt that their course had enabled them to develop personal skills ‘very much’ or ‘quite a lot’ How far finalists felt that their course had enabled them to develop particular skills comparing BSc and MChem courses Whether students who had a clear idea about what they wanted to do when they completed their degrees still intend to do the same thing by type of course Whether finalists wanted to remain in the Chemical Sciences by whether they had done an industrial placement as part of their course Post-graduation plans by type of course Type of post-graduate course applied for by type of degree Type of post-graduate course applied for by gender Reasons for applying for another course by type of current course Employment sectors finalists would be willing to consider by gender Type of job/trainee post by type of course Most important characteristics finalists looked for in a job Minimum expected salary by type of course Whether debt will affect finalists’ post-graduation options by expected debt on graduation Number of jobs related to their long term career plans that finalists had applied for Where finalists sought careers advice Types of advice sought from the Careers Advisory Service

34 35 36 37

First destinations of first degree Chemical Science graduates from 2006/7 compared with those for all science and engineering Graduate employment categories for UK-domiciled first degree graduates from 2006/7 six months after graduating Graduate employment categories for UK-domiciled first

60

vi

38 39 39 40 41

42

43 44 44 45 46 47 47 48 49 50 53 53

66 66

Figure 4.4

Figure 5.1 Figure 5.2

Figure 5.3 Figure 5.4

Figure 5.5

Figure 5.6

Figure 5. 7

Figure 5.8 Figure 5.9

Figure 5.10 Figure 5.11

degree graduates from 2006/7 in the Chemical Sciences six months after graduating – MChem and BSc comparison Comparison between doctoral and first degrees, examining how 2006/7 Chemical Science graduates had found the job that they were doing at the time of the DLHE survey Current activity four years after graduation, comparing Chemical Science, all Natural Science and all graduates Sectoral distribution of 1999 graduates 4 years on, comparing Chemical Sciences, all Natural Science and all graduates Requirements for obtaining current job SOC(HE)category of current job, 4 years after completion of undergraduate degree, comparing Chemical Sciences, Natural Sciences and all graduates Movement out of non graduate jobs, comparing Chemical Science, Natural Science and all 1999 graduates over 4 years after graduation Movement out of non graduate jobs, comparing Chemical Science, Natural Science and all 1999 graduates over 4 years after graduation Team working, working with clients/customers and degree of autonomy, comparing Chemical Science graduates and all 1999 graduates Skills used in current job 4 years on by 1999 Chemical Science graduates A comparison of skills used in current job by Chemical Science 1999 graduates 4 years after graduation and 1995 graduates 7 years after graduation Appropriateness of current job, comparing Chemical Science, Natural Science and all graduates Satisfaction with career to date, comparing Chemical Science, Natural Science and all graduates

vii

68

72 73

75 76

76

77

78

80 80

81 82

viii

Executive Summary Recognition of the need to invest in the development of scientific, technological, engineering and mathematical (STEM) skills is central to UK efforts to maintain and develop the knowledge base for the economy, and in particular, to provide the foundation for technological innovations required for a sustainable future. The Royal Society of Chemistry commissioned this report in the light of concern about numbers of students opting to study Chemistry in secondary and higher education (HE) and their opportunities to do so, and to provide evidence of the career development opportunities available to Chemical Science graduates. The key aim was to investigate the factors influencing students’ choices of Chemical Science courses that affect the post-university employment of chemical science graduates in the UK. The research brief identified a wide range of areas of investigation relating to perceptions, attitudes and experiences of Chemical Science students and graduates at different stages of career development. This was an ambitious brief. The background to the study and full details of the methodologies used are given in Chapter 1, but in the course of conducting the study, eight separate, complementary research exercises were conducted and to make sense of the findings presented below, it is necessary to list these at the outset. Secondary analyses of existing sources of data were undertaken, as follows: I. analysis of relevant data, focusing on those who had applied to study on a Chemical Science degree course, at two stages of an ongoing longitudinal study of 2006 full-time HE applicants, between application and embarking on HE, and after the first year of study; II. targeted analysis of national Higher Education Statistic Agency (HESA) 2006/7 Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) first destination statistics (FDS), exploring the employment outcomes and other relevant variables reported by first and higher degree graduates six months after graduation; III. analysis of relevant data, looking at the comparative early career patterns of Chemical Science and other graduates surveyed in two recent national investigations of the early career experiences of 1999 and 1995 graduates, four and seven years after graduation; In addition, three new pieces of original empirical research were conducted: I. a small number of telephone interviews with full-time Chemical Science second year student respondents to the above longitudinal study; II. UK and Republic of Ireland (ROI) Chemical Science final year undergraduates were invited between May and July 2008 to complete an online questionnaire, in which they were asked to evaluate their undergraduate experience in terms of the skills and knowledge acquired, and their perceptions of their career options, the graduate labour market and their early career plans; III. telephone or face-to-face interviews were conducted with representatives of 60 organisations that recruit graduates with Chemical Science degrees. The key findings of this complex research programme are given below, starting with the findings from investigation of data on pre-entry HE applicants and culminating in the analyses of graduate recruiters’ views about Chemical Science graduates they had recently recruited or considered for vacancies.

ix

Applying to study the Chemical Sciences Among the HE applicants, those who applied for Chemical Science courses had a higher rate of success in gaining a place in HE than average. Nearly two-thirds of 2006 applicants planned to complete a four, rather than three-year undergraduate course, including MChem and four year BSc programmes. Most had applied for Chemistry degree places but Forensic Sciences and related subjects have been growing in popularity. Although women are increasingly choosing Chemical Science courses, Chemical Science applicants remain more likely than average to be male, young, and to have high tariff points on entry; a similar profile to the ‘traditional’ HE applicant. The majority of Chemistry Departments are located in pre-1992 universities, and 73 per cent of applicants were hoping to attend a Russell Group or other ‘old’ university. As is well-established, students from minority ethnic groups are under-represented among Chemical Science applicants, but there was a slightly higher proportion of Asian students in the Chemical Sciences group than amongst all students. Enjoyment of the subject and interest in the course were the main reasons why applicants had chosen to apply to study a Chemical Science subject. They were somewhat less motivated by employment-related factors than student respondents as a whole. After a year of study There was a high degree of satisfaction expressed by Chemical Science students, both with their courses and their experience of HE more generally. A relatively small proportion, 7 per cent said that they were either unhappy or very unhappy with their choice of course after their first year, 70 per cent reported themselves to be very happy or happy with their choice of course and 43 per cent disagreed strongly when asked whether they had made a mistake in choosing to study a Chemical Science subject; not significantly different to responses from the sample as a whole. Chemical Science students spend a relatively large amount of time on course work and in formal learning sessions, and nearly half had found the workload heavier than they had expected, although only 16 per cent agreed or strongly agreed that the amount of work they had to complete on their course was excessive. Their heavier timetables appeared to have reduced the amount of time they are able to spend on paid and voluntary work and social and other extracurricular activities. Almost three quarters of Chemical Science students did no paid work during term time and a third did no paid work during their first year at all. Consequently, they were less likely to have undertaken paid work during term time than graduates as a whole, although in counterbalance, they were more likely to have worked in vacations only and only very slightly more likely to have had no work experience. They were also less likely to have undertaken unpaid or voluntary work, and where they had, less likely to have given the reasons that it was part of their programme of study or they were undertaking it to develop employment-related skills. They were slightly less clear about their career paths than applicants as a whole. At the end of their first year, 48 per cent reported that their career plans were neither more nor less clear than they had been when they had been applying to enter HE. The majority had not visited their University Careers Service and 12 per cent were unaware of its existence.

x

As they embarked on the transition from HE to employment or further study Of the 612 final year students who participated in the enquiry, 49 per cent of respondents were studying for a BSc level degree and 52 per cent for an MChem or equivalent ‘first level Masters’ degree. Almost three-quarters said that they would either definitely or probably choose the same course again, but a further 10 per cent would choose a similar course and just 8 per cent would choose a completely different course. Industrial placements as part of the course had been more undertaken twice as often by MChem than BSc students (35 per cent and 15 per cent respectively). 54 per cent of respondents studying for a MChem qualification had applied to go on to further study, compared to 49 per cent of students on BSc courses. Students on MChem courses were most likely to apply to study for a PhD, while amongst students on BSc courses, there was a relatively even split between Masters degrees, PhDs and PGCEs. Women predominated among the PGCE applicants. Well over two-thirds (69 per cent) definitely hoped to use their Chemistry or other scientific knowledge in their jobs. 15 per cent had no preference about whether they remained in the Chemical Sciences, and only 16 per cent wanted to change to a different kind of work. The biggest changes that had occurred in students’ career plans since starting their courses were reported to have been in relation to the branch of Chemical Science in which they planned to pursue a career, reflecting exposure to a wider range of options after becoming Chemical Science students than most had previously been aware of. The two sectors in which finalists were most commonly considering looking for employment were Healthcare Manufacturing (including pharmaceuticals and biotechnology), and Fine Chemicals (including oil and paint). Work that was interesting and challenging was the most important thing respondents looked for when considering whether a job would be suitable for them. Just over half had already started looking for employment and of those, 51 per cent had been offered a job related to their long-term career plans. Students on MChem programmes were more likely to have been offered a job than those on BSc courses. Examination of the skills respondents thought employers seek from graduates and the skills they thought they were developing significantly on their courses reveal areas where a significant proportion of students were not confident that courses provided some of the skills they perceived as necessary for employment. Team-work, leadership and communication skills were particularly mentioned. First destination evidence There is less gender and ethnic diversity amongst MChem graduates than amongst BSc graduates in the Chemical Sciences. The proportion of women falls as the level of course increases from BSc to PhD. As was indicated in the finalists enquiry, Chemical Science graduates were much more likely than other science and engineering graduates to go on to further study. Graduates with MChem degrees were more than twice as likely as those with BSc degrees to go on to further study. Chemical Science graduates were less likely than graduates as a whole to begin their careers in jobs that did not require a degree. Of those who were in employment six months after graduation, 32 per cent of the MChems were working in Scientific

xi

Research, Analysis and Development, compared to 18 per cent of those with a BSc. Graduates with a BSc degree were more likely than those with an MChem to go into teaching, but graduates with a BSc were also more likely to be female; a variable highly correlated by propensity to develop careers in education. The range of occupations that Chemical Science graduates were employed in six months after graduation shows the versatility of a Chemical Science degree The average rate of unemployment six months after graduation was almost 6 per cent and Chemical Science graduates were slightly more likely to be unemployed than graduates from science and engineering as a whole. Graduates with MChem degrees were, however, half as likely as those with BSc degrees in the Chemical Sciences to be unemployed after graduation (4 per cent of MChem, compared with 8 per cent of BSc graduates). The fact that recruitment agencies have become increasingly important for recruitment into the Chemical Science industries was apparent in the DLHE analysis. 40 per cent of first degree graduates who entered the Chemical Sciences had found their job through an agency. Amongst PhD graduates, networking was found to be a common route into a job. Evidence from the longitudinal studies, four and seven years after graduation As found at first destination, Chemical Science graduates were more likely than graduates as a whole to have obtained employment where their degree was required and used soon after graduation and, throughout their early careers, to be more likely to be in unequivocally graduate jobs: more often in established categories of graduate employment rather than newer graduate jobs. These are the occupational categories most likely to both require and draw upon HE learning. They were more likely to report being in a job related to their long-term career plans and this proportion increased between the 4 years on and 7 years on cohorts. In addition, they were progressively more likely to be in jobs where their qualifications and subject were important and where their degree level had been important. The characteristics of their current jobs that they cited bore this out, with 86 per cent reporting that it provided interesting and challenging work, 73 per cent that it provided continual skills development and 62 per cent that it provided the opportunity to earn a competitive salary. Chemical Science graduates were more likely than others to perceive that they had opportunities for an international career. They were increasingly likely to be employed in manufacturing but, as in the graduate labour market as a whole, occupational outcomes are gendered, and the pattern of career development exhibited by Chemical Scientists is no exception. Men were more likely to work in primary manufacturing industries and, as with graduate women as a whole, female chemists were more likely to work in public sector employment and, in particular to have entered education or public services. However, women with Chemical Science degrees were more likely than other graduates to be employed in manufacturing and in the private sector. Their reasons for taking their current jobs were similar to those given by graduates generally, with the fact that it was exactly the kind of job they wanted and that it provided interesting work, as the main reasons cited. They were more likely than members of the aggregate groups as a whole to mention salary level and other conditions of employment as having been reasons. Four years on, they were more likely than other graduates to work as members of a team, less likely to report that their

xii

work was closely supervised and less likely to work with customers or clients, than other graduates. A tentative comparison of earnings distributions of both the 1999 and 1995 samples revealed little difference between the average earnings of Chemical Science graduates and others, but male Chemical Science graduates appear to have fared relatively well, and it is important to bear in mind the gendered patterns of employment among graduates and the impact of this on earnings potential. Chemical Science graduates were, however, less likely than the groups with which they were compared to be either in low paid jobs or jobs at the highest end of the earnings spectrum. Given that the Chemical Science graduates were more likely to be employed in established professions, much of which involves public sector employment, it is not surprising that relatively few of them were found in the top deciles of graduate earners. In general the skills most frequently used in current employment were common to graduate jobs i.e. spoken communication, basic computer literacy, problem-solving skills, ability to work in teams and written communication, but these were followed in importance of use in the Chemical Science sub-sample by numeracy skills, management skills and research skills. Comparing the responses given by the 1995 cohort seven years after graduation, the areas where skills appear to have become increasingly required are congruent with career progression: problem-solving skills, management skills, leadership skills and interestingly, creativity. The overwhelming majority of Chemical Science graduates in both cohorts were very satisfied or reasonably satisfied with their career development to date; slightly less likely to have indicated ‘very satisfied’ than graduates generally, but more likely to have come down on the positive side by giving one of these responses. This may be indicative of lesser very positive experiences, but it is equally likely to reflect higher aspirations or greater reticence on the part of the Chemical Science respondents. The employers’ perspectives General graduate employers, employers from the Chemical and related industries who positively sought applicants with Chemical Science degrees, and agencies that had recently selected or placed Chemical Science applicants for vacancies were included in the interview programme. The general employers had experienced little difficulty in filling relevant recent posts and were happy with the quality of the graduates they had appointed. They were less concerned with subject/discipline than with skills and potential and recruited graduates from a range of disciplines. Some favoured the Chemical Science graduates along with graduates from other numerate or analytical disciplines, but most saw no advantage in MChem rather than BSc degrees unless graduates could demonstrate that what they had learnt during the extra time was relevant to their ability to do the advertised job. The most popular method of recruitment was through targeted approaches to particular universities or university departments, although online website recruitment has become increasingly popular as a first sift of applicants, commenting that it was cheaper and no less effective than other methods. The internet was particularly important to smaller and less traditional graduate recruiters, although they were also likely to favour recruitment fairs as they were seen as giving them an opportunity to get their name known. Undergraduate work experience programmes were commonly used by employers as a way of assessing a student as a potential recruit upon graduation. Several

xiii

organisations stated that it was unusual for them not to offer a placement student a job on graduation. Many of the employers interviewed took graduates onto training schemes and expected the graduates to undertake further training in a particular area. This was most common amongst the largest organisations. Across all sectors, the skills employers most looked for were: teamwork, written and spoken communication, problem solving and numeracy. They also looked for people who were personable, hard working and highly motivated. Chemical Science graduates were seen to possess important skills, although many employers felt that their skills sets may be a little lopsided. The most commonly mentioned skills that Chemical Science graduates were thought to have were: analytical skills, numeracy, research skills, logic, and attention to detail and accuracy. Skills often thought to be lacking were spoken and written communication, teamwork, social skills and the ability to deal with people, and leadership. Some employers felt that Chemical Science graduates did not present themselves well in the recruitment process, failing to demonstrate their skills and potential effectively, especially in interviews; although employers also mentioned particular problems with CVs. However, many of the general employers did not have much experience of recruiting Chemical Science graduates, seeing only a few in each year’s recruitment round. Several admitted that some of their views of Chemical Science graduates would be based on stereotypes rather than a great deal of experience. The specialist employers tended to have a more positive view of Chemical Science graduates but also to be much more critical consumers of HE output. Like the general graduate employers, they targeted particular university departments, but there was some evidence that the specialist employers have been making attempts to widen the range of universities they target, in particular trying to recruit qualified graduates from post-92 universities. Respondents noted that this was getting easier as they become more familiar with other universities, but there were questions raised about the content of degree programmes and the employer’s ability to assess the quality of what has been taught. Some employers were concerned about what they perceived to be an increased specialisation on undergraduate degrees. Employers mentioned that it was important to them that people should have pure chemistry skills, and that degrees that were too specialised or which were split between several subjects did not always give graduates suitable skills and experience. This was not, however, a universally held view, as some employers did like to see specialisation when it was in an area they were particularly looking for. The skills they sought were more specific than those mentioned by the general employers. Skills shortages were identified in analytical chemistry, physical organic chemistry and large scale work at the interface between chemistry and chemical engineering. As well as for jobs that required specific chemistry skills, recruiters in the chemical industries also recruited and sought Chemical Scientists for manufacturing and sales jobs requiring specialist technical knowledge – and these had often been the hardest posts to fill. There were also concerns raised about a lack of particular technical skills, especially those that required mathematical ability. The generic skills that these employers looked for most often, in addition to subject-specific expertise and technical knowledge, were teamwork, communication skills, and self-management. Universities, as employers, rarely recruited first degree graduates and for teaching, research and increasingly, many technician-level posts in Chemical Science departments, highly specialist skills and a PhD are the minimum requirement. At the other extreme, less skilled technician posts (for which low turnover was reported)

xiv

tended to be staffed by sub-degree level recruits who then were often encouraged to raise their qualification levels in post. The skills that specialist employers identified and valued in Chemical Science graduates were analytical thinking, technical knowledge, numeracy, problem solving, skills, interpersonal skills, flexibility, motivation and self-discipline, attention to detail and love of, and enthusiasm for, their subject. The skills they felt that such graduates most frequently lacked were written and spoken communication skills, business awareness, and, in some cases, self-motivation: an evaluation that echoes the evaluations of the general employers. As had been found in the DLHE analysis, the investigation of vacancies recently advertised and discussions with employers reinforced the finding that recruitment agencies have been becoming increasingly important for recruitment into the chemical industry. Specialist employers who had experienced problems recruiting attributed this to their location and that they were looking for skills that were in particularly short supply. In Chapter 8, we draw the findings from all of the investigations together, discussing the fit between supply and demand, commenting on change and indications of possible future development, and identifying the implications for key stakeholder groups: providers of Chemical Science undergraduate programmes, careers advisers, students, employers and professional associations.

xv

.

xvi

CHAPTER 1.0

1.1

INVESTIGATING THE SUPPLY AND DEMAND FOR CHEMICAL SCIENCE GRADUATES AND THEIR SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

Background

The need to invest in high level research skills and knowledge is central to UK efforts to maintain and develop the knowledge base for the economy, generate and maintain a world class research community and provide the foundation for technological and scientific innovations required for a sustainable future1. Concern about declining numbers studying Chemical Science at senior secondary school and at undergraduate level2 underpins the Royal Society of Chemistry’s (RSC) current campaign for the Chemical Sciences3. Study of Chemical Science4 at university level has been subject to considerable debate in recent years. A number of high profile closures of university Chemical Science departments and declining numbers of students studying the Chemical Sciences at degree level have fuelled this debate, coupled with concerns about the number and quality of those entering teaching in Chemical Science5. It is one of a number of disciplines that have been the subject of attention for similar reasons, and HEFCE commissioned the ‘Review of strategically important and vulnerable subjects’ in 2005, headed by the late Sir Gareth Roberts6. The Review noted a real decline in numbers of students opting to study Chemical Sciences and suggested that there was a danger of the university system being unable to supply the economy with sufficient graduates from science disciplines, including Chemical Sciences, to fulfil demand. It was reflected that at undergraduate level, sciences in general were perceived by employers and students alike as ‘hard’ degrees, and that standards had generally held, if not improved, but the Committee also commented, as have some employers, that changes to the A- and AS-level syllabuses may have led to a decline in the level of mathematical skills required and developed and contributed to the decline in numbers opting for Chemical Sciences, given that a good knowledge of mathematics is an essential prerequisite to undergraduate Chemical Sciences study. This reinforced findings from the 2002 Government Review, ‘SET for Success’7, particularly with reference to postgraduate research degree graduates - a review that was also chaired by Sir Gareth Roberts, to examine the supply of science and engineering skills in the UK. In addition, it was reported that some students felt that science courses were ‘unrewarding’ – in that they were not seen as offering career opportunities commensurate with their perceived difficulty and effort required. Some graduates had taken science degrees out of love for their subject and had become disenchanted with the routine, boring and poorly paid jobs they had obtained. As a 1

2 3 4

5 6

7

For example, HM Treasure (2005), Prosperity for all in the global economy, Final Report of Lord Leitch’s Review of Skills, http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/independent_reviews/leitch_review/review_leitch_index.cfm, and “International Competitiveness: Competitiveness & the Role of Universities”, (2007), London, Council for Industry in Higher Education (CIHE), http://www.cihe-uk.com There is some evidence this trend is reversing, with an increase in numbers in the last year, according to UCAS application data. http://www.rsc.org/AboutUs/Campaigns/Index.asp In defining ‘Chemical Sciences’ students, we include everyone studying a subject coded under the JACS system as F100 to F190, and all students studying one of these subjects as part of a joint degree. Most notably, this definition does not include biochemistry or chemical engineering, which are classified as different subjects, but does include medicinal Chemical Sciences, which is not. See http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/6722653.stm HEFCE (2005), ‘Strategically important and vulnerable subjects’. Final report of the advisory group. http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/hefce/2005/05_24/ HM Treasury (2002) SET for Success: Final Report of Sir Gareth Roberts' Review into the supply of science and engineering skills in the UK. http://www.hmtreasury.gov.uk/documents/enterprise_and_productivity/research_and_enterprise/ent_res_roberts.cfm

1

result, students were becoming interested in jobs offering the highest starting salaries, which did not tend to include jobs in science (HM Treasury ibid:111). Employers, meanwhile, complained that science students tended to lack commercial awareness, and that they had trouble applying and developing the knowledge that they had obtained. Roberts concluded that ‘PhDs did not prepare people adequately for careers either in academia or business’, with shortfalls in training in commercial awareness, communications, management and interpersonal skills. These skills gaps had contributed to a morale problem in postgraduate study, exacerbated by the fact that postgraduate study was financially unattractive in the short term, with PhD stipends low compared to graduate starting salaries and with PhD careers failing to keep pace with well paid graduate level alternatives. This, of course, reflects the greater likelihood of PhD-holders to remain in academia or to enter public sector employment rather than the generally more lucrative private sector graduate labour market8. As a result of the Roberts’ Review, measures have been promoted by the Research Councils and implemented to a greater or lesser degree in most universities across the disciplinary spectrum to improve standards of postgraduate training and support9,10. Pressure is also being applied by employers to encourage participation in science, engineering and technology (SET) subjects. In August 2007, the CBI called for bursaries to attract students to study certain subjects, including Chemical Sciences, where the numbers of applicants has fallen in recent years and a shortfall in skills is already apparent to employers and policymakers11. In this call, the CBI singled out Chemical Sciences as an area of particular concern within science, engineering and technology subjects. Among the reasons for the decline in numbers studying the subject, the CBI cited the image of the subject - that it was perceived to be ‘boring and hard’ and led to employment in all-male industries. In addition, the press release noted that there was a belief that the sciences in general had uncertain pay and conditions (despite relatively recent findings showing excellent returns on science qualifications12). The widespread concern about the shortfall in appropriately-qualified Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) graduates to meet UK labour market demands has been further highlighted in a subsequent CBI education and skills survey published earlier this year, which includes a chapter entitled ‘STEM skills are in short supply’13 and similar concerns have been articulated by the Trades Union Council (TUC) in a report published earlier in 200814. This project provides an opportunity to research the perceptions of HE applicants, students and graduates who did opt for Chemistry and related subjects, to identify the experiences and attributes that contributed or led to their career decisions. It may also be possible to explore why Chemistry A level-holders who went in other career directions chose not to follow one possible route open to them: studying Chemical Sciences at undergraduate level. Relatively up-to-date, robust and comprehensive research-based evidence about the motivations of UK students to study Chemical Science and related subjects, and their 8 9

10 11

12

13 14

c.f Purcell et al. (2005) The class of ’99: Graduate careers four years after graduation. London: DfES. www.grad.ac.uk Results from the recently conducted UK Grad. Postgraduate Research Experience Survey will be launched on 12th September. http://www.grad.ac.uk/downloads/documents/Events/FINAL%20report%20for%20web.pdf See recent CBI press release, 13th August 2007 http://www.cbi.org.uk/ndbs/press.nsf/0363c1f07c6ca12a8025671c00381cc7/78d22d04f598e4b480257330004b10c 3?OpenDocument) For example, Pricewaterhouse Coopers LLP (2005) The economic benefits of higher education qualifications: a report produced for the Royal Society of Chemical Sciences and the Institute of Physics. (http://www.rsc.org/Education/Policy/EconomicBenefitsofHE.asp) Taking Stock. CBI education and skills survey 2008. www.cbi.org.uk CBI/edexcel, April 2008. Hybrid Cars and Shooting Stars: a Trade union agenda for greater participation and understanding of science. London: TUC Economic and social Affairs Department, April 2008.

2

career outcomes does not exist. A 2003 review looked specifically at the recruitment and retention of women in Chemical Sciences15 and the representation of ethnic minority students in Chemical Sciences was examined in 2006 by Elias et al.16 In 2000, the RSC published an incisive and candid report about the reasons students choose to study Chemical Sciences, and why many choose to leave it behind as their careers progress17, identifying similar trends and issues to those reported by Roberts two years later: the lack of clear career structures, relatively low pay in relation to achievement and effort, lack of support and the long hours culture in scientific research contexts - yet many students articulated the excitement Chemical Sciences engenders – the ability to solve problems, get results, and the creativity that Chemistry allows (and that many outside the discipline often fail to realize). The ‘What do Graduates do?’18 and ‘What do PhDs do?’19 series give some indication of first destinations at the level of broad discipline groups, and there has been some investigation of employers’ recruitment and deployment of science, technology and engineering graduates.20 Existing literature on the motivations and perceptions of secondary school pupils and students towards Chemical Sciences was reviewed relatively recently21, but most relevant recent research on career outcomes and graduate employment tends to be impressionistic rather than detailed; small scale, preliminary or reporting findings from particular universities or courses22. This research has been undertaken as a targeted investigation of Chemistry as a distinct and diverse area of skills – interrogating existing data and conducting a series of new investigations to throw light on the variables that influence the supply of, and demand for, Chemical Science skills. 1.2

Chemicals Science: defining the research population

The first crucial question to be addressed was how to define ‘Chemical Science’. For the purposes of the study, we included everyone studying a subject coded under the HESA Joint Academic Coding System (JACS) as F100 to F190, and all students studying one of these subjects as part of a joint degree. Most notably, this definition does not include biochemistry or chemical engineering, which are classified as different subjects, but does include medicinal chemistry, which is not. Focusing solely on pure Chemistry courses with Chemistry as a single option would have provided an easily identifiable population, but although it includes most Chemistry undergraduates, interesting specialisms and options would be excluded: for example, work placement or other 4 year courses. Focusing only on pure chemistry single or joint option courses would have provided a more comprehensive picture, but would exclude popular subcategories such as medicinal and pharmaceutical chemists. We concluded that the terms of reference in the RSC specification could be met most satisfactorily by including all single and joint courses with a Chemistry component, which would include everything that is considered ‘Chemical Science’, including industrial placements, four 15 16 17

18

19 20 21

22

http://www.rsc.org/ScienceAndTechnology/Policy/Documents/RecruitmentandRetentionofWomen.asp http://www.rsc.org/images/Ethnic%20Web_tcm18-53629.pdf Factors Affecting the Career Choices of Graduate Chemists, http://www.rsc.org/ScienceAndTechnology/Policy/Documents/FactorsAffecting.asp http://www.prospects.ac.uk/links/wdgd http://www.vitae.ac.uk/policy-practice/14769/What-Do-PhDs-Do.html The Royal Society (2006), ‘A degree of concern? UK First Degrees in Science, Technology and Mathematics’, http://www.royalsoc.ac.uk/document.asp?tip=0&id=5467 Jagger, N., (2004) The Right Chemistry, Brighton: Institute of Employment Studies Report to the RSC. http:/ /www.rsc.org/Education/Policy/RightChemistry2004.asp For example, Souter, C. (2006) Employers’ Perceptions of Recruiting Research Staff and Students, http://careerweb.leeds.ac.uk/downloads/Empress_LR.pdf, McCarthy, M. and J. Simm (2006) ‘Survey of employer attitudes to postgraduate researchers’, http://www.careers.dept.shef.ac.uk/pdf/employersurvey.pdf Dalgety, J., Coll and A. Jones (2003), ‘Development of Chemistry Attitudes and Experiences Questionnaire (CAEQ)’ Journal of Research in Science and Teaching, Vol.40, Issue 7: 649 - 668: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgibin/abstract/104555251/ABSTRACT

3

year courses ending in MChem or similar, and minority subjects such as Industrial or Medicinal Chemistry. This facilitates investigation of the widest range of experiences and allows for detailed comparisons, drawing on a range of datasets to which we have access and, in the primary research in particular, allowing for exploration of key issues relating to skills developed on different programmes and the aspirations that they have engendered. In some of the components of the study, the characteristics and career outcomes of postgraduate students are also investigated, but the main focus of the investigation has been on those studying undergraduate Chemical Science degrees. 1.3

Research methodologies and the structure of the report

We have been concerned to take advantage of all available evidence that can illuminate the choices made and options perceived and chosen by aspiring Chemical Scientists, at the points where they make career decisions: what to study in HE, which kinds of courses to follow, which qualifications to aim for, what kinds of jobs to apply for...? We make use of both quantitative and qualitative data, and draw on secondary data analyses to supplement the primary data collection conducted in a survey of final year Chemical Science undergraduates and in two programmes of interviews, with second year students and with employers. In Chapter 2, we draw on data collected as part of the Futuretrack investigation of 2006 UK HE applicants who aspired to study Chemical Sciences full-time at UK universities. What are the characteristics of those who apply for and achieve university places in Chemical Sciences and how to they compare with the HE applicant population as a whole? Why did they choose to study Chemical Sciences and related subjects? Who succeeded and who failed in getting places? One year on, how did they evaluate their experiences – and who had moved into, and out of, Chemical Science undergraduate programmes? We examine data from the Stage 1 survey conducted in Summer/Autumn 2006, and the Stage 2 survey conducted a year later after most had completed their first year of study. In addition, a small number of telephone interviews were carried out with Chemical Science students to explore further their career decision-making and their perception of the benefits and costs of opting for Chemical Sciences. Chapter 3 outlines the findings of an online enquiry of UK and Republic of Ireland (ROI) 2008 graduating final year undergraduate students, surveyed at the point when they were completing their BSc and MChem courses. What have they learned as Chemical Science students, what are their immediate and longer-term aspirations, and how have they prepared for the transition from HE to the next stage? How many plan to go on to further study and how many have already applied for jobs? Do they seek careers that will build on and amplify their Chemical Science skills and knowledge, or are they casting their nets wider in the general graduate labour market where – it is well established – around 60 per cent of graduate recruiters do not specify degree subject when seeking to appoint new graduate recruits? Chapters 4 and 5 provide some insight into how realistic the aspirations of the courseleavers are, by examining evidence of the early career outcomes of recent graduate cohorts. First, we dig deeper into national Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) statistics, examining the characteristics and first destination outcomes of the cohort who graduated in 2006/7 and were surveyed six months after graduation in the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE). We then look at the evidence from recent longitudinal studies. The data sets used in Chapters 3 and 5 are relatively small. Findings from them nevertheless give a useful indication of early career

4

differences between Chemical Science students and graduates and those from other areas of study23. The analysis of the early DLHE data provides a snapshot of the most recently-qualified Chemical Science undergraduate, Masters’ and doctoral graduates: their first destination activities, along with some indication of their early career experiences and aspirations. However, it is widely recognised that first destination statistics are an increasingly unreliable indicator of eventual labour market integration, given the increase in ‘gap year’ breaks and participation in postgraduate study and training. Recent longitudinal studies, (including the DLHE longitudinal study of 2002/3 leavers conducted in 200624) indicate that graduates are an extremely diverse population, and a significant proportion of degree-holders do not immediately seek to enter careerrelated employment. However, after three to four years, the majority have entered employment that they perceive as being appropriate for someone with their skills, knowledge and qualifications. At this stage, it becomes possible to assess the extent to which they have become integrated to the labour market at an appropriate level, and how far their HE skills and knowledge are valued and used. In Chapter 5, we explore the outcomes of 1999 and 1995 Chemical Science graduates, surveyed four and seven years after obtaining their undergraduate degrees. The numbers are relatively small, but it is possible to make broad comparisons with the outcomes of Natural Science degree holders and with the graduate respondents as a whole, to assess the relative advantages and disadvantages of having studied Chemical Sciences, and the kinds of occupations entered by Chemical Science graduates. Have their specialist knowledge and their relatively scarce numeracy skills provided competitive advantage in the labour market? Chapters 6 and 7 move from the graduate labour supply to the demand for Chemical Science graduates. Drawing on the evidence from successive What do graduates do? analyses of HESA DLHE data25, stratified samples of organisations that have a history of advertising jobs that specify Chemical Science degrees and that do not specify subjects, but for which Chemical Science graduates might be appropriate applicants, were drawn up and representatives of these organisations interviewed by telephone or in person. These graduate recruiters’ accounts of jobs recently advertised and filled, the ease or difficulty of appointing suitable candidates and their perceptions of the strengths and weaknesses of Chemical Science graduates are outlined and considered. In the final chapter the relationship between the findings from the supply and demand side analyses are compared. Do the students and new graduates have realistic aspirations? Do the employers have an accurate appreciation of the strengths and weaknesses of Chemical Science graduates? What are the implications of the findings for Chemical Science graduates, the HE providers of Chemical Science education and employers who seek graduates with Chemical Science skills and knowledge or the kinds of generic skills developed on Chemical Science programmes – and how can disjunctions in the fit between supply and demand be addressed by those concerned with HE policy and practice in the future?

23 24

25

A note sample surveys and statistical significance is provided as Appendix 1. Elias et al.1999 (ibid); Purcell et al 2005 (ibid ). Full analysis of the DLHE LS has not yet been published but the methodology and data collected are discussed in Tipping, S and R. Taylor (2007). Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Longitudinal Survey 2002/03 Cohort: assessment of robustness and fitness for purpose. London: National Centre for Social Research. See Ball, C. (2006, 2007, 2008) What do graduates Do? Manchester: Higher Education Careers Services Unit

5

6

CHAPTER 2.0

2.1

WHO OPTS TO STUDY CHEMICAL SCIENCES AND HOW DO THEY FARE? EVIDENCE FROM 2006 HIGHER EDUCATION APPLICANTS

Introduction

Futuretrack is a HECSU-funded longitudinal study of 2006 full-time UK HE applicants, being undertaken by a team of researchers at the Institute for Employment Research (IER) at the University of Warwick26. In Summer/Autumn 2006, all 2006 UCAS applicants were invited to participate in an online survey and fewer than 130,000 of them completed a Stage One questionnaire. In doing so, they indicated willingness to participate in a longitudinal study that would involve completing the Stage Two questionnaire a year later, the Stage 3 one in Spring/Summer 2009 and the final Stage 4 one in Winter 20011/12. In addition, interviews are being carried out at each stage with a sub-sample of respondents to explore particular aspects of experience and amplify the survey data with more qualitative information. Two stages of the Futuretrack survey have been carried out; Stage One as respondents were applying for entry into HE, and Stage Two when most students had completed their first year of study. This chapter draws upon data from the Stage One survey, some preliminary analysis of Stage Two data27, and a small number of qualitative telephone interviews with Chemical Science applicants and second-year students, to examine the career choices and experiences of Chemical Science students in the transition to HE and in their first year of study. Twenty telephone interviews were conducted with members of the Futuretrack cohort who had applied to study Chemical Sciences in Stage One or who were studying Chemical Sciences in Stage Two. The majority of interviewees had just completed their second year in HE. The first sections of this chapter examine the Stage One data, followed by sections that look at preliminary evidence from the Stage Two data28 and the changes that can be seen in applicants’ views, knowledge and aspirations between the two surveys. Questions in Futuretrack Stage One focused on the characteristics of applicants, their reasons for choosing to enter HE, the courses they planned to study and their views on different aspects of HE. This section will examine the views and experiences of Chemical Science applicants in relation to the Futuretrack cohort as a whole. 2.2

Characteristics of Chemical Science applicants

2155 of the Futuretrack Stage One respondents included Chemistry or related Chemical Science courses among their UCAS options. As Figure 2.1 shows, success rates for applicants for Chemical Science courses were high, with 73 per cent of applicants getting into their institution of choice, and 92 per cent accepting a place to enter HE through the main UCAS scheme, Clearing or UCAS Extra. In fact, those Futuretrack applicants who had applied for Chemical Science courses had a significantly higher propensity to gain accepted places than average.

26 27

28

See www.warwick.ac.uk/ier and follow Futuretrack links. Due to the complexity of the data collection, the final Stage 2 data set is not yet available, so these preliminary analyses must be treated as such These data derive from a preliminary data set, still undergoing revision and additions prior to full analysis for the main Futuretrack Stage Two Report, to be completed and published early next year. Further details are provided in section 2.4.

7

Figure 2.1

Outcomes of applicants who applied to Chemical Science courses in Futuretrack Stage One All applicants

Chemical Science applicants Not accepted Accepted in main scheme Accepted in UCAS extra Accepted in clearing Not known

Source: Futuretrack Stage 1, 2006, all applicants, unweighted

This compares with overall UK applicant outcomes of 81 per cent via the main scheme, 7 per cent via UCAS extra or Clearing and 12 per cent not accepted. Of these 2155 applicants, 1111, or 51 per cent, are known to have accepted a place to study Chemical Sciences at university. The most common non-Chemical Science courses taken up by applicants to Chemical Sciences were: pharmacology, toxicology and pharmacy (6 per cent of Chemical Science applicants); pre-clinical medicine (4 per cent of Chemical Science applicants); and forensic and archaeological science (4 per cent of Chemical Science applicants). Nearly two-thirds (61 per cent) of those who started Chemical Science courses intended to take a four year course – which includes MChem and 4-year BSc degree courses, whereas only a quarter of them intended at the outset to take a three year course. Of the 20 Futuretrack cohort interviewees, four had started on 3 year BSc courses, and 5 had started on courses lasting more than 4 years, of whom 3 had started to study for MChems in Scotland. Two years on, there was very little change in the pattern, with changes in course length being the result of changes in degree subject. The option of taking an MChem was not open to all the interviewees, as some universities do not offer them. Similarly, some interviewees mentioned that they would not have the option of graduating with a BSc. None of the interviewees were planning to refuse the option of taking an extra year to get an MChem if the option is available to them. The reasons interviewees gave for studying for an MChem rather than a BSc, excluding those who did not have a choice, tended to focus on the impact they felt it would have on their employment opportunities if they decided to continue into a Chemical Sciences-related area. All the respondents taking MChems felt it would help their employment opportunities to have a higher qualification and more knowledge generally. “I’ve been told it helps when you want to apply for a job in industry”. [Male MChem Chemistry student] “I found out about degrees before, and they said the best jobs can go to people with MScis and MChem is kind of equivalent to that”. [Male MChem Chemistry student]

8

One respondent commented that it was cheaper to do an MChem than a BSc followed by an MSc. When looking at characteristics such as gender, age, ethnicity and socio-economic background, the profile of the Chemical Science applicant population was distinctly different from that of the Futuretrack applicant population as a whole. Chemical Science applicants have a similar profile to the ‘traditional’ HE applicant. They are more likely than average to be male, young, and to have high tariff points on entry. One of the most obvious differences between the Chemical Science applicants and the Futuretrack Stage One cohort as whole was the gender ratio. As is well documented, although women have been increasingly choosing Chemical Science courses, the majority of Chemical Science students remain male, in contrast to the overall cohort, where the gender ratio is slightly in favour of females. As Figure 2.2 shows, successful Chemical Science applicants were also younger than average, with the large majority entering university at the traditional age of 18-19 and very few as mature students. Figure 2.2

Age breakdown of students accepted to study Chemical Sciences, comparing Chemical Sciences with all accepted students for 2006

90% Chemistry 80% All subjects 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 18 and under

19, 20

21-30

over 31

Source: Futuretrack Stage 1, 2006: all accepted applicants, weighted

Chemical Science respondents had a somewhat less diverse profile than the student body as a whole, with less students from Black ethnic groups, but with a slightly higher proportion of Asian students studying Chemical Science subjects, as shown in Table 2.1.

9

Table 2.1

Ethnicity breakdown of students accepted to study Chemical Sciences

Chemical Sciences All subjects

Asian 11.4%

Black 2.8%

White 82.1%

Mixed 3.2%

Other 0.6%

9.8%

5.6%

80.7%

2.8%

1.1%

Source: Futuretrack Stage 1, 2006: all accepted applicants, weighted

Compared to the Futuretrack sample as a whole, applicants to study Chemical Science subjects had high UCAS tariff points, as can be seen in Figure 2.3. As will be seen in subsequent chapters, Chemistry and other Chemical Science subjects are often regarded by employers as difficult and Chemical Science graduates are seen as being particularly intelligent. Applicants in the ‘not applicable’ category had non-standard qualifications, including qualifications from abroad. Two of the interviewees came from other EU countries. They had both started university in their home countries before coming to study in the UK, and had applied to relatively few UK institutions. They had been attracted to the rigor of Chemical Science courses on offer in the UK, and felt that their degrees would be respected in their home countries. The relatively low cost of studying in the UK as an EU citizen was also mentioned. Figure 2.3

UCAS tariff points of applicants to Chemical Sciences

30.0% Chemical sciences All applicants

25.0% 20.0% 15.0% 10.0% 5.0%

540 plus

480 to 539

420 to 479

360 to 419

300 to 359

240 to 299

180 to 239

120 to 179

80 to 119

1 to 79

Not applicable

0.0%

Source: Futuretrack Stage 1, 2006: all accepted applicants, unweighted

In common with the Futuretrack cohort as a whole, the most common educational background amongst Chemical Science applicants was a comprehensive school, although Chemical Science students are more likely than the cohort as a whole to come from independent schools, and less likely to come from institutions of further education29. When looking at the applicants who made successful applications to study Chemical Science subjects, as Figure 2.4 shows, applicants from independent schools were most likely to apply and go on to study Chemical Sciences, whilst applicants from comprehensive schools were more likely to have made an application

29

For comparative figures for the Futuretrack respondent cohort as a whole see Purcell et al. Applying for Higher Education – the diversity of career choices, plans and expectations: Findings from the First Futuretrack Survey ‘Class of 2006’ applicants for Higher Education. HECSU and IER, March 2008. This can be downloaded from www.warwick.ac.uk/ier

10

to study Chemical Sciences but to have ended up studying something else or not accepting a place. Figure 2.4

Educational background of Chemical Science applicants

45.0% Studied chem

40.0%

Applied to chem

35.0% 30.0% 25.0% 20.0% 15.0% 10.0% 5.0% Other

Other

maintained

School

Independent

School

Grammar

Centre

Sixth Form

College

Sixth Form

School

Comprehensive

Education

Further/Higher

0.0%

Source: Futuretrack Stage 1, 2006: all accepted applicants, unweighted

Social class and educational background are often related, and this is seen in the profile of Chemical Science applicants, who were somewhat more likely than applicants as a whole to have come from the higher socio-economic backgrounds from which HE students have traditionally been recruited. 2.3

Higher education choices made by Chemical Science applicants

Applicants were asked why they had decided to apply for full-time HE entry, why they had chosen the Higher Education Institute (HEI) at which they hoped to study, and why they had chosen their courses. They were asked for all reasons and the main reason for choices. The sections that follow look in more detail at the motivations and outcomes of decision making by Chemical Sciences applicants in Futuretrack Stage One. Most Chemical Sciences applicants were aiming to study for a Chemical Science degree, although more specialist degrees in particular branches of Chemical Sciences were also common; for example, forensic sciences and related subjects is an area that has been growing in popularity. Table 2.2 compares all reasons given by the Chemical Science applicants and all applicants.

11

Table 2.2

Reasons for applying to enter full-time HE, all applicants and Chemical Science applicants

Main reason for choosing to enter HE

Chemical sciences %

All applicants %

It is part of my longer-term career plans To enable me to get a good job I want to study the particular subject/course I want to realise my potential It is the normal thing to do for somebody like me I wasn't sure what to do next and it gave me more options I want to be a student Other

26.7 25.8 18.3 13.2 5.9 4.1

34.6 20.9 17.6 13.7 4.4 3.4

3.2 2.8

2.8 2.7

Source: Futuretrack Stage 1, 2006, accepted applicants, unweighted

Employment-related and career reasons were important, but less common than for the sample as a whole. Table 2.3 shows the main reasons given by those with accepted places to study on Chemical Science courses. Within this, there were several differences between those who applied to study a Chemical Sciences subject as one of UCAS options but ultimately studied something different, and those who went on to study a Chemical Sciences subject, although there was little significant difference between the two groups. Applicants who stated that they had chosen to enter HE because ‘It is part of my longer term career plans’ were more likely to choose to apply to do a Chemical Sciences subject but decide to study something else. Within this group subjects with a more vocational focus such as pharmacology and related subjects and medicine and dentistry were common choices. Among Chemical Sciences applicants, the group that confessed, as their main reason, that they had chosen to enter HE because ‘I wasn’t sure what to do next and it gave me more options’ were among those most likely to have applied to study a Chemical Sciences subject and ultimately do so. Given the distribution of Chemical Sciences and related departments across UK HE, it is no surprise that Russell Group and other old universities dominate among the HEIs applied to. In total, applicants to study Chemical Sciences had applied to study at 50 institutions. 73 per cent of applicants were hoping to attend a pre-92 university and 16 per cent a post-92 university. The rest were undecided or aspired to attend a specialist college or similar institution.

12

Table 2.3

Reasons for choice of subject, comparing Chemical Sciences and all accepted applicants

Main reason for choosing course of study

Chemical sciences %

All applicants %

I enjoy studying the subject(s)/topic(s)

55.0

39.1

I am interested in the content of the course

14.4

19.3

I think it will lead to good employment opportunities in general I need to complete this course to enter a particular profession/occupation I get good grades in subject(s) related to this course I had difficulty deciding and it seemed like a reasonable option It will enable me to qualify for another course It is a modular course and enables me to keep a range of options open It includes the opportunity to spend part of the course abroad I was advised that the course would be appropriate for me Other

12.9

12.5

8.4

19.8

2.9

2.3

2.5

1.8

1.4 1.2

1.5 2.1

0.6

0.7

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.6

Source: Futuretrack Stage 1, 2006, accepted applicants, unweighted

Although Chemical Science applicants reported that they were motivated to enter HE by employment-related factors directly, career-related reasons were less frequently mentioned when they were asked their main reason for choosing to apply to study a Chemical Science subject, as Table 2.3 shows. More than half stated that their main reason for applying to study a Chemical Science subject was ‘I enjoy studying the subject’, and another 14 per cent were ‘interested in the content of the course’. Those Chemical Science applicants who said that they were motivated by enjoyment of the subject were most likely to go on to study a Chemical Sciences subject, whilst those who stated ‘I need to complete this course to enter a particular profession’, were the least likely to accept a place on a Chemical Sciences course. These latter were most likely to be people who ultimately chose to study more vocational subjects such as medicine and pharmacy. When thinking about their expectations for HE, in Stage One, the majority of Chemical Science applicants were very positive. As Table 2.4 shows, they were more likely than average to see HE as a good investment that would help them clarify their career options and get a good job and to believe that a degree is essential for most good jobs. In common with the Futuretrack cohort as a whole, debt was a significant concern for Chemical Science applicants: 62 per cent of applicants to Chemical Sciences said that they expected to have ‘significant’ debts by the time that they graduated, whilst only 19 per cent did not expect this to be the case. Worries about the difficulty of the work they would encounter were also somewhat common, although the majority did not have this concern.

13

Table 2.4

Proportion agreeing with statements about key aspects of HE, comparing Chemical Sciences and all accepted respondents

Issue I see my time in HE as a chance to clarify my career options I worry that I will find the [course] work difficult All universities should charge the same fees Student loans are a good idea Students in HE should contribute to the costs if they can afford to do so For most good jobs a degree is essential An HE qualification is a good investment

Chemical Sciences % 79.1 48.7 52.3 71.3 55.0

All accepted respondents % 79.2 46.6 57.3 69.9 53.8

76.5 95.6

70.3 86.3

Source: Futuretrack Stage 1, 2006

Applicants were also asked to rate themselves on a scale of 1-7 where 1 meant 'I have no idea what I will do after I complete the course I have applied for' and 7 meant ‘I have a clear idea about the occupation I eventually want to enter and the qualifications required to do so'. Figure 2.5 compares the distribution of their responses with those of accepted respondents as a whole. Compared to applicants as a whole, Chemical Science applicants were slightly less clear about their career path. The median value for Chemical Science applicants is 3, whilst for graduates as a whole, it is 2. They were, however, less likely than applicants generally to say that they had no idea about what they wanted to do. This may have implications for career outcomes as many chemists are embarking on their degree without a clear idea of their aim when they complete. This question is followed up in Stage Two, and changes will be discussed in more detail in the Stage Two section. Figure 2.5

Comparative distribution of Chemical Sciences and all applicant responses to ‘career planning’ scale

35%

Chemical Sciences All applicants

30%

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%

0% 1

2

3

4

5

Source: Futuretrack Stage 1, 2006: all accepted applicants, unweighted

14

6

7

2.4

Futuretrack Stage Two: integration into HE and evaluation of choices made

Stage Two of the Futuretrack survey took place in 2007, a year after the cohort had applied through UCAS to enter HE and when most of the respondents had completed their first year in HE. Questions in this stage asked respondents to reflect on their experiences of HE and how their attitudes, aspirations and abilities had changed since they embarked on their course. 2.5

Characteristics of the Stage Two Chemical Scientists

In the Stage Two Futuretrack cohort, 737 students had originally applied to study Chemical Sciences. Of these, 556 were enrolled on a Chemical Sciences course at the time of the survey. In the preliminary merged dataset, Stage One data are available for 466 of these students.30 Some students had changed courses during or on completion of their first year in HE. Most of these students had moved between different types of Chemical Science courses: for example, moving between a BSc in Chemistry and an MChem in Chemistry or to more specialised branches of Chemical Sciences as their interests changed. The most common courses chosen by applicants who left the Chemical Sciences were pharmacy/pharmacology and the biological Sciences. Only a very small number had left the sciences altogether, registering on courses including law and architecture. Eleven students had changed onto Chemical Sciences courses from other disciplines, primarily other sciences. Seven students who had originally intended to study a Chemical Sciences subject had not completed the first year of their course and appeared to have, at least temporarily, left HE. Six of those interviewed at the end of their second year had changed courses, five onto non-Chemical Sciences courses and one from a non-Chemical Sciences course onto a Chemical Sciences one. The reasons for this were varied. The student who had changed onto a Chemical Sciences course and one of those who had changed to a non-Chemical Sciences course felt that their original course had not lived up to their expectations in terms of content and teaching methods. The interviewee who had changed onto a non-Chemical Sciences course commented that the Chemical Sciences course she had started was too general and she was required to study things she was not interested in. “Basically I thought that I’d do a course which had a lot of stuff to do with what I wanted, so, for my chosen career, it would be well-suited, but it turned out it wasn’t. It was too varied, there were a lot of different things, like I had to learn things which wouldn’t apply to my chosen career”. [Female BSc Biological Sciences Student who had previously been studying for a BSc in Chemistry] Consequently, she had moved onto a more focussed, vocational course. Of the four remaining interviewees who had changed courses, two had been unable to enrol on 30

The Stage Two cohort is composed of participants who had given email details in order to be re-contacted at the end of the Stage One questionnaire, along with eligible students who had missed out on participating in Stage One who joined as a result of publicity via their universities and colleges to maximise retention. There was considerable response erosion between the two stages, largely as a result of failure to re-contact successfully, and the Stage Two dataset contains a substantial proportion of responses that have not yet been matched up with those for whom full identified details were available. Work continues on cleaning, labelling and expanding the merged Stage One and Two data, so the analysis that follows is preliminary and findings subject to further testing. However, the samples being compared are sufficiently large for the analyses that follow to be taken as indicative of patterns of response and similarities and differences among the groups investigated. Because the population profile is known, the data can be weighted to take account of identified response biases.

15

their first choice course because they did not have the correct ‘A’ Levels or required ‘A’ Level grades, but had subsequently been accepted onto their first choice course as a result of their performance during the first year of their Chemical Sciences course. The other two had simply found their Chemical Sciences course less interesting and enjoyable than they had imagined, and had changed to courses that they felt they would enjoy more and find more interesting. Both commented that they found the lab work, in particular, somewhat uninteresting and repetitive. The student who had changed onto a Chemical Sciences course had also changed universities, and one student was studying the same subject but had changed university. 2.6

How Chemical Sciences students spend their time

In common with all students, Chemical Science students balance their time between study in and out of the classroom, paid and voluntary work, and leisure activities. Futuretrack Stage Two asked them about how much time they spent on timetabled lessons, tutorials and practical work and how much they spend on coursework or other types of independent study. Chemical Science students spent approximately twice as much of their week in time-tabled lessons and practical work as they did on coursework or study. There was not a great deal of variation in time spent on course activities by type of course, although MChem students, on four year undergraduate degrees, spent a little more time on coursework or study than students on other courses. There are very few students studying for foundation degrees and HNDs. Compared to the Futuretrack cohort as a whole, Chemical Science students spend a relatively large amount of their time engaged in various types of study. This, inevitably, reduces the amount of time they have to spend on paid and voluntary work and social and other extracurricular activities. This was referred to by several of the employers interviewed in the course of this study, who expressed concerns about the lack of business skills possessed by Chemical Science graduates, as well as their lack of opportunities to develop skills such as team work and leadership away from the academic setting, as will be discussed in Chapters 6 and 7. As can be seen in Figure 2.6, almost three quarters of Chemical Sciences students did no paid work during term time and a third did no paid work during their first year at all. Those who did paid work during term time spent an average of 12 hours a week in paid employment, a demanding schedule in addition to the hours these students spent studying. Anecdotal evidence from the interviews with some of the Futuretrack cohort as they completed their second year in HE suggests that some of the students who had done no paid work at all were planning to take vacation jobs in the summer between their second and third years, with paid internships becoming more popular.

16

Figure 2.6

Paid employment of Chemical Science students in their first year of HE Chemical Science students

45

All students

40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 During vacation(s) and term-time

Only during vacation(s)

Only during term-time

Not at all

Source: Futuretrack Stage 2 Preliminary data, 2007, unweighted

Students were asked why they took on paid work, either in term time or during vacations. Figure 2.7 shows all the reasons they gave. These were not ranked in order of importance – this analysis merely examines what proportion of working students cited each potential motivation as one of their reasons for working. Figure 2.7

Why did Chemical Sciences students do paid work in their first year?

To help pay my essential living costs To help pay for the costs of books and study materials To pay for leisure activities To avoid debt To save for holidays and other specific purposes To gain work experience To gain general employment experience Chemical Science Term Time

To develop particular skills on the job

All Students Term Time Chemical Science Vacation

To satisfy one of the requirements of my course

All students vacation

Other

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90% 100%

Source: Futuretrack Stage 2 Preliminary data, 2007, unweighted

The patterns of working during term-time were broadly similar to those for working during vacation, although those who worked during term-time were more concerned with meeting essential living costs and paying for materials to help them to study, suggesting that term-time work is undertaken out of necessity rather than choice. Those who worked only during vacations, conversely, were more likely to mention saving to pay for holidays and other specific purposes as a reason.

17

Chemical Science students largely undertook employment with the aim of earning enough money to pay for essential costs, pay for leisure or avoid debt. However, around half of those who did work, did so specifically to gain experience of work. This demonstrates a level of career awareness that is likely to be of benefit later when they complete their courses. The Futuretrack participants who were interviewed at the end of their second year had gained a variety of work experience, both in and outside the chemical sector, and most felt that they would be able to transfer the skills they had learnt to a job upon graduation. Of the 15 interviewees who were still studying Chemical Sciences, eight were planning to do an industrial placement. Of the remaining seven, three were not offered the option as part of their course but were encouraged to work in their departments or in university owned companies during the summer. One had changed courses and institutions and felt that as they had already missed out on one year at their new institution they did not want to lose another, and another planned to do a year abroad instead. One other interviewee had started his course planning to spend a year abroad and when he had changed his mind he was unable to change onto the year in industry track, and another felt that taking the year in industry put too much pressure on people in the final year of their degree because the exams counted for a larger proportion of their degree classification. Approximately one in five Futuretrack Chemical Science students did some form of unpaid or voluntary work during their first year. Chemical Science students had a wide range of motivations and individuals tended to cite fewer reasons for doing such work than they did for doing paid work, as Figure 2.8 shows. Figure 2.8

Why did Chemical Science students do unpaid or voluntary work in their first year? Chemical sciences students All students

It was part of my university/college course I had spare time on my hands I had experience in that area To gain experience for my future career I wanted to help someone/the community It connected with my needs/interests To meet people/socialise Someone asked me to To learn new skills 0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

per cent Source: Futuretrack Stage 2 Preliminary data, 2007, unweighted

As Figure 2.8 shows, although a desire to help was the most common reason, nearly half of students volunteered to boost their skills, and a quarter sought experience for their future career. The picture emerges of a group who are motivated by idealism, but with some who are also aware of the benefits of enhanced skills for career development. Unpaid or voluntary work can help build social and team-working skills, introduce students to new situations, and demonstrate motivation and an awareness of

18

those around them, all regarded as very valuable skills to employers according to the interviews conducted. As well as undertaking various types of employment, Chemical Science students also engaged in a wide range of extracurricular activities during their first year in HE. As will be seen in subsequent sections, employers value extracurricular activities for the skills and experience they give participants. Sports were particularly favoured by employers for the teamwork and leadership skills they promote, and over half of the Chemical Science students in the Stage Two cohort took part in a sports society or club. 90 per cent of Chemical Science students taking part in sport did so at the university, and 22 per cent did so at external clubs, with some involved in both. Figure 2.9 maps the kinds of extra-curricular activities engaged in by Chemical Science students during their first year at university. Around one in three (33 per cent) were involved in a society related to Chemical Sciences, and Student Union and charitable activities were also common. Nearly half of Chemical Science students (48 per cent) taking part in charitable activities did so outside the university. Futuretrack participants were also asked if they had acted as an office holder or student representative during their course so far, and 16 per cent of Chemical Science students had done so. Figure 2.9

What kind of other extracurricular activity did Chemical Science students undertake in their first year? Sports society or club Other hobbies or interests

Subject/departmental society Involvement in Student Union organisation Charity/community orientated society Religious society or club Language society or club

Chemical sciences students

Debating or drama society

All students Student journalism or politics

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

per cent

Source: Futuretrack Stage 2 Preliminary data, 2007, unweighted

These results run contrary to some of the commonly held stereotypes of Chemical Science students. A subject where a clear majority of students questioned actively take part in sport and a significant proportion hold offices, are involved in student politics or take part in charitable activity is not one where graduates can be routinely dismissed as being insular or lacking in social skills. Whilst some Chemical Science students will not have taken part in these activities, and may lack certain key attributes that employers look for, enough are taking part in social activity for generalisation to be dangerous.

19

2.7

Career development of Chemical Science students

Stage Two Futuretrack respondents were asked how their experience of the previous year had affected their career plans. We saw earlier in this chapter that at Stage One, Chemical Science applicants reported having developed plans for their career before entering HE, and a relatively small number had little idea of what they would like to do when they graduated, although they were less likely than applicants as a whole to have a clear career direction and more likely to be at the ‘don’t know’ end of the spectrum. The majority of the interviewees wanted to remain in Chemical Sciences in some way, although a few were ambivalent about working in the chemical industry and were considering teaching and university research as alternatives that would allow them to use their Chemical Science skills. Although the desire to leave the Chemical Sciences was not seen amongst the Chemical Science students interviewed, several mentioned that they knew of people on their courses who were planning to work in other fields: “A lot of people on my course are doing it as a general one, and they want to get out of it and go on to banking or whatever”. [Male MChem Chemistry student] Some interviewees had a very clear idea about what kind of career they wanted, for example, the following interviewee who planned to go into teaching, “I’d quite like a job in the public sector. Something that helps others. That’s why I’ve been thinking about teaching recently. I had a great chemistry teacher once, and they were really inspiring, so I thought that perhaps I could do that for other people, because I know that chemistry isn’t the most taken-up subject at university”. [Male MChem Medicinal and Biological Chemistry student] Others had an idea of the kind of Chemical Science area they were interested in working in: “The energy sector, if I went into chemistry, because the parts of the course that I enjoy are the more physical areas of chemistry, rather than organic and pharmaceutical, so that’s more applicable to energy”. [Male MChem Chemistry student] “I’m thinking about nuclear chemistry or possibly pharmaceuticals. My year in industry is going to be with [pharmaceutical company] so I’ll learn more about that, see if I like it. It’s difficult to get anything in the nuclear industry, placements, so that’s a different option, unknown, so I’ll see about the pharmaceuticals first and if I don’t like it, I’ll look elsewhere”. [Female MChem Chemistry with a Year in Industry student] “Probably biological chemistry. I prefer organic chemistry to inorganic. It’s difficult but most organic chemists just do synthesis, not really to explore something new, so I would like to do organic chemistry with biological application, I think, where you do synthesis with a purpose”. [Male MChem Chemistry international student] A final group knew the kinds of things they would like to do in their careers, but not the sector they wanted to pursue them in, or they knew the things they definitely did not want to end up doing in their jobs: “If I went into a pharmaceutical company, I would want to be on the management side, not the boiling stuff side”. [Female MChem Chemistry student]

20

“I don’t want to be stuck in lab doing chemical research. Because I think with chemical research, if you discover something, you’ll get well-paid off that, but other than that, it’s not well paid and you never really see the fruits of your labour”. [Male MChem Medicinal and Biological Chemistry student] “I do have some thoughts, I am going to see how this year goes. The pharmaceutical sector in chemistry is having a lot of redundancies in years to come. [It’s] going away from the chemistry approach and going towards the biology phase, so I don’t know if there will be a lot of job security in that market”. [Female MChem Chemistry student] “Ideally I would like a fairly decent job that would challenge me and that I would enjoy, but I’m not sure what yet”. [Male MChem Chemistry student] “I really don’t know, I know at my age a lot of people expect me to have a plan but I am enjoying the chemistry, enjoying the chemical industry and I’ll possibly do something environmental as that is the subject which interests me, but I don’t have anything I am aiming towards”. [Female BSc Chemistry mature student] Ethnical considerations were important to several of the interviewees in deciding what career they wanted, as the following quotes illustrate. “Firstly it has to interest me. I decided right off that if I am going to be spending the rest of my life somewhere, it’s definitely going to be something that can captivate me. And also something that’s beneficial for the wider populace. Because I want to have some sort of contribution to society and they way I see of doing it is through the thing I am best at, which is chemistry… Whatever it is, I want to discover things that have practical applications, whether it be drugs to help combat disease or a new material that can be used for whatever it can be used for. Even if it was theoretical chemistry, that would lead other people on to those practical things”. [Male MChem Chemistry Student] “There’s quite a lot of unethical jobs, I suppose. I wouldn’t want to do those. A lot of stuff for the petroleum sector or big pharmaceutical companies. A lot of the stuff is bordering on the unethical and the greedy. There is obviously in those sectors still possibilities to do good, to clean up their act and stuff… I’ll put a lot of effort into finding something that’s suitable”. [Male MChem Chemistry student] “I would not go into something involving the military, explosives, an immoral approach to chemistry. I think chemistry should be something that is helping people, not killing them, basically”. [Male MSc Chemistry international student] Generally, the Chemical Science students interviewed felt that they had a better idea than their friends studying other subjects about what kind of career they wanted when they graduated. They attributed this to there being a clear path into the chemical industry for those who wanted to pursue it. However, one interviewee felt that she had a worse idea than other people she knew because the skills she was learning on her course were so diverse and so applicable to a range of professions that she was overwhelmed by choice: “I would say I have a worse idea because a lot of subjects, there’s a kind of designated path that they often follow, or there’s a type of person within that subject and that type of person doing that subject tends to do whatever. People have a strong idea, like, to use an obvious example, lawyers often do law, but I

21

think that chemists have such a broad spectrum of things open to them, it’s hard”. [Female MChem Chemistry student] As Figure 2.10 shows, 48 per cent of students reported that their career plans were unaffected by their first year, but the remainder of students had found that going to university had led them to reflect on their future careers. This is unsurprising, as at this early stage of development, students will be malleable in terms of career options. A small group had completely revised their plans, and another one in eight felt that their first year had muddied the waters a little, but in essence Chemical Science students seem to have retained or sharpened their career focus as a consequence of the first year of study. Figure 2.10

How has your experience of HE so far affected your career plans? Chemical Science students All students

Yes, much clearer idea

Yes, my ideas about career direction are less clear than before

Yes, my ideas have changed completely My experience of higher education has reinforced my original career plans My ideas are neither clearer nor less clear than before

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

per cent

Source: Futuretrack Stage 2 Preliminary data, 2007, unweighted

The interviews with Futuretrack participants demonstrate some of the changes that had occurred to students’ career plans. Of the 20 students interviewed, nine rated the clarity of their career plans lower; that is, they were less clear at the end of their first year than they had been on entering HE, five rated them as more clear, and five felt that they were equally as clear. Of the five who felt that their plans were equally as clear, three had rated themselves as 1 on the scale of 1 to 7 described earlier in this chapter. They were absolutely sure about what they wanted to do upon graduation and remained so. The only interviewee who said when he entered HE that he had no idea about what he wanted to do, and still had no idea, had changed courses. When interviewees’ career plans had become clearer, they tended to have become only slightly more so, moving one place up the rating scale. However, when the interviewee’s career plans became less clear, there tended to be a more dramatic move of 2 or more points. Four interviewees had started university certain of the career they wanted to pursue and how to do so but had since become less clear. The biggest changes occurred in relation to the branch of Chemical Sciences that students hope to pursue as a career. This is largely the result of exposure to different areas which students had been unaware of when they had applied to university or which they found they had enjoyed more than they had expected. However, as the following quotes illustrate, several interviewees mentioned that their idea of what they wanted to pursue as a career had changed completely during their course

22

50

“I wanted to go into health care or something to do with a hospital. But I’m coming to see teaching as a more worth-while profession. I think everyone when they come into university, they want to go into the highest paid job going and they want to work six weeks a year and have the rest off holiday. I think everyone realises as they go through university that that’s not going to be the case for most of them. So I think that teaching is a pretty worthwhile profession, it’s a guaranteed job, they’re never going to be oversubscribed with science teachers”. [Male MChem Medicinal and Biological Chemistry student] “I started off only doing chemistry because it was the most interesting but I didn’t think I’d end up doing something in chemistry, I thought I would be an accountant. But as it’s gone on and since I [changed universities] I’ve started enjoying it loads more and I’m thinking that I probably will do something to do with Chemistry, but I don’t know what yet”. [Female BSc Chemistry student who had changed institutions] “I was geared towards teaching or something like that. But it’s changed a lot actually, just because I think it’s opened more doors, I see there is more out there than just childcare, teaching, one track that I was maybe heading towards”. [Female BSc Chemistry mature student] Of interest when examining the preparedness of students for their post-graduation career is the extent to which Futuretrack participants had accessed the careers advice that was on offer in their first year. As Figure 2.11 shows, Chemical Science students had not utilised many of the careers advice resources available to them. The most popular careers advice accessed was a careers event organised by the careers service particularly for first year students, but only 32 per cent had attended such an event. A quarter (24 per cent) had attended an event looking at Chemical Science careers. As will be seen in subsequent chapters, employers interviewed expressed concerns that Chemical Sciences graduates were not aware of the range of options available to them and as a result were less likely to consider sectors with good opportunities, such as manufacturing. These findings will not ease those concerns, although it must be stressed that this is early in the university experiences of most students.

23

Figure 2.11

What kinds of careers advice did you access in your first year?

Career s event organised by t he Car eers Service f or f irst year st udent s Visit ed Career s Ser vice websit e Obt ained car eers advice f r om f amily or f riends Career s event f or st udent s doing my course Obt ained car eers advice f r om an employer or wor k or ganisat ion r epresent at ive Ot her car eers event of f er ed by Car eers Service st af f Complet ed compulsor y module t o develop employment -r elat ed skills Obt ained Car eers Service guidance or inf ormat ion by email or t elephone Talked t o a Car eers Service consult ant about your course or car eer opt ions One-t o-one career s advice session of f er ed by Car eers Service st af f Ot her career s guidance Complet ed opt ional module t o develop employment -r elat ed skills Ot her

All students

Car eer s ser vice short cour ses or sessions t o develop employment -r elat ed skills

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

Chemical Sciences 50%

60%

Source: Futuretrack Stage 2 Preliminary data, 2007, unweighted

Students were also asked how often they had visited their university careers service. As Figure 2.12 shows, over half of Chemical Science students had not visited the careers service during their first year, with 12 per cent being unaware of the careers service at their institution. Figure 2.12

How often did you visit your university careers service?

60% Chemical Sciences

All students

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0% 1-2 times

3-4 times

5 or more times

I was aware of the service but did not visit it

I was unaware of this service

Source: Futuretrack Stage 2 Preliminary data, 2007, unweighted

This relatively low take up of careers advice services may reflect the fact that many students felt they had a broad idea of the direction their career was going to take, and it is likely that this first year pattern of use will change as the students proceed through their courses. Given their relative lack of career direction and the experience of previous cohorts in early career development, discussed in Chapter 5, it is likely that Chemical Science students would benefit from earlier accessing of careers advice and information.

24

Students in Stage Two were still at an early stage of their university careers. Evidence from the interviews with Futuretrack participants at the end of their second year in HE suggests that there has been some increase in the use of careers advice resources, largely motivated by students’ desire for industrial placements and summer jobs. However, many interviewees mentioned that they had done much of the research themselves, using the internet to find appropriate organisations. Advice from within Chemical Science departments, from placement co-ordinators and personal tutors was also increasingly being sought. Interviewees felt that people within their departments were more likely to give good, specific advice about the types of careers available to Chemical Science graduates as they had been through the process themselves and were likely to have better links with industry than the careers service. This varied somewhat between universities, with some relying on the careers service to provide all the information students might require, and some university careers services having dedicated Chemical Sciences specialists to give advice. “The department has provided very little information, they don’t seem that interested in the students. I don’t know any of the lectures very well. I would have thought if I was a tutor or a lecturer, I would be interested in what the students do. I have a personal tutor who I don’t really see but do send an occasional email and I have tried to enquire, when I didn’t have a very clear idea about certain jobs I would be applying for work placements. But there is quite a good career service here and I have used their website”. [Female MChem Chemistry Student] Other interviewees felt that although they were currently not using careers advice services, and were not particularly well informed about potential future careers, they knew that the information was available and they had the opportunity to become more well-informed when they wanted to do so. Most of the interviewees felt that more opportunities to do presentations would help them to become more employable. Practical assistance such as CV writing courses were not seen as being particularly useful, but interviewees felt that the careers service could do more to provide them with information about the kinds of careers graduates with Chemical Science degrees went into, as well as information about specific companies, including their location, specialism, the skills they looked for, the qualifications they required and the salaries they paid. Interviewees had quite a negative impression of the information they had received from employers and professional bodies. The most common complaint was that it was not detailed or practical enough, and information sessions seemed to be little more than social events, sometimes considered to be held at inconvenient times. Analysis of first destination data in Chapter 4 reveals that a significant proportion of Chemical Science graduates go on to postgraduate study after completing their first degree qualification. Amongst the Chemical Science students in the Futuretrack Stage Two cohort, an intention to go on to further study was evident by the end of their first year at university. Figure 2.13 shows that Chemical Science students were less likely plan to study on taught Masters programmes, but considerably more likely to aspire to research degrees.

25

Figure 2.13

Types of postgraduate study Chemical Science students plan to undertake

Enrol on a taught Masters degree postgraduate course Apply to do a research degree Enrol on a PGCE Study for another professional qualification Apply for a postgraduate course outside UK Chemical Sciences All students

Complete other educational/training course

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% Source: Futuretrack Stage 2 Preliminary data, 2007, unweighted

As the data discussed in Chapter 4 show, between 25 per cent and 30 per cent of all Chemical Science graduates, and around 41 per cent of MChems in the 2006/7 graduating cohort had gone on to research degrees, so it appears that more students may be considering postgraduate study than will ultimately actually embark upon it – although the trend to progress to postgraduate study has been upwards and may continue to grow. More than half of the Futuretrack participants who were interviewed were considering studying for a PhD when they graduated, and two had firm plans to do so. Both the interviewees who were sure they wanted to do a PhD saw it as a way of getting the kind of job they wanted, in particular a job with a high degree of autonomy, either in the university sector or in the chemical industry. “I’m planning on hopefully going on to a PhD. Considering the jobs I want to do, I’ve been told by many other chemists who aren’t at university that a PhD will help you get to the places where you can do what you want to do. It’s quite important in Chemistry”. [Male MChem Chemistry student] “For me it is how interesting I find the work, pretty much only that. I think research is interesting. I like being able to do what I want to do and not do what anyone else wants me to do. And that makes it a lot better to work in a university, where you can set your own research goals, whereas if you work in a company you have to do what your boss tells you to do and explore the things that he or she finds interesting. I’m not really motivated by money, for me having an interesting job is much more important than having a job that pays a lot”. [Male MChem Chemistry international student] As many jobs in the Chemical Sciences specifically seek doctoral qualifications, it may be instructive to examine which specialism would-be postgraduates are considering for further study, and the modules they are taking in their courses. This would help clarify whether the concerns expressed by some employers cited in Chapters 6 and 7 are being addressed.

26

2.8

Chemical Sciences students’ skills

In both Stage One and Stage Two of the Futuretrack survey, participants were asked to rate their key skills on a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 was ‘Excellent’ and 5 was ‘Not very good’. Chemical Science students changed their ratings little between the two surveys, with spoken communication and confidence being rated worse at the end of the year (possibly by comparison with graduates from other disciplines) than at the start, and numeracy better. Table 2.5

Self-assessment of skills levels by students at the end of their first year of study

How do you rate yourself at the following skills, where 1 is ‘Excellent’ and 5 is ‘Not very good'? Written communication Spoken communication Numeracy Computer literacy Self-confidence

Chemical Sciences (mean) 2.41 2.65 1.87 2.25 2.89

All students (mean) 2.27 2.34 2.64 2.38 2.58

Source: Futuretrack Stage 1, 2006 and Stage 2 Preliminary data, 2007, unweighted

Students as a whole rated their skills highly, but it is perhaps significant that Chemical Science students felt themselves to be rather less self-confident, and to be somewhat worse communicators than students as a whole. This tends to bear out some of the criticisms of employers cited later in the report that work can be done with chemists to improve their perception of their skills. In the interviews with Futuretrack participants, interviewees were asked what the most important skills they felt they were learning on their course. Looking only at those interviewees who were currently studying Chemical Sciences, the following were the most commonly mentioned (in order): Time management Team work / Working with people Practical skills / techniques Chemical knowledge Applying theoretical knowledge Problem solving Life skills How to work alone

Respondents were also asked what skills and attributes they thought employers were looking for when they were recruiting graduates, with the most common being (in order): Practical/technical skills/knowledge Team working Intelligence Reliability Presentation skills Time management Work experience Hard-working Life experience Leadership Communication skills

27

As will be seen in subsequent chapters, this list matches quite closely with the lists provided by employers. The most surprising omission from the list is written communication which was mentioned by only two respondents as something they thought employers were looking for. The interviewees were also asked to assess their own strengths and weaknesses in relation to finding a job when they graduate. As the list below shows, they saw their strengths lying in teamwork and time management, as well as subject specific knowledge: Teamwork Time management Subject-specific knowledge Ability/intelligence Leadership Work hard Work experience Reliability Love of subject People skills Communication skills Awareness of the jobs available Organisation skills

They attributed their strength in these areas to the structure of their courses, many of which required teamwork in labs, and the heavy workload they experienced on their courses which required them to manage their time efficiently. As will be seen in Chapters 6 and 7 their perception of their team working skills is somewhat at odds with that held by employers, particularly those outside the chemical industry. When asked about their current weaknesses in relation to finding a job when they graduate, lack of presentation skills was the most frequently mentioned. In common with the findings mentioned above, the Chemical Science students lacked confidence, with 1 in 3 feeling that a lack of confidence was likely to be a problem when they came to trying to find a job. These were the only two areas mentioned by more than two of the interviewees. Amongst the less frequently mentioned weaknesses, two of the mature students felt that their age would count against them and they might be seen as inflexible and uncommitted. 2.9

Chemical Science students’ perceptions of their courses

The Futuretrack participants were also asked a series of questions about how they felt their year had progressed, the amount of work they had been required to do on their courses and how this related to their prior expectations, how they were enjoying their courses and experience of HE more generally. One of the most relevant findings in relation to this research is their perception of the standard of work required on their course and whether students felt it had been higher or lower than expected.

28

Figure 2.14

How did you feel about the standard of work required on your Chemical Science course? All students

I was required to wo rk much harder than I had expected

Chemical Sciences

I was required to wo rk so mewhat harder than I had expected The wo rklo ad was much as I had expected

I was required to wo rk less hard than I had expected

I was required to wo rk much less hard than I had expected

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

Source: Futuretrack Stage 2 Preliminary data, 2007: all Chemical Sciences students, unweighted

As Figure 2.14 shows, nearly half (48 per cent) of chemists had found the workload heavier than they had expected. However, only 16 per cent of chemists agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, “The amount of work I had to complete on my course was excessive”, whilst 24 per cent disagreed or strongly disagreed. This leads to the conclusion that although the workload was harder than expected for many, the amount was felt to be appropriate for the course. This was also commented on in the interviews with Chemical Science students at the end of their second year. “There’s a lot more actual work involved than I was expecting. I am just getting used to working harder. I knew from the start it would be more hour intensive. Being a science degree there’s a lot more taught hours than an arts degree, but there’s also a lot more homework and just like filling out reports and stuff at home that I wasn’t expecting. And it gets worse next year, but I figure if I prepare for it, I’ll do well. I’ll have broken the pain barrier and I’ll go through and be fine after that, and it’s fun doing it”. [Male MChem Chemistry student] “It has been a lot harder than I anticipated, not just the course content, as Chemistry is quite difficult anyway, just the amount of study as there is a lot of course work and a lot of time at university as well, that I didn’t expect, I thought because of the contact hours I would have less course work and this is not the case”. [Female BSc Chemistry student] Only a small proportion (7 per cent) said that they were either unhappy or very unhappy with their choice of course after their first year, 70 per cent reported themselves to be very happy or happy with their choice of course and 43 per cent disagreed strongly when asked whether they had made a mistake in choosing to study a Chemical Science subject; not significantly different to responses from the sample as a whole, whose equivalent responses were 7 per cent, 72 per cent and 47 per cent respectively. In the interviews with Futuretrack participants at the end of their second year, they were asked whether they were enjoying their courses and what, in particular they did

29

and did not enjoy. Nearly all the interviewees were very positive about their experiences and were enjoying their courses. “I enjoy most aspects of the course. The way the practical side integrates with the theory side of things, how it’s delivered, how you learn things in the laboratory, you learn practical things on your own, in your own time. You’re given a set of things to do, a set of experiments, then you’re given a time to do it and you’re free to set your own time to do things”. [Male MChem Chemistry student who had changed courses] Although the above respondent enjoyed the opportunities to work alone, other respondents noted that they enjoyed the team work and camaraderie that they had experienced on their course. “I also enjoy the sense of community that there is with Chemistry. There’s a real sense of team-work in labs and like tutorials and stuff, around exam time. All through the year, we’re always willing to help each other”. [Female MChem Chemistry student] Learning how to apply chemical techniques and skills was something that students enjoyed and was mentioned by several respondents as something that had attracted them to study Chemical Sciences in the first place. “I just really love Chemistry. It’s really interesting. I love everything about it really. I love the theory and the just finding out about how even the most basic stuff works. You are getting to look at things differently and see the interactions between them, and you start seeing things differently, seeing things and what they are made of and it goes all the way up to practical applications of it, like possibilities, new drugs or whatever. It’s exciting to be able to develop something that leads on to something really beneficial to society”. [Male MChem Chemistry student] “You just learn it off by heart in A-level and in school, but suddenly you get to university and they start explaining it, why we do things. You can relate it then to the rest of the world. It sticks in your head more and you sort of understand why things are done certain ways, like why we have certain drugs and how they work. It’s so interesting”. [Female MChem Chemistry student] Despite their desire not to go into a career which involved solely doing lab work, many of the interviewees mentioned that they had particularly enjoyed the practical work on their course. “The labs have been even more interesting than I thought they could be. Because at school you do really controlled experiments, and here, sort of the same, but you get so much different equipment and so many more interesting chemicals and dangerous ones. At school it’s really like “have this bottle of salt” and it’s like “oh” but at uni it’s like “have this, it may cause cancer, so be careful” which is like “OK, yay!” It’s a lot more fun and you are sort of really treated like an adult as opposed to a child at school, l so it’s a lot better that way”. [Female MChem Chemistry student] However, when the interviewees were asked what aspects of the course they did not enjoy, the practical work associated with particular areas of Chemical Science courses was mentioned by some as being uninteresting and unrewarding.

30

“There’s only one part that I don’t really like. There are three branches of chemistry, you’ve got organic, inorganic and physical, and physical is like maths and physics related to chemistry. I didn’t do maths at A-level so it’s quite difficult and it’s just not very nice. The physical labs are just a bit horrendous. They’re just really hard… The experiments are just like really pathetic as opposed to the other ones. I had to time water boiling, and it was so boring and it was really hard to concentrate. You do the most boring experiments ever in the history of man, and then you get so much data and you have to do really difficult, complex things to it, and you’re just like “why does anybody care?” and then you get like an organic experiment and you’re so excited by it!. Compared to the other labs where you are making drugs or pretty coloured chemicals, they’re so much more exciting”. [Female MChem Chemistry student] “I don’t like organic lab work. It’s headachy and really unrewarding. Maybe other people find it rewarding, but personally, when you have slaved away for an hour, or a day, or a week on something, and then you get a 30 per cent yield, which I think is actually considered quite good, that just to me doesn’t seem rewarding. Or when you’re trying to work out how to do a synthesis and you’re redoing it, and redoing it, and redoing it, and you just can’t get the stereochemistry right. I just couldn’t do it, it’s just too demoralising. I’m sure when you finally get it, it feels fantastic but there’s just so much faff, using fume cupboards, I’m not a big fan of organic labs”. [Female MChem Chemistry student] 2.10

Summary

- Futuretrack applicants who had applied for Chemical Science courses were more likely than average to have gained a place. Of those who were offered a place to study a Chemical Science subject, 52 per cent are known to have accepted. - Nearly two-thirds of those who had started a Chemical Science course intended to take a four year course, which include MChem and four year BSc courses. - Most Chemical Science applicants planned to study for a Chemistry degree, although other specialist Chemical Science degrees were also common. Forensic Sciences and related subjects have been growing in popularity. - Chemical Science applicants are more likely than average to be male, young, and to have high tariff points on entry, a similar profile to the ‘traditional’ HE applicant. Although women are increasingly choosing Chemical Science courses, the majority of Chemical Science students are male. Compared to the student body as a whole, there is a smaller proportion of students from minority ethnic groups amongst the Chemical Science group, although there is a slightly higher proportion of Asian students in the Chemical Science group than amongst all students. - The Russell Group and other old universities dominate the HEIs Chemical Science applicants chose to apply to. 73 per cent of applicants were hoping to attend a pre92 university and 16 per cent a post-92 university. - Enjoyment of the subject and interest in the course were the main reasons why applicants had chosen to apply to study a Chemical Science subject. They were somewhat less motivated by employment-related factors than the Futuretrack cohort as a whole. - Debt was a significant concern for Chemical Science applicants, as was the likelihood that they would find their course difficult.

31

- Chemical Science students spend a relatively large amount of time engaged in various types of study. Nearly half had found the workload heavier than they had expected, although only 16 per cent agreed or strongly agreed that they amount of work they had to complete on their course was excessive. They were less likely than undergraduates as a whole to have undertaken paid work during term, but more likely to have done so in vacations only, and slightly likely to have undertaken voluntary work, particularly as part of their course and their reasons for doing such was more often altruistic or social than to gain career-related experience or learn new skills (although the last of these reasons was given by about half of those who did unpaid work). A significantly higher proportion of Chemical Science students had participated in extracurricular sports societies or clubs than was the case for all undergraduates. - Chemical Science applicants were slightly less clear about their career paths than applicants as a whole. At the end of their first year, 48 per cent reported that their career plans were neither more nor less clear than they had been when they had been applying to enter HE. The biggest changes that had occurred in students’ career plans were in relation to the branch of Chemical Sciences in which they planned to pursue a career. Over half of Chemical Science students had not visited their university or college careers service during their first year, with 12 per cent stating that they were unaware of the careers service at their institution. - There was a high degree of satisfaction expressed by Chemical Science students, both with their courses and their experience of HE more generally. A relatively small proportion, 7 per cent, said that they were either unhappy or very unhappy with their choice of course after their first year, 70 per cent reported themselves to be very happy or happy with their choice of course and 43 per cent disagreed strongly when asked whether they had made a mistake in choosing to study a Chemical Science subject; not significantly different to responses from the sample as a whole.

32

CHAPTER 3.0

3.1

THE CHEMICAL SCIENCES GRADUATE LABOUR SUPPLY – SKILLS AND ASPIRATIONS: AN ENQUIRY OF FINAL YEAR UNDERGRADUATES

Introduction

The final year Chemical Science students’ enquiry was undertaken in the summer of 2008. In total, 612 students at 56 UK and Republic of Ireland (ROI) higher education institutions responded to an invitation to complete an online questionnaire31. This questionnaire investigated students’ satisfaction with their courses and their experience of HE more generally; their aspirations for the future and how these aspirations are shaped by the advice they received; and the extent to which they had begun to seek employment or other postgraduate options. All Heads of Chemical Science departments in the UK and ROI were asked to help with the enquiry by disseminating a link to the online questionnaire. Only two felt unable to help, but the response pattern suggests that a further two may also not have been able to contact their students. It was planned to circulate the invitation to students in early May, but most mailings did not go out until mid-May. Several institutions were unwilling to send it prior to the examination period, and in some cases the first mailing was not sent out until considerably later. Due to these limitations and with the need to rely upon intermediaries, the response was low. On the basis of incomplete information provided by institutions we estimate the overall response rate to have been approximately 17 per cent. This does not enable us to be confident that we have achieved an unbiased response, but the patterns revealed appear to cover the full range in terms of the known characteristics of the population and we consider them sufficiently useful to be regarded as indicative of the views and experiences of final year Chemical Science undergraduates. The first section of this chapter outlines the characteristics of the respondents in the sample, while the second section looks at their experience of HE. The final section examines the types of employment Chemical Science students envisage themselves undertaking after graduation. 3.2

Characteristics of final year Chemical Science students

The characteristics of the respondents to the Finalists enquiry were similar to the respondents in the Futuretrack and other surveys discussed in this report. The final year Chemical Science students in the enquiry were young, with 93 per cent being in the 20-25 age group. 53 per cent of the sample was female and 47 per cent male, and there were only a small number people from minority ethnic groups in the sample. More than 60 per cent were studying for a 4 year degree. This group contained respondents who were studying for 4 year MChem degrees in England and Wales, as well as respondents doing 4 year BSc degrees in Scotland. The majority of respondents studying for a degree lasting for more than 4 years were attending Scottish HEIs. Overall, 49 per cent of respondents were studying for a Bachelors degree and 52 per cent were studying for a Masters level qualification. Figure 3.1 shows the distribution of Bachelors and Masters degree respondents by length of course.

31

For a list participating institutions, see Appendix 1

33

Figure 3.1

Type of course by length of course

100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% Three years

Four years

More than four years

Length of course BSc

MChem

Source: Finalists enquiry, 2008.

HEIs in England had the highest proportion of students studying for undergraduate Masters degrees (MChem), with 66 per cent of respondents studying for MChem degrees. In Scotland, 41 per cent of respondents were studying for a MChem degrees, while very small proportions of Welsh and NI/ROI respondents were studying for this level of degree, with over 95 per cent of respondents in each case studying for BScs. Single honours Chemistry degrees were the most common type of degree, with 93 per cent of respondents studying for this type of degree, 4 per cent studying for a joint honours degree, and 3 per cent for an interdisciplinary degree. Almost all (99 per cent) respondents were studying full-time. 3.3

Chemical Science students experiences of higher education

Chemical Science students’ experiences of HE have an impact on their decision making in relation to employment and further study. Respondents were asked whether they had enjoyed their courses; whether their ideas about their future careers had changed as they had progressed through HE; whether they would choose to study the same course again; and whether they wanted to remain in the Chemical Sciences. Although Chemical Science courses were regarded as both difficult and timeconsuming, as Figure 3.2 shows, the students in the Finalists enquiry expected to graduate with good degrees. Finalists studying for MChem level degrees expected to graduate with a higher degree classification than those with BScs degrees. This may reflect higher previous achievement, as demonstrated by entry-level ‘A’ level tariff scores (and equivalent secondary education qualifications). We do not know the scores of respondents, but it may be that those accepted for MChem courses had higher average qualifications at this level.

34

Class of degree realistically expected

Figure 3.2

Class of degree realistically expected by type of course First Class Honours Upper Second Class Honours

Unclassified Second Class Honours Lower Second Class Honours Third Class Honours Ordinary Degree (unclassified)

BSc MChem

Don't know 0%

5%

10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%

Source: Finalists enquiry, 2008.

Respondents were asked why they had chosen to study for a Chemical Science degree. As in the case of the Futuretrack enquiry, enjoyment of and interest in the subject were the most frequently mentioned reasons, along with employment opportunities. Respondents were also asked whether, with hindsight, they would study the same course again. There was a high degree of satisfaction, with 73 per cent of respondents saying that they would either definitely or probably choose the same course again. 10 per cent would choose a similar course, but not the one they did choose, and just 8 per cent would choose a completely different course. The group that was most likely to say that they would choose something completely different were those who said their main reason for choosing to study the Chemical Sciences was because they had enjoyed Chemistry at school. Several respondents commented on how different they had found studying the Chemical Sciences at university to studying it at school. Students who chose their course primarily because they thought they would have good employment prospects were also more likely than average to say that they would choose a similar course but not the one they chose or would choose a completely different course. Employability was a frequently mentioned concern amongst those who said they would study something similar but not the same, with the most commonly given alternative courses being a Chemical Science course with an industrial placement, and a joint honours degree combining a Chemical Science with some kind of management or business-related course “I feel that although I have very much enjoyed the course I have done at university, it has not set me up adequately for a position in employment. I think that a short work placement should be part of all courses, to better prepare students for leaving university”. [Female BSc Forensic Investigation student] A course combining a Chemical Science and Biology was also a commonly mentioned alternative. Of those who said they would not do the same course again, Medicine was the most popular course they wished they had studied. Some respondents wanted to leave the sciences altogether, either because they perceived a lack of job prospects, or because they had simply not enjoyed their course. “I didn’t find it has helped me find a career path, I would do accountancy”. [Female BSc Medicinal Chemistry student] “I have gone from loving Chemistry to hating it. I would probably do some kind of English course”. [Female BSc Chemistry student]

35

Industrial placements were relatively uncommon, which is a concern given the preference for them indicated by the employers interviewed in Chapters 6 and 7. As Figure 3.3 shows, they were more common amongst students studying for Masters level qualifications than Bachelors degrees. Figure 3.3

Industrial placements by type of degree

100% per cent

80% 60% 40% 20% 0% BSc

MChem Type of course

None of these One or more terms abroad An industrial placement year abroad Shorter industry placement(s) as part of course An industrial placement year in the UK

Source: Finalists enquiry, 2008.

Students who had undertaken an industrial placement spoke very highly of them. They were seen as making the student more employable, and giving them opportunities to clarify what kind of employment they wanted when they graduated. “The industrial placement year was the best thing I have done, although this University may not have the prestige of some others, with regards to giving their students industrial experience they are probably the best in the country. I am returning to the company I did my year in industry with. If I did not have this as an option I would be in a situation where I did not have a job to go to. As such I would probably have struggled to find meaningful employment until next years graduate schemes came around but then they may question why I had done nothing useful between leaving Uni and starting the grad schemes”. [Male BSc Chemistry student] “The benefits of the industrial placement year cannot be overstated. I had no experience of professional scientific R&D and have been able to ask hundreds of questions and gain a good picture of how the process works and how the individual roles played by each department complement the process from the feasibility stage to final scale up and product registration. I feel that in any job interview relating to science or R&D in general I would be able to answer technical questions infinitely better than when I was a second year student going for interviews”. [Male BSc Chemistry with a Year in Industry student] “The opportunity to complete an industrial placement as part of my degree was an excellent option as on completion of this I was offered a job with the company when I graduate”. [Male MChem Chemistry with External Placement student]

36

As Figure 3.4 shows, although industrial placements were not common, most of the Chemical Science students in the enquiry had some experience of employment. While most of this experience was not related to their Chemical Science degree, experience of work is something that employers mentioned finding valuable. Only 10 per cent of respondents had not undertaken any kind of employment during their degrees. Figure 3.4

Finalists’ experience of paid and unpaid work during term time and vacations

80 70 60

per cent

50 40 30 20 10 0 Paid work Paid work Unpaid Paid work Paid work Unpaid No paid or related to related to work not related not related work not unpaid my degree my degree related to to my to my related to work during during term during my degree degree degree my degree course time vacations during term during time vacations

Other

Source: Finalists enquiry, 2008.

The need to have some kind of experience to have the best chance of getting a job after graduation was mentioned by several respondents, and was regarded by some as making it difficult for them to choose to work in the Chemical Sciences. “It seems to be impossible to find a job relating to Chemistry which does not require a few years previous experience. How are we meant to get that experience if there is no company openly looking for new graduates?”. [Female BA Mod Chemistry student from an EU country] “Everywhere requires experience before you get a job, making it very hard to break into something I'm particularly interested with. This meant I had to do a PhD, fortunately I found one which interests me. Still, I'd rather have found an ideal job to begin with. One job I did find was at [company], suited me fine and they even told me this, but I didn't have experience. Being told this time and time again is quite demoralising for graduates, I think a lot of people are leaving Chemistry because of this. Graduate jobs specifically for us are not enticing enough.”. [Male MChem Computer Aided Chemistry student] The following three Figures show how far finalists felt that their courses had enabled them to develop particular types of skills. In most cases, respondents felt that their courses had enabled them to develop their skills ‘very much’ or ‘a lot’. Amongst the traditional academic skills shown in Figure 3.5, only creativity and computer literacy had relatively high proportions of respondents saying that their courses had enabled them to develop the skill ‘a little’, ‘very little’ or ‘not at all’. In the case of computer

37

literacy, it is common for students to already be relatively computer literate before starting their courses, so this low score may reflect that they had little need to develop their skills further. Figure 3.5

How far finalists felt that their course had enabled them to develop traditional academic skills ‘very much’ or ‘quite a lot’

Traditional Academic Skills

Specialist knowledge Ability to apply knowledge Ability to use numerical data Critical analysis Logical thinking Research skills Problem-solving skills Creativity Computer literacy 0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90% 100%

Source: Finalists enquiry, 2008.

Compared to the traditional academic skills, as Figure 3.6 shows, respondents were less likely to feel that their courses had enabled them to develop employability skills either ‘very much’ or ‘a lot’. All the employability skills had a significant number of respondents saying that their courses had enabled them to develop the skills only ‘a little’. Leadership and entrepreneurial skills were the most likely to have been rated ‘a little’, ‘very little’ or ‘not at all’. In the case of entrepreneurial skills, this is not entirely surprising, and, as will be seen in Chapter 7, entrepreneurial skills were not particularly looked for by employers in the Chemical Sciences. Respondents who did not want to go into the Chemical Sciences were particularly critical about the employability skills they had learnt on their courses, suggesting that they did not learn many generic transferable skills that they could use in other sectors. “At the moment, science degrees are very much geared towards those who will continue in the field after graduation. There are many students who study a science degree because of interest and enjoyment and have no wish to pursue it beyond an undergraduate level. It would be nice to recognise these people a bit more!”. [Female BSc Biomedical Chemistry student]

38

Figure 3.6

How far finalists felt that their course had enabled them to develop employability skills ‘very much’ or ‘quite a lot’

Ability to work in a team

Employability Skills

Ability to prioritise tasks Inter-personal skills Entrepreneurial skills Leadership skills Time management Presentation skills Written communication Spoken communication 0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Source: Finalists enquiry, 2008.

In the case of the personal skills shown in Figure 3.7, there was little difference in the proportions of respondents who felt that their courses had enabled them to develop their skills ‘very much’ or ‘quite a lot’. The skills related to personal management, i.e. self-confidence, self-reliance, self-discipline and independence and reflected the opinion expressed by many respondents that the amount of work they were required to do on their courses meant that they had to become skilled at managing themselves and their time. Figure 3.7

How far finalists felt that their course had enabled them to develop personal skills ‘very much’ or ‘quite a lot’

Personal Skills

Desire to go on learning Self-confidence Self-reliance Self-discipline Independence Awareness of strengths/weaknesses 0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90% 100%

Source: Finalists enquiry, 2008.

As Figure 3.8 shows, students on BSc degrees were less likely than those on MChem degrees to think that their courses had enabled them to develop their specialist subject knowledge and ability to apply knowledge either very much or quite a lot. Students on BSc courses were also less likely than students on MChem level courses to feel that their courses had helped them to develop their critical analysis and written communication skills and independence, although the greatest differences are between the proportions who said their courses enabled them to develop their skills very much. There were few areas where students studying for a BSc were more likely than those on MChem degrees to feel that their courses had helped them to develop a particular

39

skill very much. The ability to work in teams was one of these areas, with the others being computer literacy, leadership, entrepreneurial skills and awareness of their strength and weaknesses, but the differences in respondents’ opinions of the development of these skill areas was small. Figure 3.8

How far finalists felt that their course had enabled them to develop particular skills comparing BSc and MChem courses

Specialist knowledge BSc Specialist knowledge MChem Ability to apply knowledge BSc Ability to apply knowledge MChem Critical analysis BSc Critical analysis MChem Ability to work in a team BSc Ability to work in a team MChem Written communication BSc Written communication MChem Independence BSc Independence MChem 0%

10%

20%

30%

Very much

40%

Quite a lot

50%

60%

A little

70%

Very little

80%

90%

100%

Not at all

Source: Finalists enquiry, 2008.

3.4

Aspirations for future employment and other postgraduate options

Respondents were asked about what they had intended to do after graduation when they started their course, whether those ideas had changed, and what they now intended to do. When respondents were asked what they had originally intended to do, the majority said that they planned to find employment related to their degrees. There were only 19 cases where respondents were able to name a particular job outside of the Chemical Sciences that they were planning to do. Of these, eight respondents named jobs in the Financial sector. Respondents were also asked whether they still planned to do the same thing that they had anticipated doing when they started their course. As Figure 3.9 shows, of the respondents who had some idea of what they wanted to do after graduation, the majority intend to do the same thing.

40

Figure 3.9

Whether students who had a clear idea about what they wanted to do when they completed their degrees still intend to do the same thing by type of course

70% BSc 60%

MChem

50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Yes

No

Don't know

Still intend to do the same thing

Source: Finalists enquiry, 2008.

Some of those who said they did not intend to do the same thing planned to go into different branches of the Chemical Sciences than they had originally intended, while others had chosen to pursue entirely different careers. As the following two quotes show, some respondents had simply found that they did not like the kinds of jobs available to them in the chemical industry: “I didn't find working in a lab as interesting as I initially thought I would, and definitely feel that this is not the type of environment I would like”. [Female MChem Chemistry with Forensic Science student] “Working in the chemical industry not as interesting as I first thought; desire to earn rather than continue into research”. [Male MChem Chemistry student] While other respondents had found that they liked the idea of working in the Chemical Sciences more as their course progressed. “I have decided that job satisfaction is more important. At the beginning of my course I thought I would like to work in finance purely because of the money”. [Female BSc Chemistry student] Respondent’s experiences of HE had also had an impact, in some cases making them more likely to want to remain in the Chemical Sciences and in others less so. “Going to do a PhD. I turned out to be better at Chemistry than I had expected”. [Female MChem Chemistry student] “The study of Chemistry at this level has completely turned me off the subject”. [Male BSc Chemistry student] Finally, some applicants had reconsidered because they thought that there were few jobs available in the area they wanted, or that they were not qualified for those that did exist.

41

“There is not much call for facial reconstruction posts and I believe my talent is not good enough”. [Female BSc Forensic Science student] In total, 69 per cent of respondents now definitely hoped to use their Chemical Sciences or other scientific knowledge in their jobs. 15 per cent had no preference about whether they remained in the Chemical Sciences, and 15 per cent wanted to change to a different kind of work. There was very little difference between the students who were studying for BSc degrees and those studying for MChem qualifications. Students studying for MChem were slightly more likely to want to remain in the Chemical Sciences, and slightly less likely to want to change to a different kind of work, but in both cases, the difference was less than 2 per cent between students on MChem and BSc courses. Women were slightly more likely than men to want to change to a different kind of work, and men were slightly more likely than women to have no preference about whether they remained in the Chemical Sciences or not, but again, the difference were very small. As Figure 3.10 shows, respondents who had undertaken some kind of industrial placement as part of their course were more likely to say that they hoped to use their Chemical Science or other scientific knowledge than those who had not. Figure 3.10

Whether finalists wanted to remain in the Chemical Sciences based on whether they had done an industrial placement as part of their course

Hope to use my Chemistry/Scientific know ledge

Industrial placement

Want to change to a different kind of w ork No preference about w hether I remain in the area

No industrial placement

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Source: Finalists enquiry, 2008.

Respondents were asked what they planned to do in the year after they graduated. Students studying for MChem level qualifications were more likely than those on BSc courses to envisage themselves obtaining employment related to their long-term career immediately upon graduation. Students on BSc courses were more likely to see themselves being employed in jobs that were not necessarily related to their long-term career plans, either while they considered what their long-term career plans were or while they paid off debts.

42

Figure 3.11

Post-graduation plans by type of course

Obtain employment related to longer-term career BSc

Obtain stable employment w hile consider longer-term plans

MChem

Obtain stable employment w hile I pay off my debts Obtain temporary employment through an agency Become self employed Register for a full-time higher degree course Undertake vocational training Travel or take time out Don't know 0%

5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%

Source: Finalists enquiry, 2008.

As Figure 3.11 shows, a large proportion planned to register for a further course. This was more common amongst students studying for MChem level degrees than BSc degrees. 54 per cent of MChem respondents had applied to do another course, compared to 49 per cent of students on BSc courses. Men were more likely than women to have applied to do another course (54 per cent of men compared to 49 per cent of women). Figure 3.12 shows the type of course finalists had applied to study. Almost half, 47 per cent of those studying for MChem planned to register for PhDs. The distribution of courses among respondents studying for BSc degrees was more diverse, with 18 per cent having applied to do a PhD, 19 per cent to do a Masters degree, and 15 per cent to do a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). Figure 3.12

Type of post-graduation course applied for by type of degree

43

Ph.D Master's degree Postgraduate Teaching Certificate Other vocational/professional training Other postgraduate diploma

BSc MChem

Other 0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

per cent

Source: Finalists enquiry, 2008.

As Figure 3.13 shows, more men than women planned to study for PhDs, with 40 per cent planning to study for a PhD, compared to 26 per cent of women. 13 per cent of women had applied to do a PGCE, compared to just 4 per cent of the men. Figure 3.13

Type of postgraduate course applied for by gender Ph.D Master's degree PGCE

Other vocational/professional training Other postgraduate diploma Male Female

Other kind of course 0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

per cent

Source: Finalists enquiry, 2008.

Respondents were asked why they wanted to take another course. As can be seen in Figure 3.14, students on BSc courses were more likely to give reasons related to career development, either that the course they planned to study was essential for the career they wished to develop or they thought it would lead to better career opportunities. Students studying for MChem courses were more likely to focus on the knowledge they would obtain on the course and their desire to study the Chemical Sciences to a higher level.

44

Figure 3.14

Reasons for applying for another course by type of current course

M Chem

BSc

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

It is essential for the career I w ish to develop More specialist know ledge and expertise Change direction Interested in the course(s)

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Better career opportunities Broader range of know ledge and expertise Continue studying my subject(s) to a higher level

Source: Finalists enquiry, 2008.

Respondents who wanted to remain in the Chemical Sciences were more likely to have applied to do another course than those who wanted to change direction or who did not mind whether they remained in the Chemical Sciences or not. 59 per cent of respondents who hoped to use their Chemical Sciences or other scientific knowledge in their careers had applied to do another course, compared to 32 per cent of those who wanted to change to a different kind of work, and 37 per cent of those who had no preference. Since the majority of courses that respondents had applied for were those that would build on existing knowledge, for example, postgraduate Masters degrees, PhDs and some types of PGCE, this is expected. Students were also asked about their long-term career plans. They were asked whether they knew what they wanted to do and how they would do it. 33 per cent of the finalists said they knew broadly what they wanted to do and how to do it, 36 per cent said they knew broadly what they wanted to do and had some idea of how, 6 per cent said they knew broadly what they wanted to do but did not know how, and 25 per cent said they did not know what they wanted to do. Women were more likely than men to say that they knew broadly what they wanted to do and how to do it (36 per cent compared to 29 per cent) and less likely to say that they had no idea what they wanted to do, although the difference between the two groups was smaller in this case (25 per cent compared to 26 per cent). Some respondents had clear ideas about where they wanted their careers to develop over the next five years; “Working in manufacturing of GSK, hopefully I will be at least a team leader in 5 years and possibly more responsibility and to work abroad”. [Male MChem Medicinal and Biological Chemistry with Industrial Experience student] While others had less focussed goals; “Earn more than £25K after 2 years”. [Male MSci Chemistry student]

45

Respondents were given a list of employment sectors and asked which sectors they would consider working in. As Figure 3.15 shows, the two sectors in which finalists were most commonly considering looking for employment were Healthcare manufacturing, including Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology, and Fine Chemicals including Oil and Paint. The most commonly mentioned job falling into the ‘Other’ category was joining the Army/RAF/Navy. When the sample was broken down by type of course, there were few differences between the sectors selected by students on MChem and BSc courses. There were differences in the type of sector respondents of different genders would consider working in. Men were much more likely than women to be willing to work in Fine Chemicals, the Nuclear industry, Agrochemicals and the Primary and Utilities sector, whilst women were much more likely than men to consider working in Education, Healthcare services, and other Public services. Figure 3.15

Employment sectors finalists would be willing to consider by gender

Healthcare manufacturing, including pharmaceutical and biotech Fine chemicals, including oil and paint Education Food and drink Environmental conservation Nuclear industry Agrochemicals Healthcare services Banking & Finance Other public service Other Primary and Utilities Business services (e.g. computing, advertising, PR) Transport & Communications Media, publishing, entertainment Construction Other consumer services (e.g. hotel & catering, retail, leisure services)

Female Male

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Source: Finalists enquiry, 2008.

In addition to the sector they planned to work in, respondents were asked what kind of occupation they were applying for or expected to apply for. As Figure 3.16 shows, by far the most commonly selected was Research and development. This was chosen by a larger percentage of students on MChem level courses than on BSc level courses (74 per cent compared to 61 per cent), with students on BSc courses more likely than those on MChem courses to be considering teaching or training (29 per cent of students and 13 per cent respectively). Women were more likely than men to want to go into teaching or training (27 per cent compared to 15 per cent) and men were more likely than women to want to go into Research and Development (74 per cent compared to 62 per cent).

46

Figure 3.16

Type of job/trainee post by type of course

Research and development Teaching or training Other specialist professional occupation General management and administration Specialist area of management (personnel/marketing/finance) Other BSc Literary, artistic or sports profession

MChem 0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Source: Finalists enquiry, 2008.

Questions were asked to examine students’ motivations for pursuing particular postgraduate options. Respondents were asked to select the three most important characteristics they looked for in a job. As Figure 3.17 shows, the most commonly selected characteristic was that the work was interesting and challenging, chosen by 78 per cent of the respondents. A competitive salary was the only other option chosen by more than half (52 per cent). Figure 3.17

Most important characteristics finalists looked for in a job

Interesting and challenging work Competitive salary Promotion and career advancement Continual skills development Long-term security People you would enjoy socialising with International career opportunities Progressive and dynamic organisation 0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

per cent

Source: Finalists enquiry, 2008.

Students on MChem courses were more likely to have interesting and challenging work as one of their three reasons (80 per cent compared to 76 per cent) and also to give international career opportunities as one of their three reasons (20 per cent compared to 14 per cent). Students taking BSc degrees were more likely than those on MChem degrees to have given long-term security as one of their three reasons (27 per cent compared to 19 per cent). A competitive salary was more important for

47

students studying for an MChem qualification than it was for respondents on BSc courses (55 per cent compared to 49 per cent). When respondents were asked what the minimum salary they expected to achieve when they graduated, the median was £20,000 to £29,999. As Figure 3.18 shows, students on MChem level courses expected slightly higher than average salaries than those on BSc courses. Figure 3.18

Minimum expected salary by type of course

£0-£4999 MChem £5000-£9999

BSc

£10000-£14999 £15000-£19999 £20000-£29999 £30000-£39999 £40000-£49999 £50000-£59999 £60000+ 0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Source: Finalists enquiry, 2008.

Men were more likely to expect slightly higher salaries than women, with 62 per cent of men expecting to achieve a minimum salary of £20,000-£29,999 and 14 per cent a salary of £15,000-£19,999, compared to figures of 53 per cent and 25 per cent for women. Looking at the employment sectors that were being considered by a significant proportion of respondents, respondents had a pretty accurate picture of sectoral relativities. Those who were considering Business services, Primary and Utilities and Banking and Finance expected the highest minimum salaries. Several respondents commented that they thought wages in the Chemical Science industry were low, and did not reflect the knowledge and skills Chemical Science graduates had mastered during their courses; “The poor wages for chemists in this country do not reflect the hard work and extensive knowledge that had to be achieved to obtain an hons degree in Chemistry”. [Male BSc Forensic Chemistry mature student] As Figure 3.19 shows, and as anticipated by the Futuretrack students earlier in their careers, debt was found to have a clear impact on post-graduation options, with the proportion of respondents expecting debt to affect their options increasing as indebtedness increased. The only group for whom this was not the case are the respondents who expect to owe over £25,000 at graduation, but there were few respondents in this group.

48

Figure 3.19

Whether debt will affect finalists’ post-graduation options by expected debt on graduation

90% 80%

Yes

70%

No Don't know

60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% £0-£4999

£5000-£9999

£10000-£14999 £15000-£19999 £20000-£24999

£25000+

Amount of debt anticipated on graduation

Source: Finalists enquiry, 2008.

When respondents were asked how debt would affect their post-graduation options, the most common response was that it would result in the respondent, at least temporarily, seeking a job that they thought would pay well, rather than one in an area that they thought they would enjoy; “I would like to have taught secondary school Chemistry, however due to the debt I need to aim a little higher in terms of remuneration”. [Female MChem Chemistry with Industrial Placement mature student] “I will spend less time thinking what kind of job, more how soon will it allow me to pay off my debts”. [Female BSc Chemistry student] Some respondents were planning to leave the Chemical Sciences altogether in order to find a job that would allow them to pay off their debts; “I am more inclined to get a job in the corporate world as opposed to further study as I am aware of the money I need to pay back”. [Female BSc Chemistry student] The need to forgo further study, either because they could not afford the course fees or because they needed to start working immediately to pay their debts was also frequently mentioned; “I am choosing not to do the MChem as this would mean a further £3000 debt at least. I am doing a post-grad course in education as it offers a bursary”. [Female BSc Chemistry student] Finally, some respondents commented that the locations where they would be able to work would be limited by having to live with their parents or not being able to afford to travel far to work. This is a particular issue, given the concerns expressed by some of the Chemical Science employers in Chapter 7 about the lack of qualified applicants willing to relocate to particular areas of the country; “I will probably need to move back home and work near there until I have some capital”. [Male BSc Chemistry student]

49

“I will have to get a job closer to home to attempt to save on other expenses such as petrol whilst paying off my debt”. [Male MSc Forensic and Analytical Science student] 3.5

Finalists’ Experiences of Seeking Employment

Respondents were asked about their experiences of seeking employment, including whether or not they had applied for any jobs, whether they had been offered a job and what sources they used to find employment. They were also asked about how satisfied they were with the careers advice they had received during their HE courses. Over half (52 per cent) had already started looking for employment. Students on MChem level courses were slightly more likely to have started looking, with 54 per cent having done so, compared to 51 per cent of those on BSc courses. Men and women were equally as likely to have started looking, with 53 per cent of men having done so and 52 per cent of women. There were larger differences between the groups when looking at whether those respondents who had started looking for a job had actually applied for one related to their long-term career plans. Across all respondents who had started looking for jobs, 68 per cent had applied for at least one job related to their long-term career aspirations, but this figure was 73 per cent for those studying for a MChem level degrees, compared to 63 per cent of those studying for a BSc degree. 71 per cent of women had applied for a job related to their long-term career plans, compared to 65 per cent of men. As Figure 3.20 shows, most respondents who had started looking for a job had applied for between 0 and 5 jobs related to their long-term career plans. Figure 3.20

Number of jobs related to their long term career plans that finalists had applied for

30 25

per cent

20 15 10 5 0 0-5

5-10

11-15

16-20

21 or more

Source: Finalists enquiry, 2008.

Of those who had started applying for jobs, 51 per cent had been offered a job related to their long-term career plans. Respondents studying for MChem level qualifications had experienced more success than those studying for BSc degrees, with 64 per cent of MChem students who had started applying for jobs related to their long-term career plans having been offered a job, compared to 33 per cent of respondents studying for a BSc degree. Women were more likely than men to have been offered a job related to their long-term career plans, with 54 per cent of women who had started applying for jobs having been offered one, compared to 46 per cent of men. Respondents who were hoping to use their Chemical Science or other scientific knowledge appear to be less likely to have been offered a job than those who want to change to a different kind of

50

work, but the numbers in these categories are very small and it is impossible to draw firm conclusions from this. Respondents who had been offered a job were asked in which sector this job was in. As can be seen from Table 3.1, the two most common sectors were Healthcare Manufacturing, including Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology, and Fine Chemicals, including Oil and Paint. These were also the sectors that respondents were most likely to consider working in and where the greatest numbers of applications had been submitted. Table 3.1

Number of respondents who had been offered a job in each sector

Sector

Number offered a job 40 37 22 18 18 17 16 14 13 11 11 9 9 4 4 3 0

Healthcare manufacturing, including pharmaceutical and biotech Fine chemicals, including oil and paint Banking & Finance Nuclear industry Healthcare services Food and drink Other Environmental conservation Education Agrochemicals Business services (e.g. computing, advertising, PR) Primary and Utilities Other public service Construction Transport & Communications Media, publishing, entertainment Other consumer services (e.g. hotel & catering, retail, leisure) Source: Finalists enquiry, 2008.

Respondents who had started looking for employment were also asked where they had looked. The most common source was graduate vacancy publications and websites, reflecting a trend also witnessed amongst the employers in Chapters 6 and 7 who were increasingly advertising jobs online. Recruitment consultants were also one of the most commonly used sources of vacancies, which suggests that students had some awareness of the increasing use of these by Chemical Science employers in particular. Table 3.2

Where finalists have looked for future employment Used (%) 71.9 47.1 34.8 33.9 29.7 20.6 19.7 17.1 12.9 7.4

Graduate vacancy publications/websites University Careers Advisory Service Recruitment consultancies Speculative approach Specialist publications National press Local press Friends or family Job Centre Other

Useful (%) 51.5 28.1 18.4 15.4 16.1 5.0 6.0 8.7 3.3 6.4

Source: Finalists enquiry, 2008.

Across all respondents, 45 per cent had sought careers advice in the past 2 years, which is a relatively low proportion. Comments made by respondents suggest that

51

many felt that they did not need to actively seek careers advice because they already had a good idea of what they wanted to do and the kind of organisations where they would find these kinds of jobs. One respondent commented that they had not been able to access the careers advice they wanted because they did not have time due to the demands of their course; “My timetable has been so busy that I was not able to go to the careers centre in order to have my applications checked over. I was subsequently rejected from 3 jobs. So my degree timetabling has so far hindered my career progress”. [Female BSc Chemistry with French student] Figure 3.21 shows where respondents who had sought careers advice had done so. The Careers Advisory Service at their universities was the most frequently used source of careers guidance, with 85 per cent of those who had sought careers advice doing so there. Although it was suggested in the interviews with second years that teaching staff in Chemical Science departments were an important source of careers advice, only just over 40 per cent of respondents who had sought advice had approached people there. Despite this, comments by finalists suggest that teaching staff had offered valuable advice; “I have found that the most valuable thing about undertaking my particular degree has been the additional opportunities and advice given to myself by members of staff. I have been able to work on several Chemistry projects which have greatly advanced my practical skills, and my chemical knowledge. I have also been pushed in the right direction with regards to my career choice and how to pursue that. I think that with any undergraduate they will get out what they put in and if they seek help and advice then that is the best way for them to move forward with their education and career”. [Female MChem Chemistry student] The issues raised by some of the respondents in the enquiry of second year students concerning employers’ visits to campuses were also raised by respondents in the finalists’ survey. Some respondents questioned why, compared to employers in other sectors, employers in the Chemical Sciences visited universities relatively infrequently or at obviously inappropriate times, but this may indicate an inappropriate degree of competency; “If a Chemistry degree is so rare and valued at present, why are we not headhunted by relevant industries in the final year? Surely in such a climate the onus should be on them finding employees and not us finding employers.”. [Male BSc Chemistry student]

52

Figure 3.21

Where finalists sought careers advice

University Careers Advisory Service Parents or relatives Teaching staff in department Professional bodies Private careers advice/employment agency Other 0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

per cent

Source: Finalists enquiry, 2008.

When asked what kind of advice they had received from the Careers Advisory Service at their university, as can be seen in Figure 3.22, two of the most common areas were related to information about jobs, whilst practical help in applying for jobs, particularly advice about writing a CV and being interviewed were also frequently accessed. Figure 3.22

Types of advice sought from the Careers Advisory Service Information about graduate jobs generally Advice about CV writing

Information about jobs requiring a chemical science degree Advice about interviews The opportunity to meet employers Information about postgraduate opportunities or funding Information about vacancies in particular organisations Practice in being interviewed I did not find the advice available useful 0

10

20

30

40 50 per cent

60

Source: Finalists enquiry, 2008.

Finally, respondents were asked what three skills and attributes they thought employers are looking for, independent of subject expertise, when they specify that job applicants should be graduates. Table 3.3 shows the number of times particular groups of attributes were mentioned, and the percentage of all respondents who felt that their courses had enabled them to develop these skills ‘very much’ or ‘a lot’.

53

70

80

Table 3.3

Skills and attributes finalists think employers are looking for, independent of subject expertise, when they specify that job applicants should be graduates Number of times mentioned

Course developed skills ‘very much’ or ‘a lot’ (%)

Traditional academic skills Problem-solving skills Analytical skills/Logic/Critical thinking

88 55

Ability to apply knowledge Computer literacy Creativity/Innovativeness Ability to use numerical data Research skills Intelligence Technical/practical skills

38 22 20 12 4 46 13

92.1 Logic 92.4 Critical 85.9 94.3 66.1 44.8 84.8 93.9 N/A N/A

Employability skills Ability to work in a team Communication skills

188 186

Time-management Interpersonal skills Leadership skills Presentation skills Reliability Work experience Organisation skills Commitment to the organisation Responsible/Professional attitude Competency/ability to do the job Other employability skills

88 57 47 20 45 42 30 26 13 11 11

Personal skills and attributes Independence/Self-motivation/Ability to work alone

152

Desire/ability to go on learning Self-confidence Willing to work hard Enthusiastic Motivated Flexibility/Adaptability Tenacity/Perseverance/Determination/Resilience Ambition Maturity Honesty Other personal skills and attributes

69 48 71 66 41 27 21 17 17 8 4

67.4 Written 81.6 Spoken 74.8 82.3 78.5 48.4 78.7 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

Independence 88.6 Self-reliance 88.3 Self-discipline 85.5 72.9 81.0 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

Source: Finalists enquiry, 2008.

As Table 3.3 shows, the skills and attributes respondents mention most frequently as those employers were looking for when they specified that job applicants should be graduates were ability to work in a team, communication skills, and skills and attributes related to independence, self-motivation and the ability to work alone. Although the responses have been disaggregated in this Table, the ability to work in a team and to work alone were mentioned by many of the respondents as a single skill or attribute, with the emphasis being on employers looking for an individual who was able to do both these things as the situation demanded.

54

Amongst the academic skills, problem solving skills were the most frequently mentioned, and a high proportion (92 per cent) felt that their courses had enabled them to develop these skills. Similarly, analytical skills, logic and critical thinking were mentioned relatively frequently and respondents felt that their courses had enabled them to develop these skills. Creativity and innovativeness were mentioned by 20 respondents, with most of their responses being more closely related to innovativeness than creativity, and only 45 per cent of respondents felt that their courses had enabled them to develop their creativity ‘very much’ or ‘quite a lot’. However, people’s definitions of what constitutes ‘creativity’ are often quite varied, and do not always encompass ‘innovativeness’ so it is not clear to what extent conclusions can be drawn from these results. Considering the perceived employability of respondents, Table 3.3 shows some mismatching between the skills respondents feel they have developed ‘very much’ or ‘quite a lot’ on their courses and the skills they think that employers are looking for. Ability to work in a team was the most commonly mentioned skill, but only 67 per cent of respondents felt that their course had enabled them to develop this skill ‘very much’ or ‘quite a lot’. Some respondents may have developed this skill outside of the classroom or laboratory, in societies, in sports teams or in a work environment. The findings in Chapter 2 suggest that a large proportion of respondents have some experience of these activities. This is also the case for leadership skills, which were another set of skills that respondents felt were relatively sought by employers, but which a large proportion did not feel they developed much on their courses. However, the figures in Table 3.3 suggest that Chemical Science students may be graduating lacking some of the skills that they consider important for employment. 3.6

Summary

- 612 Finalists completed the enquiry. 49 per cent of respondents were studying for a BSc degree and 52 per cent for a MChem level qualification. - 73 per cent of respondents said that they would either definitely or probably choose the same course again. 10 per cent would choose a similar course, but not the one they did choose, and just 8 per cent would choose a completely different course. - Industrial placements were relatively uncommon. 15 per cent of respondents studying for a BSc degree and 35 per cent of students studying for an MChem degree had completed some kind of industrial placement as part of their course. - 69 per cent of respondents now definitely hoped to use their Chemical Science or other scientific knowledge in their jobs. 15 per cent had no preference about whether they remained in the Chemical Sciences, and 16 per cent wanted to change to a different kind of work. - 54 per cent of respondents studying for an MChem qualification had applied to do another course, compared to 49 per cent of students on BSc courses. Students on MChem courses were most likely to apply to study for a PhD, whilst amongst students on BSc courses, there was a relatively even split between taught Masters degrees, PhDs and PGCEs. - The two sectors in which finalists were most commonly considering looking for employment were Healthcare Manufacturing (including Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology), and Fine Chemicals (including Oil and Paint).

55

- Work that was interesting and challenging was the most important thing respondents look for when considering whether a job would be suitable for them. - 52 per cent of respondents had already started looking for employment. Of those who had started applying for jobs, 51 per cent had been offered a job related to their long-term career plans, with students on MChem courses who had started applying for jobs being more likely to have been offered a job than those on BSc courses. - Examination of the skills respondents thought employers seek from graduates and the skills they thought they were developing significantly on their courses, reveal areas where a significant proportion of students are not learning the skills they consider necessary for employment. These skills include teamwork, leadership and communication skills.

56

CHAPTER 4.0

4.1

EXPLORING THE SUPPLY OF CHEMICAL SCIENCE GRADUATES AND THEIR LABOUR MARKET INTEGRATION: THE TRANSITION FROM HIGHER EDUCATION TO EMPLOYMENT

Introduction

We draw on three sources of information about the early career trajectories of Chemical Science graduates: the 2006 Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education(DLHE) data collected by HEIs six months after students have completed their courses on behalf of HESA; data collected in a survey of 1999 undergraduate course-leavers conducted four years after graduation on behalf of the Department of Education and Employment (DfES) – now reorganized and renamed as the Department for Innovation and Universities (DIUS); and data from the Seven Years On survey of 1995 graduates. In each of these data sets, it has been possible to identify those who studied Chemical Science courses and examine their characteristics, early career outcomes and – in the case of the second and thirds of these – compare their experiences, outcomes and attitudes towards their career development, with those of other graduates. The next two chapters consequently provide evidence from three different cohorts of graduates and, while the analyses provide an incomplete and flawed picture, all three sources provide information that clarifies our understanding of the career opportunities and obstacles encountered by Chemical Science graduates, of value to all those concerned with their labour market integration. In this chapter, we examine the first destination statistics, which provide insight into the transition from HE to the next stage of career development. 4.2

First Destination Statistics: the 2006/7 leavers32

4.2.1

The Chemical Science graduate profile

All data come from the 2006/7 Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE), and examines outcomes six months after completion of courses. Chemical Sciences, as a core physical science discipline, is a discipline less often studied at Masters than at undergraduate or PhD level. In 2006/7 UK universities awarded the following degrees to EU-domiciled students: 9595 doctorates, of which 730 were to chemists and 585 to UK-domiciled chemists; 58,780 Masters degrees, of which 230 were to chemists and 190 to UKdomiciled chemical science students; 278,930 first degrees, of which 2455 to chemists, 2370 to chemists from the UK.

Well over a third (38 per cent) of UK-domiciled respondents to DLHE at first degree level had completed an ‘enhanced degree’ course. For the large majority of Chemical Science graduates in this study, this means an MChem qualification. However, for a small number of cases it can mean something else. Examples include joint degree courses with engineering subjects where the graduate received an MEng. Because this group is very small, the ‘enhanced degrees’ are being grouped with the MChem subsample.

32

Unless explicitly stated, data examine UK-domiciled graduates only. Numbers are rounded to the nearest 5, but percentages are calculated from the real figures.

57

Masters level qualifications in the Chemical Sciences include MScs in Chemistry and specialisms within the Chemical Sciences, and the MRes qualifications in Chemistry. Chemical Science Specialisms Table 4.1 summarises the number of graduates according to their area of study within the discipline. The majority of chemists had studied on general Chemistry courses, with Pharmaceutical Chemistry the most popular specialist course. Subjects marked with a 0* are those where fewer than 5, but not zero, graduates received degrees. Table 4.1:

UK Degrees awarded in 2006/7, by specialist Chemical Science subject

Course title Chemistry Applied Chemistry Industrial Chemistry Colour Chemistry Inorganic Chemistry Crystallography Environmental Chemistry Medicinal Chemistry Pharmaceutical Chemistry Organic Chemistry Organometallic Chemistry Polymer Chemistry Biomolecular Chemistry Analytical Chemistry Chemical Science not classified elsewhere Total Numbers

Doctorate 555 0* 0 0 15 0 0 0 0 20 0 0 0 0 0

Masters 135 10 5 0* 0 0 0* 0 5 0* 0* 0* 5 25 5

First Degree 2110 40 10 5 0 0* 15 115 40 0 0 5 0* 25 5

585

190

2370

Data: HESA Destinations of Leavers of Higher Education, 2006/7

Breaking the first degrees down further to examine the split between MChem and BSc, we can see that over 90 per cent of MChem courses are in Chemistry. Medicinal Chemistry was the most popular specialism for 2006/7 graduates at both MChem and BSc level. Table 4.2:

UK First Degrees awarded in 2006/7, by specialist Chemical Science subject

Course title Chemistry Applied Chemistry Industrial Chemistry Colour Chemistry Crystallography Environmental Chemistry Medicinal Chemistry Pharmaceutical Chemistry Polymer Chemistry Biomolecular Chemistry Analytical Chemistry Chemistry not elsewhere classified Total

MChem 820 5 10 0 0 5 35 15 0 0 0* 0* 895

Data: HESA Destinations of Leavers of Higher Education, 2006/7

58

BSc 1290 35 0* 5 0* 10 75 30 5 0* 25 5 1480

Gender and ethnicity The graduate profile shows more women than in previous years getting degrees in the Chemical Sciences – but women remain a minority of Chemical Science graduates so far, and their ratio to men decreases as qualification levels rise. At first degree award level, women were somewhat less likely than men to be MChem graduates, of whom 45 per cent of the 2006/7 graduating cohort were women, compared with 47 per cent of the BSc Chemical Science graduates; women were 44 per cent of those awarded postgraduate Masters degrees, and they were 35 per cent of those awarded Chemical Science PhDs. As was discussed in Chapter 2 and in the earlier report by Elias et al33, the Chemical Sciences are subjects predominantly studied by white students. Comparing the population of Chemical Science graduates with that for all science and engineering subjects in Table 4.3, we see that it may vary slightly by degree level, and that the Chemical Sciences appear marginally more ethnically diverse than physical sciences and engineering in general, except at PhD level. Table 4.3

Ethnicity

White Black Asian nonChinese Asian Chinese Other (Including Mixed) Unknown

UK Chemical Science Degrees awarded in 2006/7, by ethnicity, compared with science and engineering Doctorate Chemical All physical Science science & (%) engineering (%) 78.7 76.9 0.6 0.9 5.9 4.7

Masters Chemical All physical Science science & (%) engineering (%) 67.8 73.9 3.1 3.6 14.2 7.2

First Degree Chemical All physical Science science & (%) engineering (%) 81.8 84.3 2.5 2.8 9.1 6.4

1.7

1.6

1.6

1.9

1.8

1.3

2.2

2.8

3.6

2.8

2.7

2.5

10.8

13.1

9.8

10.7

2.1

2.5

Data: HESA Destinations of Leavers of Higher Education, 2006/7

Looking at the breakdown of first degrees, it becomes clear that for 2006/7 graduates, the MChem was less ethnically diverse as well as being taken by proportionally fewer women. In particular, Asian British students made up a smaller proportion of the MChem cohort than in the BSc. Table 4.4

UK Chemical Science First Degrees awarded in 2006/7, by ethnicity, comparing MChem and BSc

Ethnicity White Black Asian non-Chinese Asian Chinese Other (Including Mixed) Unknown

MChem (%) 87.3 2.6 4.9 1.8 2.5 0.9

BSc (%) 78.5 2.4 11.5 1.9 2.8 2.8

Data: HESA Destinations of Leavers of Higher Education, 2006/7

33

http://www.rsc.org/images/Ethnic%20Web_tcm18-53629.pdf

59

The characteristics of MChem graduates from 2006/7 compared to their BSc counterparts show that MChem graduates are more likely to be male, white, young (only 3 per cent of MChem graduates were over 24 on graduating, compared to 15 per cent of BSc graduates) and to have studied full time. Less than five of the 895 UKdomiciled MChem graduates from 2006/7 had studied part time as opposed to 91 of the 1480 BSc graduates. As MChems become more popular, it seems that more may need to be done to attract non-traditional students onto the courses, to ensure that access to doctoral study and Chemical Science careers leading on from a PhD is open to the full range of Chemical Science graduates, rather than an increasingly culturally homogeneous elite. 4.3

First destinations of Chemical Science graduates from 2006/7

The first destination outcomes for the 2006/07 Chemical Sciences differed in certain key aspects from those for all science and engineering graduates at first degree level. Chemical Science graduates were much more likely to go on to further study, predominantly doctoral research – and are one of the few groups of graduates, (along with those who had studied mathematics, physics, law and modern languages), where fewer than half went on to full time UK employment within six months of graduating as a result. Chemical Science graduates were more likely to undertake further study than graduates from almost any other first degree discipline. Figure 4.1

First destinations of first degree Chemical Science graduates from 2006/7 compared with those for all science and engineering.

70.0%

Chemical Sciences 60.0%

All science and engineering

50.0%

40.0%

30.0%

20.0%

10.0%

0.0% Working in the UK

Working overseas

Working and Studying a Studying in studying higher degree the UK for a in the UK teaching qualification

Undertaking other further study in the UK

Studying overseas

Assumed to be unemployed

Not available for employment

Other

Data: HESA Destinations of Leavers of Higher Education, 2006/7

When we examine MChem and BSc separately, we see that MChem graduates from 2006/7 were more than twice as likely as BSc graduates to go on to further academic study (41 per cent compared to 17 per cent), Chemical Science graduates were slightly more likely than UK graduates as a whole, and than science and engineering graduates as a group, to be unemployed six months after completing their degree.34 This may reflect greater selectivity, with chemists more likely to ‘hold out’ for 34

The unemployment rate for all graduates from 2006/7 (six months after graduating) was 5.5 per cent. Science and engineering graduates are slightly more likely than average to be unemployed, as certain key subjects – physics, electrical and electronic engineering and, to a lesser extent, mechanical engineering, have had higher than average unemployment rates for some time: surprisingly, in view of the employers’ reported shortfall in the supply of graduates with Science, Technology. Engineering and Management (STEM) skills.

60

appropriate employment – and it will be interesting to compare the aspirations and plans of the current graduate cohort with reference to this. MChem graduates were half as likely as BScs to be unemployed six months after graduating (4 per cent compared to 8 per cent) and also more likely to go overseas to work or study on graduating. BSc graduates were more likely to go into teacher training, with 7 per cent, or about one in fourteen, going on to study to train to be a teacher. This is also much higher than the proportion of graduates in general going into teaching, and is good news in relation to the widely-reported issues of teaching shortages in the subject. Table 4.5

First destinations of first degree Chemical Science graduates from 2006/7 – comparison of MChem and BSc First Degree MChem (%) BSc (%) 34.7 49.8 2.6 1.7 9.7 6.3 40.7 17.2 1.7 7.1 1.5 3.1 3.9 7.6 3.4 4.0 1.8 3.3

Activity six months after graduation Working in the UK Working or studying overseas Working and studying Studying a higher degree in the UK Studying in the UK for a teaching qualification Undertaking other further study in the UK Assumed to be unemployed Not available for employment Other

Data: HESA Destinations of Leavers of Higher Education, 2006/7

First destinations for PhD graduates in the Chemical Sciences from 2006/7 were similar to those for all science and engineering. There was a slightly higher level of unemployment for chemists from 2006/7 at doctoral level, as there had been in previous years. Although this may suggest that there may be slightly more PhD chemists graduating than are needed by academia and industry, it is more likely to reflect the fact that first destination statistics are a particularly weak indicator of labour market integration, given that a) the DLHE response rate for PhDs is lower than for graduates with other levels of qualification given the greater difficulties associated with data collection35 and the requirement for post-doctoral pursuit of publication to enhance career opportunities, particularly for those aspiring to academic careers. Overall, outcomes for doctoral graduates in Chemical Science and in science and engineering have not changed a great deal since the first systematic analysis of first destinations, in the UK Grad Programme’s What Do PhDs Do?, which examined graduates from 2002/3.36

35

36

PhDs complete studies and graduate throughout the academic year, which makes ‘census point’ data collection more difficult to achieve. What Do PhDs Do?’, the UK Grad Programme, 2004

61

Table 4.6

First destinations of doctoral Chemical Science graduates from 2006/7 compared with those for all science and engineering Doctorate Chemical All science Science & (%) engineering (%) 64.3 66.6

Activity six months after graduation

Working in the UK Working or studying overseas Working and studying Studying in the UK for a teaching qualification Undertaking other further study in the UK Assumed to be unemployed Not available for employment Other

9.7 11.5 1.4 1.7 5.4 2.1 4.0

9.8 11.5 0.7 1.9 4.2 2.2 3.0

Data: HESA Destinations of Leavers of Higher Education, 2006/7

There were not enough Masters graduates in Chemical Sciences to allow for robust analysis, but the data available suggest that many Masters graduates in the subject use their qualification as a springboard to PhD study. 4.4

Where were new Chemical Science graduates employed?

Over a thousand (1,015) UK domiciled graduates with first degrees in Chemical Science in 2006/07 were known to be working in the UK six months after graduating. Of these, 305 had MChem qualifications. As we have seen, a high proportion of MChem graduates had gone on to do PhDs. Of the 2006/07 UK-domiciled PhD graduates in Chemical Science, 310 entered employment in the UK. Chemical Science graduates went into a wide range of employment sectors, with just over 10 per cent entering the pharmaceutical or allied industry, and HE, research and development, and retail (the latter employing chemists largely in non-graduate roles as retail assistants) the next most common employment sectors. A detailed breakdown is supplied in Table A4.1 in Appendix 5, suggesting that, at the most conservative estimate, around 37 per cent were likely to have already been working in contexts that required their Chemical Science-related skills and knowledge – and a significant proportion would be likely to be using their general course-developed skills; particularly numeracy and IT skills. 4.4.1

Employment of first degree graduates in Chemical Sciences

We went on to examine the kind of jobs done by the 2006/7 graduates six months after graduation, as shown in Table 4.7. These employment categories are taken from the annual analysis of graduate first destinations produced by HECSU, What Do Graduates Do?37 Outcomes for graduates in 2006/7 did not differ greatly from those the previous year38 but looking at the work first degree graduates went into, less than one quarter of those entering employment went into a job in science. However, those who did enter this type of employment were likely to be employed as chemists. Although some of those who did not enter science, entered employment at a lower level and may return to the sector later in their careers, and given the increasing practice of postponing career development by taking post-graduation gap years, often embarked upon via temporary ‘just-to-earn-the-fare-to travel’ employment, first destination outcomes cannot be 37 38

See Appendix 2 for explanation of the classification. See ‘What Do Graduates Do?’ 2005/6, Higher Education Careers Services Unit 2007, and at www.prospects.ac.uk/links/wdgd

62

treated as indicative of ultimate labour market integration. Further longitudinal analysis is required to investigate the extent to which young chemists who do not start their careers in science return to it, or use their degree skills and knowledge subsequently. Table 4.7

Occupational distribution of UK-domiciled first degree graduates from 2006/7 working in the UK six months after graduation, comparing Chemical Sciences, all science and engineering and the 2006/7 graduate population as a whole Types of work

Marketing, Sales and Advertising Professionals Commercial, Industrial and Public Sector Managers Scientific Research, Analysis & Development Professionals Engineering Professionals Health Professionals and Associate Professionals Education Professionals Business and Financial Professionals and Associate Professionals Information Technology Professionals Arts, Design, Culture and Sports Professionals Social & Welfare Professionals Other Professionals, Associate Professional and Technical Occupations Numerical Clerks and Cashiers Other Clerical and Secretarial Occupations Retail, Catering, Waiting and Bar Staff Other Occupations

Chemical Sciences (%) 2.3 6.7

First Degree All science & engineering (%) 2.4 8.8

All graduates (%) 4.8 9.2

22.5

4.8

1.1

2.8 1.8 4.8 8.7

30.6 0.5 1.9 6.5

3.4 13.5 6.8 8.7

1.5 1.7 0.8 22.6

5.7 2.4 0.9 11.2

3.7 6.4 5.0 5.7

1.8 5.7 7.5 9.0

1.2 6.4 7.5 9.2

2.4 9.7 8.7 10.9

Data: HESA Destinations of Leavers of Higher Education, 2006/7

Chemists working as ‘other professionals, associate professionals and technical occupations’ were mainly employed as non-medical laboratory technicians. A small number also went into roles in general research (without specifying discipline) or into health and safety roles. As Chapter 5 will discuss, laboratory technician posts in academia have been increasingly developing into graduate jobs, requiring degree-level skills and knowledge. The difference between MChem and BSc graduate outcomes is reinforced by a comparison of their employment. MChem graduates were much more likely to enter roles in science than their BSc counterparts. One in eight (14 per cent) went into business and finance roles, with accountancy and financial analysis positions the most popular. BSc graduates were a little more likely to go into management.

63

Table 4.8

Types of employment undertaken by UK-domiciled first degree graduates from 2006/7 in Chemical Sciences working in the UK six months after graduation – comparison of MChem and BSc

Types of work Marketing, Sales and Advertising Professionals Commercial, Industrial and Public Sector Managers Scientific Research, Analysis & Development Professionals Engineering Professionals Health. Social and Welfare Professionals Education Professionals Business and Financial Professionals and Associate Professionals Information Technology Professionals Arts, Design, Culture and Sports Professionals Other Professionals, Associate Professional and Technical Occupations Numerical Clerks and Cashiers Other Clerical and Secretarial Occupations Retail, Catering, Waiting and Bar Staff Other Occupations

First Degree MChem (%) BSc (%) 2.5 2.1 5.0 7.5 31.5 17.9 3.0 1.3 4.8 13.6

2.7 3.3 4.8 6.3

2.0 2.4 19.8

1.2 1.3 24.0

2.6 4.9 2.8 3.8

1.4 6.0 9.9 11.6

Data: HESA Destinations of Leavers of Higher Education, 2006/7

Combining the data for employment sector with occupational information for Chemical Science graduates, Table 4.9 provides a map of the occupations Chemical Science graduates from 2006/7 did in the main sectors that they entered. The small numbers of chemists going into each role in individual sectors is testament to the versatility of the first degree in Chemical Sciences and demonstrates the wide range of potential occupations for Chemical Science graduates.

64

Table 4.9

Occupational roles undertaken by UK-domiciled first degree graduates from 2006/7 in Chemical Sciences working in the UK six months after graduation by sector

Employment sector Manufacture of pharmaceuticals, medicinal chemicals and botanical products

HE

Research and experimental development on natural sciences and engineering

Accounting, book-keeping and auditing activities; tax consultancy Technical testing and analysis

Labour recruitment and provision of personnel

Roles taken by Chemical Science graduates Scientific Researchers Laboratory Technicians (Non Medical) Chemists Analytical Chemists Research/Development Chemists Other roles Researchers (University - unspecified discipline) University Tutorial and Teaching Assistants Research/Development Chemists Chemists Other roles Scientific Researchers Laboratory Technicians (Non Medical) Research/Development Chemists Analytical Chemists Other roles Chartered Accountants Tax Consultants, Advisers Accounts Clerks Other roles Laboratory Technicians (Non Medical) Analytical Chemists Other roles Personnel and Recruitment Consultants/Advisers General Office Assistants/Clerks Laboratory Technicians (Non Medical) Other roles

Number in role 20 15 15 10 10 40 20 10 10 5 15 10 10 10 5 20 15 5 5 10 15 5 10 10 5 5 10

Data: HESA Destinations of Leavers of Higher Education, 2006/7

Although the unemployment rate for Chemical Science graduates six months after graduation is a little higher than the equivalent for physical science graduates and for all graduates, the balance is reversed when examining the kinds of work that Chemical Science graduates who went into employment actually did. Using the graduate employment categories, SOC(HE), developed by Elias and Purcell in the Researching Graduate Careers Seven Years On project39, it is possible to examine whether first degree graduates were more or less likely than other graduates to be a job that required a degree six months after graduating.

39

K Purcell, P. Elias (2004), ‘Seven Years On; Graduate Careers in a Changing Labour Market’, HECSU

65

Figure 4.2

Graduate employment categories for UK-domiciled first degree graduates from 2006/7 six months after graduating

100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Chemical Sciences

All graduates

Non-graduate occupations

Niche graduate occupations

Modern graduate occupations

Traditional graduate occupations

All science and engineering New graduate occupations

Data: HESA Destinations of Leavers of Higher Education, 2006/7

As these figures show, although chemists from 2006/7 were slightly more likely to be unemployed than their counterparts, those in employment were less likely to begin their careers post-graduation in jobs that did not require a degree. This suggests that Chemical Science graduates facing less favourable employment outcomes may be less likely to take a job that they feel they are overqualified for and may, instead, initially opt for unemployment. The ‘traditional graduate occupations’ that were favoured by 2006/7 Chemical Science graduates are primarily roles in science or research, whilst chemists going into ‘new graduate occupations’ were primarily employed as laboratory technicians. Again, when we break down the information for first degree graduates into MChem and BSc data, it is notable that MChems appear to be more likely than the BScs to have achieved employment likely to require their skills and knowledge and reward them for possession of these. Figure 4.3

Graduate employment categories for UK-domiciled first degree graduates from 2006/7 in Chemical Sciences six months after graduating – MChem and BSc comparison

100% 90% 80% 70%

Traditional graduate occupations

60%

Modern graduate occupations

50%

New graduate occupations

40% 30%

Niche graduate occupations

20%

Non-graduate occupations

10% 0% MChem

BSc

Data: HESA Destinations of Leavers of Higher Education

66

MChem graduates were less than half as likely to be in a job that did not require their degree six months after graduating than their counterparts with a BSc. The apparently more appropriate outcomes achieved by MChem graduates compared to the BScholders illustrate the importance of encouraging greater diversity of recruitment to the MChem degree and opportunities that it leads to – although the greater likelihood of academically more able students to opt for the MChem, allied to employers’ perceptions that this is the case, undoubtedly contributed to the explanation of differences in outcomes. Table 4.10 shows that for doctoral graduates, a considerably higher proportion of those in employment had entered scientific areas than was the case for all science and engineering PhD-holders or doctoral graduates as a whole. Comparing the data for all scientists and engineers, we see that just under half of doctoral graduates in Chemical Sciences were working in science six months after graduation. 23 per cent of Chemical Science doctoral graduates were working as ‘other professionals’. Nearly all were working in jobs described just as ‘researchers’, mainly on fixed term contracts and who are very probably postdoctoral academic researchers. Many of the PhD graduates employed as science professionals are likewise believed to be postdoctoral researchers. Using a method developed for the ‘What Do PhDs Do?’ research, and detailed in Appendix 3, we can estimate that approximately 85 PhD graduates in the Chemical Sciences were employed in UK HE as postdoctoral researchers six months after graduating – around 27 per cent of those known to be in employment. Table 4.10

Occupational distributions of 2006/7 UK-domiciled doctoral graduates, comparing Chemical Sciences, all science and engineering and all PhD-holders working in the UK six months after graduation Types of work

Chemical Sciences (%)

Doctorate All science and engineering (%)

All graduates (%)

4.7 42.1

6.3 28.9

6.0 15.4

4.5 1.3 7.4 5.2

13.2 0.6 9.4 7.1

4.1 6.3 23.1 5.6

2.3 2.9 1.0 22.6

4.9 1.4 1.0 24.0

2.8 2.1 8.1 23.1

6.2

3.3

3.3

Commercial, Industrial and Public Sector Managers Scientific Research, Analysis & Development Professionals Engineering Professionals Health Professionals and Associate Professionals Education Professionals Business and Financial Professionals and Associate Professionals Information Technology Professionals Arts, Design, Culture and Sports Professionals Social & Welfare Professionals Other Professionals, Associate Professional and Technical Occupations Other Occupations Data: HESA Destinations of Leavers of Higher Education, 2006/7

There is clearly a degree of under-employment reflected at the lower end of the table and this appears somewhat more substantial for Chemical Sciences than the other populations examined, but this may, as with the undergraduates, reflect greater caution in career development rather than constituting a serious problem, given the shortfall in STEM skills and demand for these from employers. The small numbers of Chemical Science Masters graduates do not allow for separate analysis.

67

4.5

How did Chemical Science graduates find their ‘first destination’ jobs?

There is a range of other information available from the destinations data, but one particularly interesting variable that relates to this investigation was how graduates found their current job. Figure 4.4

Comparison between doctoral and first degrees, examining how 2006/7 Chemical Science graduates had found the job that they were doing at the time of the DLHE survey

35% Doctorate 30% First degree 25%

20%

15%

10%

5%

0% Institution's Careers Service

Newspaper or magazine advert

Employer's web site

Recruitment agency or website

Personal contacts, networking

Speculative application

Other

Data: HESA Destinations of Leavers of Higher Education, 2006/7

This analysis demonstrates how important recruitment agencies have become for Chemical Sciences recruitment. The most common sector for chemists who used agencies to find their job, was the pharmaceutical industry, and 40 per cent of first degree graduates entering the industry did so through an agency. Half of them were on permanent contracts. By contrast, personal contacts and networking were more important for PhD graduates, particularly for those going into role in HE. This reinforces the message to PhD students that networking is an important part of career building. 4.6

Summary

- Amongst the Chemical Science subjects, Chemistry was by far the most common specialism, with 89 per cent of undergraduate degrees, 71 per cent of Masters degrees and 95 per cent of PhDs in the Chemical Sciences being awarded in Chemistry. Chemistry is a slightly more popular specialism amongst MChems than it is amongst BScs, with 92 per cent of MChem degrees being awarded in Chemistry, compared to 87 per cent of Chemical Science BSc degrees. - There is less gender and ethnic diversity amongst MChem graduates than amongst BSc graduates in the Chemical Sciences. The proportion of women falls as the level of course increases from BSc to PhD. - Chemical Science graduates are much more likely than other science and engineering graduates to go on to further study. Graduates with MChem degrees are more than twice as likely as those with BSc degrees to go on to further study.

68

- Graduates with an MChem degree were half as likely as those with a BSc degree to be unemployed six months after graduation. 4 per cent of graduates with an MChem degree were unemployed six months after graduation, compared with eight per cent of students with a BSc in a Chemical Sciences subject. - Graduates with a BSc degree were more likely than those with an MChem to go into teaching. 7 per cent of graduates with a BSc go into teaching. - Chemical Science graduates were also less likely to begin their careers in jobs that did not require a degree. However, Chemical Science graduates were also slightly more likely to be unemployed six months after graduation than graduates from science and engineering as a whole. This may imply simply greater selectivity and the greater likelihood that they come from relatively affluent backgrounds where a delay in earning can be supported by families, rather than greater difficulty in accessing employment. - Six months after graduation with a first degree, less than a quarter of those who have entered employment were found to be working in Scientific Research, Analysis and Development. Graduates with an MChem degree were much more likely to be employed in this area than those with a BSc degree. 32 per cent of MChems who were in employment six months after graduation were working in Scientific Research, Analysis and Development, compared to 18 per cent of those with a BSc. The range of occupations Chemical Science graduates were employed in six months after graduation shows the versatility of a Chemical Science degree. - Recruitment agencies have become increasingly important for recruitment into the Chemical Science industries. 40 per cent of first degree graduates who entered the Chemical Sciences had found their job through an agency. Among PhD graduates, networking was found to be a common route into a job.

69

CHAPTER 5.0

5.1

THE EARLY CAREER DEVELOPMENT OF CHEMICAL SCIENCE GRADUATES: EVIDENCE FROM THE LONGITUDINAL STUDIES

Introduction

In order to gain some insight into the career-development experiences of Chemical Science graduates beyond first destinations we are able to draw on the data collected for two relatively recent national longitudinal that tracked the early career trajectories of graduates from 38 UK HEIs, randomly selected to be representative of the diversity of the UK undergraduate population and the courses on which they had studied. One in two of the class of ’99 at these institutions was surveyed four years after graduation, in 2002-3)40. For a similar sample of 1995 graduates, an earlier survey at around the same interval after graduation had been carried out in 199941 and this sample was followed up in a second survey, also in 2002-342 (Purcell and Elias 2004). Although the graduate labour supply, and the labour markets which recruit graduates, have been growing and diversifying in the period since these two cohorts of graduates completed their undergraduate programmes, their work history data and survey responses provide relatively recent evidence of the relative opportunities and obstacles encountered by different categories of degree-holders. Using the 1999 cohort survey (referred to throughout this chapter as the Class of ’99 survey) and drawing a little on the second sweep survey of the 1995 cohort (referred to as the graduate Careers Seven Years On survey, conducted slightly earlier, we use these data to investigate the early career experiences, decisions made and attitudes towards these, of Chemical Science graduates and comparable sub-samples within the survey. Most of the analysis that we cite derives from the larger and more recently-graduated 1999 graduate survey, but we cite findings from the smaller survey where it is possible to make sufficiently confident inferences about the longer-term career development of Chemical Science graduates. We found 233 respondents to the Class of ’99 and 173 of the Seven Years On samples had Chemical Sciences in their self-declared degree subject titles, and the known characteristics of the population enable us to weight them to take account of known response biases in the samples as a whole. Because of the small sizes of the subsamples analysed, these findings can only be must be regarded as indicative of broad patterns within the population studied. 5.2

Graduate Careers beyond First Destinations

5.2.1

Where were the Class of ’99 graduates four years on?

We examined the overall pattern of activities of 1999 graduates at the point at which they were surveyed, comparing Chemical Science graduates with all Natural Science graduates and with the graduate respondent population as a whole. In the Class of ’99 analysis originally, we found that Natural Science students as a group were among those who tended to take some time to find jobs likely to use their graduate qualifications, skills and knowledge (Purcell et al. 2005:62). In this chapter, we select out Chemical Science graduates and compare the both with Natural Scientists as a whole and with the full 1999 sample. Figure 5.1 indicates that, four years after completing their courses, the majority in all cases were in full-time employment, but that Chemical Science graduates were somewhat more likely than the comparator

40

41 42

Purcell et al. The Class of ’99: A study of the early labour market experiences of recent graduates. London:DfES. Elias et. al: Moving On: graduate careers three years after graduation. Sheffield: DfEE/CSU. Purcell, K. and P.Elias (2004). Manchester: HECSU/ESRC/IER Warwick.

70

groups to be in engaged in postgraduate study43. They were more likely than Natural Scientists as a whole to be in full-time employment related to their long-term career plans, and less likely than either of the other two groups to be in other full-time employment. The differences in propensity to be unemployed are negligible and, at around the 3 per cent mark, indicative of frictional employment (reflecting job changes rather an oversupply of graduates in general or particular). Figure 5.1

Current activity four years after graduation, comparing Chemical Sciences, all Natural Science and all graduates

Full time employment related to long term career plans Part-time employment related to long term career plans Full-time employment (other)

Part-time employment (other)

Self employed

Postgraduate study

Unemployed seeking work

Out of labour force/not seeking work

Other 0

10

20

30

All graduates

40

Natural Science graduates

50

60

Chemical Science graduates

Per cent

Source: Class of ’99 data: IER

When we compare these distributions with those reported for a similar classification by the 1995 cohort seven years after graduation, we find, not surprisingly, that the proportion of all groups in postgraduate study has reduced significantly (to 2 per cent of Chemical Science graduates after seven years from just under 14 per cent indicated in Figure 5.1). Most interestingly, the proportion reporting that they were in a job that they considered to be related to their longer-term career plans had risen to over three quarters for Chemical Science graduates, who were significantly more likely to report this than either all Natural Scientists (69 per cent) or all graduates (63 per cent). Figure 5.2 provides the same three-way comparison, showing the sectoral distribution of the three groups. It is not surprising that Chemical Science graduates are substantially more likely than others to work in manufacturing and education, given the range of subjects taught at undergraduate levels and their different skill sets developed on them.

43

It must be stressed, however, that the small sample upon which these findings are based (233 graduates) means that there will be significant sampling error in these estimated proportions. Differences between groups which are less than +/- 5 percentage points are not likely to stem from underlying differences in the characteristics of the groups within the overall population, but more likely to reflect sampling variation.

71

70

Figure 5.2

Sectoral distribution of 1999 graduates 4 years on, comparing Chemical Science, all Natural Science and all graduates

Agriculture, mining, quarrying Manufacturing Electricity, gas, water supply Construction Distribution, hotels, catering Transport and tourist services Information and communications sector Banking, finance, insurance Business services Education Other public services Other 0 All graduates

5

10

15

Natural Science graduates

20

25

30

35

Chemical Science graduates

Source: Class of ’99 data: IER

The most significant differences between these distributions and those reported by the Seven Years On respondents was that, of those in employment, the proportion of Chemical Science graduates working in manufacturing had grown very substantially, to nearly a third of those in employment, compared to around 18 per cent of Natural Scientists as a whole and between 7-8 per cent of all graduates. In addition, the relative numbers employed in education had changed, with only 14 per cent of Chemical Science graduates reporting this. Natural Science graduates as a whole were also less likely to be employed in this sector (14 per cent), with graduates as a whole more likely to be (24 per cent). Occupational classification is, however, an inexact science, and exploration of responses provided by Chemical Science graduates unwilling to classify their areas of employment according to the standard broad categories, who classified their sector as ‘Other’ category, indicates that at least 77 per cent of these were unequivocally in science-related work. Two ‘slices’ of the responses given according to the ‘Other (Please specify)’ response are provided below as illustration. Environmental Radioactivity Research Global energy consultants Government Executive Agency (Agriculture) Health Research Company IT Laboratory work Medical Research NGO - Employment rights Oil & Gas Pharmaceutical / Health Care Supplies Pharmaceutical company-science Pharmaceutical Analysis Pharmaceuticals Pharmaceuticals R & D

Private hospital (health service), Process Engineering (oil & gas sector) Research Research/ Science Retail Science Scientific research Scientific research and development Scientific Research in a University Lab Scientific Research Organisation Sports Marketing Training and recruitment (retail) Waste recycling Water treatment consultants

Source: Class of ’99 data: IER

72

A similar slice of the Seven Years On dataset reveals Armed Forces, Author & Promoter, Chemical Industry, Chemical processing/Disposal, Offshore Survey, Patent Law, Product Research & Development, Research Chemist, Scientific Research and Technology research: again largely likely to involve relevant work. It is important to note, however, that gender is an important variable in relation to sector of employment, for Chemical Science graduates as for graduates as a whole. The distribution of Chemical Science graduates by gender illustrates significant differences in career choices or outcomes44. Men were more likely to work in primary of manufacturing industries whereas, as with graduate women as a whole, female chemists were more likely to have entered education or public services. As this suggests, males with Chemical Science degrees, as male graduates generally, were less likely than their female peers to work in either the public or voluntary sectors. It is interesting, however, that Chemical Science graduates were somewhat less likely to go into public sector services and the service sector than graduates in general. Male Chemists appeared to be marginally more likely to work in the private sector than other graduate males, and female Chemists were significantly more likely than women in the other groups to have done so, and less likely than other graduate women to have been working in the public sector. In the Seven Years On sample, the proportions of both Chemical Science graduate males and females in the Private Sector had increased, whereas the proportions of female graduates overall had increased in Public Sector employment. Permanent or open ended contracts are generally taken to be indicative of ‘good’ employment, in the sense that they provide job security and are more likely than other contractual arrangements to lead to career continuity and more likely to provide opportunities for career development. In scientific research, fixed term contracts are a common characteristic of early career development, but male chemists were most likely to be in permanent or open-ended employment of the groups examined (82 per cent, compared to 76 per cent of all graduate males and 77 per cent of Natural Science graduate males as a whole). This pattern is replicated in the Seven Years On data, with Chemical Science graduates in permanent employment up to 85 per cent. Conversely, female graduates were least likely to have permanent contracts in the 1999 cohort survey – apparently explained by their greater likelihood of having probationary contract, often in teaching jobs – and again, although the proportions with open-ended contracts had increased slightly, the pattern remained the same. We move now to focus in more detail on the jobs held by respondents at the time of the Class of ’99 survey, four years after completion of their undergraduate degrees, to assess whether they might be assumed to be appropriate employment for graduates and whether Chemical Science graduates appeared to have done better or worse than Natural Scientists or graduates as a whole in accessing employment that made use of their graduate knowledge and skills. In Figure 5.3 we compare the extent to which these groups of Class of ’99 respondents had been required to have their particular qualifications in order to obtain their current job, four years after graduation.

44

See Figure A5.1 in Appendix 5.

73

Figure 5.3

Requirements for obtaining current job

Degree a requirement for current job Subject studied in 1995 Grade of 1995 award Professional recognition Postgrad degree obtained since 1995 Chemical Science graduates Natural Science graduates

Professional qualification gained since 1995

All graduates Experience in this organisation Experience in other organisation(s) 0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

per cent

Source: Class of ’99 data: IER

It seems that for the Chemical Science graduates, there was no significant difference in the extent to which their qualifications were likely to have been important on all the measures investigated. They were somewhat more likely than other Natural Scientists to report that the subject they had studied and more likely than others to report the grade of degree they had obtained had been important, and that a postgraduate degree or professional qualification acquired subsequently had been important, but they were less likely to cite experience as important. They clearly had achieved jobs where evidence of ability and achievement had been required. A comparative examination of patterns of work history data reported by the three groups reinforces this evidence that Chemical Science graduates fared relatively better as their careers progressed; slightly more likely than the other groups to be in a job that required a degree, and apparently significantly more likely to require their subject45. This remained the case for the 1995 cohort seven years after graduation when they were even more likely to be in a job for which a degree was required, were considerably more likely to be in a job where their subject had been relevant to their achievement of the job, and where the grade of award that they had achieved had been important. They were also more likely than members of the other groups to have cited a subsequent postgraduate qualification – particularly the female chemists. As with all groups, experience had become considerably more likely to have been important, but interestingly, less so than for members of the other groups. We define graduate and non-graduate jobs with reference to the SOC(HE) occupational classification, explained in the previous chapter. Figure 5.4 compares the SOC(HE) profiles of the three categories being compared, showing that four years after graduating, Chemical Science graduates of both sexes were more likely than the others to be in Traditional or Modern graduate occupations (the more established areas of graduate employment and less likely to be in non-graduate jobs.

45

60 per cent of Chemical Scientists reported this in the Seven Years On survey, compared with 54 per cent of Natural Scientists as a whole and 56 per cent of all graduates.

74

Figure 5.4

SOC(HE)category of current job, 4 years after completion of undergraduate degree, comparing Chemical Sciences, all Natural Sciences and all graduates

45

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

0 Male

Female

Chemical Science graduates

Traditional graduate job

Male

Female

Male

Natural Science graduates

Modern graduate job

New graduate job

Female All graduates

Niche graduate job

Non-graduate job

Source: Class of ’99 data: IER

Figure 5.5 shows the relative proportions employed in non-graduate occupations from the point of graduation in summer 1999 until the point of survey in autumn 2003. It shows that Chemical Science graduates tended to progress more quickly from the temporary summer jobs held immediately after graduation by most employed graduates than members of other groups and appear, throughout their early careers, to have had a higher propensity to be in graduate jobs. Figure 5.5:

Movement out of non-graduate jobs, comparing Chemical Sciences, all Natural Sciences and all 1999 graduates over 4 years after graduation

70 60

% of all graduates

50 Natural science graduates in non‐graduate jobs

40

Chemical Sciences graduates in non‐ graduate jobs

30

All graduates in non‐graduate jobs 20

10 0 3 p-0 Se 3 l-0 Ju 3 y-0 Ma 3 r-0 Ma 3 n-0 Ja 2 v-0 No 2 p-0 Se 2 l-0 Ju 2 y-0 Ma 2 r-0 Ma 2 n-0 Ja 1 v-0 No 1 p-0 Se 1 l-0 Ju 1 y-0 Ma 1 r-0 Ma 1 n-0 Ja 0 v-0 No 0 p-0 Se 0 l-0 Ju 0 y-0 Ma 0 r-0 Ma 0 n-0 Ja 9 v-9 No 9 p-9 Se 9 l-9 Ju

Source: Class of ’99 data: IER

75

It is worth looking at the comparable work history data for the Seven Years On sample, where we find a slightly different but similarly positive pattern of Chemical Science graduates having been able to access jobs likely to be using their graduate skills and knowledge. It is important to note that the scale of Figure 5.6 is smaller, covering a longer period between graduation and the time of survey, but the pattern it reveals is very clear. Chemical Science graduates entering employment in summer 1995 were less likely than others to start out in non-graduate jobs and maintained this initially positive trend, continuing to be less likely to be in such employment after seven years of early career development. Figure 5.6

Movement out of non-graduate jobs, comparing Chemical Sciences, all Natural Sciences and all 1995 graduates over 7 years after graduation

70

Natural science graduates in nongraduate occupations

60

Chemical Sciences graduates in non-graduate occupations

% of all graduates

50

All graduates in non-graduate jobs

40 30 20 10 0 2 v-0 Nop-02 Sel-02 2 Ju y-0 Mar-02 Man-02 Ja v-01 No 01 p Sel-01 1 Ju y-0 Mar-01 Man-01 Ja v-00 No -00 p Sel-00 0 Ju y-0 Mar-00 Man-00 Ja v-99 Nop-99 Sel-99 9 Ju y-9 Mar-99 Man-99 Ja v-98 Nop-98 Sel-98 8 Ju y-9 Mar-98 Man-98 Ja v-97 Nop-97 Sel-97 7 Ju y-9 Mar-97 Man-97 Ja v-96 No 96 p Sel-96 6 Ju y-9 Mar-96 Man-96 Ja v-95 Nop-95 Sel-95 Ju

Source: Graduate Careers Seven Years On data: IER

5.2.2

Reasons for taking current job

We investigated how far the job characteristics reported bear out this picture of relative labour market success, but first, we consider respondents’ reasons for taking their current job. Nearly half of Chemical Science graduates (slightly less than for graduates as a whole) responded that the job was exactly what they wanted, but this was nevertheless still their joint most frequent response, with equal numbers citing the fact that it provided interesting work. Region where it was located was the third most frequently mentioned aspect. They were more likely than members of the aggregate groups to as a whole to mention salary level and other conditions of employment as having been reasons. 5.2.3

Characteristics of current job

Asked about the characteristics of their current job, 86 per cent reported that it provided interesting and challenging work, 73 per cent that it provided continual skills development and 62 per cent cited the opportunity to earn a competitive salary. These, the most frequently-cited characteristics, were broadly in line with the responses of the graduates as a whole, but the Chemical Science graduates were significantly more likely to perceive themselves as having opportunities for an international career (43 per cent compared to 30 per cent of all graduates) and significantly less likely to consider that they were doing socially-useful work (31 per cent compared to 46 per cent of all): 76

perhaps reflecting their lower propensity to be employed in public sector services. In the earlier 1995 cohort, almost exactly the same response patterns were apparent. With reference to working patterns and context of work, the distributions of Chemical Science were similar to other graduates as far as likelihood of working on their own, working in virtual teams or supervising the work of others was concerned, but there were significant differences in their greater likelihood of spending a substantial part of their working time working as a member of a team, and in their lesser likelihood of working with clients or customers and that their work would be closely supervised, as Figure 5.7 shows. Figure 5.7

Team-working, working with clients/customers and degree of autonomy, comparing Chemical Science graduates and all 1999 graduates

100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% Chemical Sciences

All graduates

I work as part of a team

Always

Chemical Sciences

All graduates

I work with customers or clients Frequently

Occasionally

Chemical Sciences

All graduates

My own work is closely supervised Never

Source: Class of ’99 data: IER

Interestingly, in the earlier cohort who had progressed further in their careers, the Chemical Science graduates were slightly more likely than average to report working on their own and slightly less likely to report working in teams for as much of their time – and also reported slight increase in the extent to which their work was closely supervised. Detailed analyses of particular contexts would be required to explicate these patterns, but they could be affected by increasing seniority, requiring both greater autonomy and greater accountability. 5.2.4

Earnings

In making career choices, few graduates are primarily motivated primarily by the earnings they can achieve, but being able to earn a salary that indicates that their employers values their skills and knowledge and is prepared to pay a premium to those with a degree is generally regarded as one of characteristics of graduate labour market success. Respondents were asked what their annual earnings were at the time of the survey. Table 5.1 shows the comparative average annual earnings reported for current job at the time of the survey, approximately four years after gaining their undergraduate degree, of graduates in employment or self-employed, comparing the responses of Chemical Science, all Natural Science and all graduates. We distinguish between male and female earnings because, across the graduate labour market, there is a persistent gender pay gap which reflects, to some extent, different subject profiles and sectoral locations of male and female graduates, and distorts averages when comparing subjects.

77

Table 5.1

1999 graduates: average earnings in current job, four years after graduation

Mean annual earnings in current job (2003-4) Proportion earning less than £15,000 p.a. in current job Proportion earning £36,000 p.a. or more in current job

Chemical Science graduates All: £20,990

All Natural Science graduates All: £20,552

All graduates All:

£22,227

Males:

Males:

Males:

£24,162

£22,221

£22,101

Females: £19,249

Females: £18,909

Females: £20,555

All:

16.0%

All:

21.3%

All:

17.2%

Males:

12.1%

Males:

17.8%

Males:

15.0%

Females:

22.9%

Females:

25.0%

Females:

19.0%

All:

6.1%

All:

5.2%

All:

Males:

9.0%

Males:

6.7%

Males:

Females:

2.4%

Females:

Females:

2.0%

8.3% 12.2% 4.3%

Source: Class of ’99 data: IER

It can be seen that, at the time of the survey (2003/04), the mean earnings of all Chemical Science graduates were not significantly different to those of all Natural Science graduates and all graduates more generally. However, Chemical Science graduates (males in particular) were significantly less likely to have earnings below the range of what might be assumed to be appropriately-rewarded graduate employment, whereas female Chemical Science graduates, to a lesser extent than other female Natural Scientists, were more likely to have reported relatively low earnings than average. Both were less likely than average to have earnings in the highest salary bands, but fared somewhat better than others with Natural Sciences degrees. Table 5.2 gives insight into longer-term earnings patterns, suggesting positive relative Chemical Sciences earnings progression as careers developed. Table 5.2:

1995 graduates; average earnings in first job after graduation and current job, seven years on

Mean annual earnings in current job (2003-4) Proportion earning less than £15,000 p.a. in current job Proportion earning over £40,000 in current job

Chemical Science graduates (%) All: £26,354

All Natural Science graduates (%) All: £23,895

All graduates (%) All:

£26,792

Males:

£27,980

Males:

£25,657

Males:

£30,235

Females:

£23,858

Females:

£21,782

Females: £23,351

All:

5.6%

All:

6.9%

All:

Males:

4.6%

Males:

6.1%

Males:

7.6%

10.9%

Females:

12.8%

All:

14.2%

Males:

20.8%

Females:

10.5%

Females:

7.3%%

Females:

All:

11.4%

All:

Males:

12.8%

Males:

Females:

9.1%

Females:

8.6 11.4% 5.2%

10.2%

Source: Graduate Careers Seven Years On data: IER

Asked about the skills used in their current jobs, Figure 5.8 shows that Chemical Science graduates reported that they were required to use spoken communication, basic computed skills, problem-solving skills, ability to work in teams and numeracy skills most. In the final chapter, we discuss how this relates to the skills reported as having been developed by the 2008-graduating Chemical Science students.

78

Figure 5.8

Skills used in current job 4 years on by 1999 Chemical Science graduates 100 90 80

per cent

70 60 50 40 30 20 10

Pr ob

Sp ok

en

co m m un le ic m at Ba io so n si l v c i n co g m sk W pu ills rit t e te rl n i te co ra Ab m cy m ilit un y to ic at w io or n k in te N um am er s a M cy an sk ag ills em Ad en va Le ts nc ad ki ed lls er sh IT ip or sk so ills ftw ar e sk ills C re at R iv es ity ea En rc tre h pr sk en Fo ills eu re ig ria n ls la ki ng lls ua ge sk ills

0

A lot

Some

Source: Class of ’99 data: IER

A comparison of the extent to which the Class of ’99 and Seven Years On were required to use these skills ‘a lot’ in their current job shows that few significant differences, but the areas where skills have become increasingly required are congruent with career progression: problem-solving skills, management skills, leadership skills and interestingly, creativity. Figure 5.9

A comparison of skills used in current job by Chemical Science 1999 graduates 4 years after graduation and 1995 graduates 7 years after graduation

90

Class of '99

80

7 years on

per cent

70 60 50 40 30 20 10

Sp ok en co m Ba m si un c co ic at m io pu n Pr te ob rl i le te m ra cy so Ab lv ilit in y g to sk w ills W or rit k i te n n te co am m s m un i ca N tio um n er ac M y an sk ag ills em en ts R ki es lls ea rc h Le sk ad ills er sh ip sk ills C r Ad ea va ti v nc ity e En d tre IT pr sk en ills Fo e ur re ia ig ls n la ki ng lls ua ge sk ills

0

Sources: Class of ’99 and Graduate Careers Seven Years On data: IER

Finally, how far did the Class of ’99 Chemical Science graduates consider that the job they had accessed four years on was appropriate for somebody with their skills and qualifications and how satisfied were they with their jobs and their overall career

79

development? Figure 5.10 compares the perceptions of appropriateness of Chemical Scientists, all Natural Scientists and all graduates and Figure 5.11 compares their satisfaction with their careers to date. Like the majority of respondents four years on, the Chemical Science students were generally positive, although there is a slight polarization in perceptions of appropriateness – reflecting the minority who have not remained in scientific occupations. There were no differences in the distributions of satisfaction with current job among the three groups, with around two-thirds of all categories reporting satisfaction; 35 per cent at the ‘very satisfied’ end of the spectrum and a further 30 per cent as satisfied. Comparison with the 1995 cohort data seven years after graduation suggests that the perceived appropriateness of jobs accessed by Chemical Scientists may increase somewhat. Figure 5.10

Appropriateness of current job, comparing Chemical Science, all Natural Science and all graduates

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

0

Chemical Science graduates

Natural science graduates 1 ‐ Very inappropriate

2

3

4

5

All graduates 6

7 ‐ Ideal

Source: Class of ’99 data: IER

Figure 5.11 shows that Chemical Science graduates were somewhat more likely to report satisfaction than average, and this pattern was replicated in the earlier cohort data.

80

Figure 5.11

Satisfaction with career to date, comparing Chemical Sciences, all Natural Science and all graduates

70

60

50

40

30

per cent

20

10

0 Chemical Science graduates

Natural science graduates Very satisfied

Reasonably satisfied

All graduates Not very satisfied

Dissatisfied

Source: Class of ’99 data: IER

However, although over two-thirds of the 1999 graduates would choose with hindsight to do the same or a similar course again, pretty much in line with Natural Scientists as a whole, these are lower proportions than for graduates in general, of whom over three quarters gave this answer. This was not because they were disenchanted with HE, but does raise questions about a significant minority of students’ experience as science students, although there was little other evidence from the analyses to suggest that their outcomes and general evaluations of experiences compare unfavourably with graduate experiences generally. 5.3

Summary

Chemical Science graduates appear to have been more likely than either Natural scientists or graduates as a whole to have gone on to postgraduate study. Chemical Science graduates appear to have been more likely than the groups with which they were compared to have obtained employment where their degree was valued and used. -

They were more likely to report being in a job related to their long-term career plans and this proportion was higher in the earlier cohort.

-

They were more likely to be employed in manufacturing. However, as in the graduate labour market as a whole, occupational outcomes are gendered. Women were more likely to work in Public sector employment and, in particular, Men were more likely to work in primary of manufacturing industries whereas, as with graduate women as a whole, female chemists were more likely to work in Public sector employment and, in particular to have entered education or public services. However, women with Chemical Science degrees were more likely than other graduates to be employed in manufacturing and in the private sector.

-

They were mainly in jobs requiring their degree and progressively more likely to be in jobs where their qualifications and subject were important and where their

81

degree level had been important. The characteristics of their current jobs that they cited bore this out, with 86 per cent reporting that it provided interesting and challenging work, 73 per cent that it provided continual skills development and 62 per cent that it provided the opportunity to earn a competitive salary. Chemical Science graduates were more likely than others to perceive that they had opportunities for an international career. -

Chemical Science graduates tended to progress more quickly from the temporary summer jobs held immediately after graduation by most employed graduates than members of other groups and appear, throughout their early careers, to have had a higher propensity to be in graduate jobs. They were also found to be more likely to be in Traditional graduate jobs and Modern graduate jobs; the two most established categories of graduate employment and those most likely to both require and draw upon HE learning than the groups with which they were compared.

-

Their reasons for taking current jobs were similar to those given by graduates generally, with the fact that it was exactly the kind of job they wanted, along with the fact that it provided interesting work, as the main reasons cited. They were more likely than members of the aggregate groups to as a whole to mention salary level and other conditions of employment as having been reasons.

-

They reported similar job characteristics and work contexts to graduates more generally, but were more likely than other graduates to work as members of a team, less likely to report that their work was closely supervised and less likely to work with customers or client - than other graduates.

-

A tentative comparison of earnings distributions of both the 1999 and 1995 samples revealed little differences among the three groups compared, but male Chemical Science graduates appear to have fared relatively well. It is important to bear in mind the gendered patterns of employment among graduates and the impact of this on earnings potential. Given that the Chemical Science graduates were more likely to be employed in Traditional or Modern graduate jobs – dominated by the more established professions (much of which involves Public sector employment), it is not surprising that relatively few of them were found in the top decile of graduate earners.

-

The most frequently used skills used in current employment were common to graduate jobs generally spoken communication, basic computer literacy, problemsolving skills, ability to work in teams and written communication, but these were followed in importance of use in the Chemical Sciences sub-sample by numeracy skills, management skills and research skills. Comparing the responses given by the 1995 cohort seven years after graduation, the areas where skills appear to have become increasingly required are congruent with career progression: problem-solving skills, management skills, leadership skills and interestingly, creativity.

-

There was greater polarisation among Chemical Science graduates about the degree to which they considered their current employment was appropriate for someone with their skills and qualifications, and presumably the relatively high size of the minority who responded that their jobs were essentially not appropriate in relation to their educational background reflects the radical difference between laboratory-based work and most non-scientific employment.

-

The overwhelming majority of Chemical Science graduates in both cohorts were very satisfied or reasonably satisfied with their career development to date; slightly

82

less likely to have indicated that they were ‘very satisfied’ than graduates generally, but more likely to have come down on the positive side by giving one of these responses. This may be indicative of lesser very positive experiences, but it is equally likely to reflect higher aspirations or greater reticence on the part of the Chemical Science respondents.

83

CHAPTER 6.0

6.1.

THE DEMAND FOR CHEMICAL SCIENCE GRADUATES BY GENERAL EMPLOYERS

Introduction

This chapter examines general employers’ perceptions of Chemical Science graduates and the demand they have for the skills they offer. Employers were asked a series of questions about recruitment of Chemical Science graduates, the types of jobs Chemical Science graduates do within their organisations, and the skills they perceive Chemical Science graduates to have or to lack. The data in this chapter come from 25 interviews with organisations that recruit Chemical Science graduates. The interviews were with representatives of organisations who were recruiting for graduate jobs that did not require a particular degree subject but for which a Chemical Science graduate might be suited. The term ‘general employers’ is used to refer to employers who reported that they had recruited Chemical Science graduates or considered Chemical Science graduates to be potentially suitable candidates in graduate recruitment programmes open to holders of a range of degrees. As such, their responses give a view of the recruitment of Chemical Science graduates in the wider economy. Organisations in industries where Chemical Science graduates have been recruited in the past, according to HESA data, were selected and the sector profile represents this, rather than the economy as a whole. Interviews were conducted with 25 employers in the following sectors: Table 6.1

Interviews conducted with general employers by sector

Business and management consultancy Finance and banking Government Information technology Legal Manufacturing and engineering Marketing, public relations and advertising Retail Other

6.2.

3 7 3 2 2 1 3 2 2

Recruitment of Chemical Science graduates by general employers

The majority of general employers did not specifically list a degree subject as a prerequisite. Most asked for a 2:1 degree or higher in any subject, with one specifying that it should be from a ‘top university’ and one that it should be in an analytical subject. In addition to a 2:1 or higher, three employers specified a particular number of A Level tariff points. One employer specified a 2:2 degree as a minimum, one ‘any degree’, and one required only that the applicant passed the organisation’s own tests. Recruitment among the general employers was particularly competitive across all sizes of applicant pool. The most application forms received was 8000 by one of the government employers, whilst the smallest was 15 by an employer in the retail sector. Success rates of applications varied between 0.4 per cent for an employer in the business sector and 6.7 per cent for the small employer in the retail sector. The average application success rate across all the general employers was 3 per cent. The majority of employers had received at least one application from a Chemical Science student/graduate, but most had not appointed someone with a Chemical Science degree. When asked at which stage the Chemical Science students were

84

most likely to be lost from the process, the most common answer was at the interview stage. One employer noted that two Chemical Science applicants had made it to the telephone interview stage, having passed various other stages looking at their CVs and testing their numerical and written ability, but were then rejected because they were assumed to have insufficiently good interpersonal skills. 6.2.1

General employers’ reasons for recruiting Chemical Science graduates

While none of the employers specified a particular degree subject as a prerequisite, some did favour particular subjects because of the skills they expected students to gain on these courses, and one employer had a weighting system for different subjects with Chemical Science subjects being highly weighted. Others noted that while they did not favour particular subjects, they found that students with certain degree subjects tended to be more successful in the recruitment process. Those employers who favoured Chemical Sciences tended to do so along with other sciences and maths as a numerical subject or one where graduates could be expected to have a certain level of technical expertise. Chemical Sciences were also regarded as difficult academic subjects, with employers contrasting them with less traditional subjects such as Media Studies. Chemical Science degrees were also favoured for the logical and research skills they were assumed to have given their graduates. However, one employer noted that they found that historians and musicians also had similar logic and research skills but tended to also have much better written communication skills. The general employers were unlikely to favour a graduate with an MChem over one with a BSc. Several felt that it depended what the graduate had done in their MChem year and whether they were able to show that they had learnt useful transferable skills, for example in research or evidence of capacity to work independently. This view was also common in relation to Masters degrees and PhDs. The majority of employers said that having such a qualification would give an applicant no intrinsic advantage in the application process, although it might allow them to have more examples to demonstrate how they had acquired and used particular skills. One respondent stated; “Although having a Masters is regarded by some graduates as a way to set themselves apart now that so many people are getting degrees, [the organisation] regards it as just a piece of paper. What matters is the skills people have learned and their motivation for doing further study. If they are only doing it to get an extra qualification, then it is meaningless and won’t help them at all” Some employers did encourage their employees to go on to study for further qualifications, but these were largely in areas of direct relevance to the organisation’s business. 6.2.2. General employers’ methods of recruiting Chemical Science graduates As Table 6.2 shows, the 25 general employers used the same methods to recruit Chemical Science graduates as they did graduates from other disciplines. The one exception occurred with an organisation that targeted particular, non-Chemical Science departments that they knew would be likely to yield a high number of suitably qualified applicants.

85

Table 6.2 Methods used to recruit graduates by general graduate employers interviewed

Targeted approach to particular institutions or departments Graduate recruitment fairs Prospects (online)46 Advertise through specialist graduate publications University milk round Undergraduate/graduate work experience programmes Own website Via university careers advisory centres Milkround.com Advertise in national newspapers Graduate internships Consider unsolicited applications Word of mouth / referrals from family and friends Advertise in local newspapers Advertise in trade press Recruit through specialist agencies Other: Jobsite.com Hobsons (online) Graduatejobs.com Reed Target Bright Futures Job Centre Local radio Student Law Societies

Use for all

Use for Chem grads

Most Effective

15 14 13 13 13 12 12 11 7 6 6 5 4 4 4 3

14 14 13 13 13 12 12 11 7 6 6 5 4 4 4 3

5 2 3 3 6 6 5 3 5

3 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

3 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

1 2 1 1 1

1 2 1 1 2

Source: Project employers’ survey

The majority of employers used more than one method of recruitment, commenting that this was the most effective way of ensuring the best candidates were aware of the organisation. Employers targeting particular universities generally stated that they targeted “the top universities” with this number ranging between the top 20 and 40 universities. The primary reason given for this was that the top universities produced the best candidates because their courses and the subjects they offer are more academic and their greater use of exams in assessment meant that their graduates were more likely to pass the professional exams some of the organisations planned to enter them for. Several employers mentioned that they were now trying to broaden this list to encompass other universities selected on the basis on the courses they offered, their location or their general reputation for producing good applicants or being helpful. The web is becoming an increasingly popular method of recruitment. Employers who had begun to do most of their recruitment online mentioned that it is cheaper than the traditional milk round and no less productive. This was particularly the case for smaller and less traditional graduate recruiters. Graduate recruitment fairs were most popular with the small organisations who saw them as an opportunity to raise their profile. Undergraduate work experience programmes were found to be effective, with the organisations that used them noting that it was unusual for them not to offer a placement student a job on graduation. This idea of building up a long term 46

The majority of respondents in the general employers survey were drawn from the Prospects database of organisations that had advertised with them.

86

relationship with students, which enabled them to assess them over a period of time and build their loyalty to the organisation, was seen as particularly important. One organisation noted that it was no longer enough for students to have a degree, and that sandwich courses and work placements were what made people employable as they allowed them to demonstrate a combination of academic achievement and commercial skills that was a desirable combination. However, one organisation in the PR/Advertising sector noted that they often had placements that they could not fill. 6.2.3. Problems experienced by general employers when recruiting Chemical Science graduates The majority of the general employers had experienced no problems in filling their graduate vacancies. The biggest problem faced by employers was identifying the best candidates. Having a problem writing a good CV and then living up to it was something that Chemical Science graduates had in common with graduates from many other disciplines. It was generally felt that Chemical Science students may be very able to do the job but that they presented themselves poorly and were often amongst the group of applicants who would be rejected at the interview stage, despite having very impressive CVs. One employer stated that Chemical Science students can be; “very impressive on paper and not have the personality to go with it” whilst another noted her disappointment that they; “don’t seem as bright, plucky and charismatic as their CVs suggest”. A further employer felt that Chemical Science students were often too serious and reticent in interviews, describing her experience of interviewing some Chemical Science graduates as “like pulling teeth” and suggesting that they needed to work on “not leaving their personality at the door”. Problems writing CVs were not often mentioned specifically in relation to Chemical Science graduates. A couple of employers noted a general tendency amongst all graduates to exaggerate and use meaningless jargon on their application forms, and an inability to back up claims made with concrete examples was mentioned by many of the employers. Only one employer felt that Chemical Science students in particular had a problem with their CVs, commenting that some applicants with Chemical Science degrees tended to go into too much technical detail; “their application forms can be quite boring, and this gives the impression that they will bore clients too”. The other issue raised by the general employers was the difficulty in comparing degrees from different universities, both in terms of the ability of the graduate in general and the skills they will possess upon graduation. One employer, who recruited primarily from the top 20 universities, stated that the organisation ideally would like to be able to go out and find “diamonds at other universities, from the old polytechnics, but you have no way of knowing how their degrees measure up against ones from top universities”. She reported that she found the situation so competitive for what she referred to as ‘the top graduates’ that she tended to end up accepting people who were not the best ones out there simply because they graduated from a top 20 university and she didn’t want to take a risk. Along with specifying a particular A Level tariff score, this illustrates the assumption that such universities have effectively selected students on the basis of

87

higher intellectual and problem-solving potential, as well as by offering more challenging courses. Where employers had experienced problems, they tended to lie in the areas of science and engineering and management. One employer noted that they had relatively few applications from graduates with a background in science, and that those who did apply lacked the writing and decision-making ability that would make them employable. This lack of candidates who were able to demonstrate a balance between theoretical and practical knowledge, and, as one employer described it “have a conversation and not be too geeky” was experienced by several of the organisations interviewed, and was identified as a particular issue for science graduates. 6.3

Employment of Chemical Science graduates by general employers

We examine below the types of organisations that recruit Chemical Science graduates and the types of work they do within those organisations. 6.3.1

Types of employers of Chemical Science graduates

The employers interviewed covered a range of sectors, including finance, law, management, advertising, public relations and marketing, retail and the public sector. Of these, eight were SMEs (with a workforce of less than 250 people), of which the smallest organisation had 20 employees in the UK. Excluding the Civil Service, the largest had approximately 5000 employees in the UK. The majority of organisations had a workforce of which at least 60 per cent were graduates. Three employers had a workforce of less than 20 graduates, of whom two were in the retail sector and two operated from various sites and were aiming to fill a vacancy at one of the sites with a higher proportion of graduates. The average starting salary, excluding benefits and overtime, of the jobs the general employers had advertised was £26,109, with the lowest starting salary on offer £17,000 and the highest £39,000. The median salary was £24,000. This median salary is the same as that found by the Association of Graduate Recruiters in 200847, which reflects the extent to which these employers identified as recruiters of Chemical Science graduates tended to be Blue Chip companies, Public sector organisations, or other ‘traditional’ graduate employers. The highest salaries were offered in law and finance, and the lowest in the retail sector and marketing, public relations and advertising. 6.3.2

Types of jobs that Chemical Science graduates do

The majority of employers were taking graduates onto graduate schemes that were open to all graduates, and expected the graduates to undertake further training in a particular area. Three were advertising to fill a specific identified vacancy. Because none of the general employers were looking to recruit Chemical Sciences specifically for their chemical skills, they did not expect graduates to use specific science skills in their jobs. However, two employers expected graduates to use their knowledge of the science sector and understanding of technical language in their jobs.

47

The AGR Graduate Recruitment Survey 2008: Winter Review. The 2007/8 Prospects Review found that the average starting salary offered to 2008 graduates was £24,048 and the median salary was £23,500. The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) found slightly lower figures, giving the average salary for 2006 graduates who were in full-time employment in the UK six months after graduating as £18,501. This lower figure is likely to be because the HESA survey covered all jobs done by graduates, whereas this research and the AGR and Prospects surveys focus on graduate jobs. Additionally, the companies surveyed for this research represent the sectors where Chemical Sciences students are likely to be employed, resulting in a larger proportion of companies in the relatively well-paid financial sector.

88

The nature of the graduate training schemes varies. Graduates on these schemes typically spend two years rotating through various parts of the organisation, learning about how the company works. These schemes were most common in law, finance, management and the public sector. In some cases, Chemical Science students were recruited simply as the best graduate for general graduate schemes, whilst in other cases, they were sought for particular schemes, generally those focussed on technology, science or those that required a high level of numerical or analytical ability. Within the different sectors, Chemical Science graduates were seen by employers as being more likely to end up in some jobs or areas than others. In law, employers felt that Chemical Science students were most suited to Intellectual Property Law because this is an area where analytical ability is important. In finance, analytical areas were also seen as being the most attractive to Chemical Science graduates, with predictive market analysis being one area suggested. Jobs in the retail sector would usually be behind the scenes, dealing with logistics, finance or technology, and in the advertising, public relations and marketing sector, Chemical Science graduates would be more likely to be found in business to business and enterprise PR rather than more consumer-related areas. The Ministry of Defence, the Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform or the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills were seen as the areas in the Civil Service most likely to take applicants with Chemical Science degrees. Generally, employers felt that Chemical Science graduates would be more likely to work in some areas than others because of their personal preferences and skills. One employer mentioned that weak communications skills sometimes restricted the range of posts where Chemical Science graduates could be placed. When considering the types of activities employees could expect to do as part of their job, general training was the most frequently mentioned activity, as would be expected since many of the employers were discussing recruitment onto training schemes. Other frequently mentioned activities were: Data analysis Project management Liaison with clients Report writing and other types of data presentation General team management 6.4

General employers’ perceptions of Chemical Science graduates’ skills

6.4.1

Skills general employers look for

Employers were looking for a combination of skills and attributes when recruiting graduates. Most of the employers used some kind of competency matrix, typically composed of eight to ten key skills and attributes, to build a profile of the type of candidate they were looking for. The following examples show how comprehensive these lists tended to be; “We are looking for people who are intellectually very bright, of course. They need to be able to make decisions based on the evidence that is available to them. We look for written and spoken communication skills, we need people who can write well and be concise and to the point. They need to get on with people from all different positions and backgrounds, because they will have to deal with lots of different types of people and they need to be able to negotiate with them and persuade them, even when they might not actually like the person they are dealing with or agree with their position. They need to be adaptable and pick up

89

new skills and information quickly from different sources, so they also need to be interested in learning new skills throughout their career. We want them to have innovative ideas and be able to think their way around a problem and think of new ways to solve problems. We also need to be able to rely on them to deliver a result, that’s important, so they need to be resilient and keep going in adversity too, we have to know they can keep going”. “We have certain core values that we look for applicants to display. They would be things like curiosity, passion, integrity, a work-hard, play-hard attitude, team work in their professional and personal life. They need to have an interest in things outside the academic area. You really want people who are interesting to talk to, that have a bit of personality, people who are fun, the kind of person you can have a drink with after work”. The most common skills the general employers mentioned as being important were (in order): Teamwork Spoken communication skills Written communication skills Problem-solving Numeracy Presentation skills Analytical skills Leadership skills Research skills The most important attributes that they were looking for were (in order): Being personable Hard working / motivated Potential to be trained Flexibility / adaptability Organisation Confidence and the ability to instil confidence in others Intelligence Being able to deal with clients, which requires a combination of skills and attributes was also important. Organisations also looked for evidence of work experience and extracurricular activities. Some skills and attributes were valued more in some sectors than others. For example, business and commercial awareness and logic were looked for by organisations in finance, management and business law, and attention to detail was also frequently mentioned by organisations in finance, business and the retail sector. Larger organisations looked for candidates who were resilient and had a lot of stamina. Commitment and being able to explain why they wanted a particular job in a particular organisation were important across all sectors. Some skills were seen as becoming increasingly valuable in sectors where they had not traditionally been seen as particularly important, for example, the respondent at one accountancy firm noted that people skills have become more significant as competition for business has increased in the accountancy sector and employees are expected to meet clients and bring them to the firm. Most of the organisations had not experienced any difficulty in finding people with the skills and attributes they sought, and several mentioned that they were increasingly

90

able to look for higher level and better combinations of skills because they attracted so many good candidates. As one put it, “We have the luxury of being quite picky”. Despite this, some organisations stressed that their organisation functioned as a team, and that candidates should not be put off if they were not equally strong in all areas. They felt that there was still a place for specialist skills and people would be able to find their niche somewhere; “We do employ some quiet, oddball people, especially in IT, so they would be fine working in areas they are interested in”. This was an issue they felt was particularly relevant to graduates from disciplines such as the Chemical Sciences. 6.4.2. Skills general employers think Chemical Science graduates have Employers were asked what skills that would be useful to their organisation they thought Chemical Science students would have that graduates from other disciplines might not have. Generally, Chemical Science students were thought to be quite skilled, as one respondent said; “They can bring an awful lot of skill sets to us”. They were, however, not thought to be particularly well-rounded in their skills, or to have developed some skills as much as graduates in other disciplines. Many of the employers felt that Chemical Science graduates are in many ways similar to other graduates. They are intelligent and have the life-skills and independence associated with living away from home and managing their own time and resources. They were particularly felt to have a lot in common with graduates from other scientific and analytical disciplines, and only two of the employers felt that they were qualified enough to draw comparisons between Chemical Science graduates and other science graduates, and both of those employers felt that the two groups were basically identical in their generic skills. Useful skills that Chemical Science graduates were felt to particularly bring to organisations were (in order): Analytical skills and dealing with data Numeracy Research skills Logic Attention to detail and accuracy Problem solving Written communication, particularly certain types of report writing Organisation Intelligence By far the most frequently mentioned skills that respondents found that Chemical Science and science graduates brought to their organisation were analytical skills and numeracy, and they were mentioned by organisations in all sectors.

91

6.4.3. Skills general employers think Chemical Science graduates lack The most common skills employers found useful but felt that such graduates lacked were (in order): Spoken communication skills Written communication skills Teamwork Social skills / being personable Leadership Ability to deal with clients / customers Business awareness and commerciality Presentation skills The most commonly mentioned skills that Chemical Science graduates lack were spoken communication skills, which were, in some cases linked to issues of being personable and socially skilled and having the ability to deal with clients and customers. It was felt by many of the employers that this weakness in communication skills meant that the other skills Chemical Science students had were never really given a chance to shine. In the view of one respondent, Chemical Science graduates are often, “highly intelligent, highly motivated, and hopeless at communicating with you”. The spoken communication weaknesses that Chemical Science graduates were assumed to have taken various forms. Some respondents felt that Chemical Science students simply tended to have less outgoing and gregarious personalities which meant that they tended to be reticent. One employer also felt that they would tend to be unhappy in situations where there were more outgoing people, and wondered, “[whether such graduates would] be happy to be in meetings where things are not structured and formal and people are loud and demanding”. For other employers, the problems Chemical Science students were likely to face were more to do with communicating effectively. One respondent said she found them ‘not very engaging’ and another noted that they were unable to engage or connect with interviewers, which was a hindrance when they were trying to find employment. Several respondents suggested that Chemical Science students had problems persuading and convincing people. One employer felt that this was a common trait amongst ‘Generation Y’ graduates. He said that graduates today are much more direct in their communication style than previous generations, commenting that rather than trying to influence people; “they demand, they want and need… they don’t think about how to go about getting something, they just demand it”. He attributed this to their use of technology, particularly the way their communication is mediated through computers and influenced by computer games, and said that it caused particular problems when graduates were required to communicate with people from less computer literate generations. Work experience Several respondents commented that Chemical Science students were often unable to show evidence of the skills that they developed through work experience. For some

92

employers, this problem manifested itself in a lack of business awareness and ideas of commerciality, but for most respondents, it was more related to lack of understanding of how workplaces function and being unable to demonstrate possession of skills such as teamwork and communication outside the academic setting. Some interviewers noted that Chemical Science students could appear to be rather isolated from the world and it was a challenge for them to show they were not. In a similar way, Chemical Science students were felt to lack extracurricular activities which could be used to demonstrate their ability as leaders and team-players and build up their interpersonal skills. One employer stated that they actively favoured people who had taken part in sports, particularly if they had been team captains, as this demonstrated that they had team-type skills but could also be leaders and run by themselves. Employers were also asked about their general impressions of how the skills Chemical Science graduates compare to the skills of graduates in general. Table 6.3 shows whether employers rated Chemical Science graduates’ skills in different areas as better, the same, or worse than those of graduates generally. 6.4.4. General employers’ perception of the skills that Chemical Science graduates offer Table 6.3

Comparison of Chemical Science graduates’ skills with the skills of graduates in general

Chemical Science graduates skills are… Numeracy skills Research skills Self-motivation Basic computer literacy Advanced IT or software skills Ability to work in teams Written communication Foreign language skills Management skills Leadership skills Entrepreneurial skills Creativity Spoken communication

Better

Same

19 15 14 11 7 3 2

4 8 8 11 9 6 7 8 11 12 11 7 6

Worse

1

14 14 1 10 11 12 16 17

NB: Some employers were not able to assess graduates skills in particular areas if those skills were not used within their company or they did not otherwise feel qualified to comment.

As was the case when employers were asked to assess the skills that Chemical Science graduates bring to their organisation, Chemical Science students come out most strongly in numeracy and research skills. They are also seen to be self-motivated and good at technical and computing skills. Employers felt Chemical Science graduates compared poorly to other graduates in the areas of creativity and spoken communication. Good numeracy skills were seen as something that would have led students to opt for Chemical Sciences in the first place and something that they were likely to have developed further on their courses. One employer, who was particularly seeking to recruit people from a numerate or analytical background, considered that Chemical Science students would be less numerate than those with maths or economics degrees.

93

Employers generally felt that Chemical Science students had better research skills than other graduates and were particularly good at using other people’s research data. One employer stated; “They have better research skills because they are used to looking back on their own and other people’s experiments. This is a valuable skill in dealing with logistics, IT and warehousing because in those environments, you can’t just let people learn from their mistakes. It will result in chaos”. However, some respondents were not sure whether the research skills that Chemical Science students had would be transferable to other settings. This was particularly the case in law, where employers questioned whether the research skills needed were different. Self-motivation was an area where Chemical Science graduates scored highly. They were seen by employers as being dedicated and focussed. Additionally, the Chemical Sciences were regarded by employers as difficult and time-consuming subjects to study at university, and so someone who had graduated with a degree in these subjects would have had to work hard and have a good work ethic. The one respondent who thought that Chemical Science graduates had worse self-motivation than other graduates felt that the problem was that Chemical Science graduates were poor at showing they were motivated; “They are bad at conveying enthusiasm and demonstrating that they have some spark and get-up-and-go”. The area of basic computer literacy was seen by some employers as an area where Chemical Science student had a declining advantage. This was partly because all graduates now tended to be computer-literate, but also because Chemical Science students were increasingly using very specialist computer packages in preference to more commonly used packages and these had little relevance outside the Chemical Sciences sector. Computer skills, at both basic and advanced level, were also one of the sets of skills that were seen by employers as trainable and it was therefore not particularly important that graduates had those skills unless they wanted to be employed in high level technical positions. Chemical Science graduates team-working skills were largely attributed to their experiences on their degree courses. They were generally felt to lack experience of teamwork because it was not something they did on their degree courses, as one respondent said; “They tend to be worse at [teamwork] because they work on their own a lot at university”. They were also seen as less likely to engage in extracurricular activities that involved teamwork. However, the respondents who felt that Chemical Science graduates would be good at teamwork also attributed this to their courses. One claimed; “Chemical Science students are better at teamwork because they are used to working in a team in a lab”. One employer also felt that Chemical Science graduates’ communication skills hindered them when working in a team.

94

relatively

weak

Employers generally felt that Chemical Science students had worse written communication skills than other graduates. This was largely attributed to the type of writing employers thought that they were likely to have done on their courses. One respondent commented that Chemical Science students written communication skills are worse because they have to write less than students on other degree courses and they tend to have learnt to write for a specialist audience, while another stated; “they find it hard to write a well-structured answer, because the writing they do on their course is different”. This idea that Chemical Science students were good only at particular types of writing was echoed by other respondents. Commenting particularly on the employment of Chemical Science students in marketing, one respondent noted that Chemical Science students are more precise and considered in their written communication because this is more important in the Chemical Sciences due to questions of safety and the need for accuracy; however in marketing these kind of things are not very important. Chemical Science graduates’ management and leadership skills were thought to be quite similar and generally were seen as being average or worse than average. This was largely attributed to problems they experienced with communication and their lack of experience in teamwork. One respondent noted; “Although there is a difference between management and leadership skills, if you think of all the political and other leaders in this country, they are not chemists”. When it was pointed out that Margaret Thatcher had a Chemical Sciences background, she went on to state that; “Margaret Thatcher was neither a typical leader, nor a typical chemist”. Several organisations stated that management and leadership were not particularly important skills for Chemical Science students to possess as it was a skill that could be taught and organisations needed both leaders and team members amongst their staff. Chemical Science graduates were not regarded as risk-takers, which meant that they generally were not thought to demonstrate particular entrepreneurial flair. Employers described them as “solid, steady, preferring tried and tested methods” and likely to deal more in “facts and figures and balances”. One respondent felt that entrepreneurial skills were not desirable as, to him, they implied that people were going to go off and do their own thing, which was contrary to his organisation’s ethos as “a vast collective moving together”. The question of whether Chemical Science graduates were creative raised questions of what constituted creativity. One respondent noted that while Chemical Science graduates might be creative in using their science skills, she thought that were “not artistic, expressive, flamboyant”. Chemical Science students were also seen as being creative in the sense that they could think widely on issues and be creative in solving problems. However, they were seen as less good than graduates generally at speculation and coming up with ideas of the top of their head, which was linked to what one employer considered to be a very all-or-nothing approach which stopped Chemical Science graduates making decisions quickly.

95

Spoken communication, as discussed above, was the area where Chemical Science graduates were felt to compare least favourably with other graduates. Some respondents felt that this was a personality trait, with one describing Chemical Science graduates as “quite introverted”, whilst others felt that they lacked particular communications skills, particularly the ability to argue, speculate and persuade, which they linked to Chemical Science students need to be sure of their facts. This was again linked to teaching on degree courses, with respondents believing that Chemical Science students would do few or no presentations as part of their degree. 6.4.5. General employers’ perceptions of how Chemical Science graduates’ skills have changed over time The majority of the general employers did not have enough regular contact with people they knew to be Chemical Science graduates to be able to comment in detail on how their skills have changed. Most could only talk about how the skills of graduates in general had changed. The most frequently made comments concerned degree standards and the difference between traditional degrees and newer degrees such as Media Studies. Employers felt that there had been a general decline in graduate skills, with those who put a date to it suggesting that this had occurred in the past 10 to 15 years. One employer commented that compared to 10 or 15 years ago, the applicants she saw were not much worse at writing and consequently at making applications, whilst another stated that the maths skills of all graduates have become a lot worse over the past 10 to 15 years. A further respondent felt that applicants were; “less savvy these days. [They are] exceptionally raw in interview and life-skills”. Some employers felt that Chemical Science students were relatively unaffected by this perceived drop in standards, finding it to be largely a characteristic associated with graduates in less traditional degree subjects. One respondent even commented that the gap between those with traditional degrees and non-traditional degrees is getting wider; “people with non-traditional degrees are getting worse [because] these degrees do not challenge and develop people’s mental abilities”. More positively, employers noted that graduates are becoming more well-rounded. Some respondents believed that Chemical Science graduates fitted this trend, and when they did not, they were encouraged to undertake training to rectify this. Other respondents did not agree, and felt that Chemical Science graduates, in general, were in danger of being left behind as graduates from other disciplines improved their skills and employability. One stated that Chemical Science graduates had to realise that; “the days of being an intellectual geek-type are having to go. You can’t survive in the world of work like that anymore” Another respondent talked about a trend she had witnessed in the forensic science sector where organisations were bringing in people from outside who knew nothing about the work of the company and did not have the same technical skills as the people they were managing, but possessed the management skills the scientists working there were perceived to be lacking. For some of the respondents who thought differently about the skills of Chemical Science graduates, this change was due to meeting more people who were Chemical

96

Science graduates and ‘moving beyond the stereotypes’. A respondent in a law firm commented; “A few years ago, I would have thought “how on earth can they become a lawyer?” but now I have seen more of them, I’ve seen that Chemical Sciences graduates can in fact make very good lawyers”. Another respondent remarked that she had quite a stereotypical view of Chemical Science graduates in the past and during the recruitment process their application forms had done nothing to disabuse her of this, but on actually meeting the individuals she had been surprised to discover that there were Chemical Science graduate who were outgoing and personable. 6.5

Summary

- The general employers had not experienced much difficulty in filling the posts they were recruiting for. They were also happy with the quality of the graduates they eventually appointed. - The employers interviewed recruited graduates from a range of disciplines. Some favoured Chemical Science graduates along with graduates from other numerate or analytical disciplines. - Most of the general employers would not give any advantage to someone with an MChem degree rather than a BSc degree unless they could demonstrate that what they had learnt during the extra time was going to be beneficial to them in the job. - The most popular method of recruitment was through targeted approaches to particular universities or university departments. The web has become an increasingly popular recruitment too. Employers found it cheap and no less effective than other methods. The internet was particularly important to smaller and less traditional graduate recruiters, although they were also likely to favour recruitment fairs as they were seen as giving them an opportunity to get their name known. - Undergraduate work experience programmes were commonly used by employers as a way of assessing a student as a potential recruit upon graduation. Several organisations stated that it was unusual for them not to offer a placement student a job on graduation. - Some employers felt that Chemical Science graduates did not present themselves well in the recruitment process. They felt that this was a problem because Chemical Science graduates had a lot of useful skills, but if they were unable to demonstrate them effectively they would not get the jobs and the employers would lose out on a potentially very good recruit. The biggest area where Chemical Science graduates were seen to under-perform was at the interview stage of the recruitment process, although other employers also mentioned particular problems with writing CVs. - Many of the employers interviewed took graduates onto training schemes and expected the graduates to undertake further training in a particular area. This was most common among the largest organisations. - Across all sectors, the skills employers most looked for were: teamwork, written and spoken communication, problem solving and numeracy. They also looked for people who were personable with good social skills, and who were hard working and motivated.

97

- Chemical Science graduates were seen to have good skills, although many employers felt that their skill sets may be a little lopsided. The most commonly mentioned skills that Chemical Science graduates were thought to possess were: analytical skills, numeracy, research skills, logic, and attention to detail. Skills they were particularly thought to be lacking were spoken and written communication, teamwork, social skills and the ability to deal with people, and leadership. Given the list of skills employers said that they looked for, this suggests that Chemical Science graduates are seen as lacking in some key areas. - Many of the general employers did not have much experience of recruiting Chemical Science graduates, seeing only a few in each year’s recruitment round. Several admitted that some of their views of Chemical Science graduates would be based on stereotypes rather than a great deal of experience.

98

CHAPTER 7.0

7.1

THE DEMAND FOR CHEMICAL SCIENCE GRADUATES BY SPECIALIST CHEMICAL SECTOR EMPLOYERS

Introduction

Following Chapter 6, which examined the perceptions of general employers, this chapter looks at the demand for Chemical Science graduates by specialist chemical sector employers. As before, employers were asked questions about their experiences of recruiting Chemical Science graduates, the types of jobs Chemical Science graduates did within their organisation, and their perceptions of the skills Chemical Science graduates bring to the organisation. Additionally, six interviews were conducted with recruitment consultants. Organisations in the chemical industry are increasingly employing recruitment agencies to help them to advertise and fill vacancies. In total, 31 representatives of specialist chemical sector employers were interviewed. These employers were selected as companies that specifically look to recruit Chemical Science graduates, as opposed to the more general employers who take graduates from all disciplines, some of whom may be Chemical Science graduates. Employers were interviewed who, in the past 12 months, had recruited, or tried to recruit, for roles for which a chemical scientist was appropriate, to try to gauge demand their skills. There is some crossover between employment sectors and job functions for employers, but a breakdown of the sectors the employers were primarily working in is shown below: Table 7.1

Interviews conducted with specialist employers by sector

Analytical chemists Bulk chemicals Cosmetics Environmental Fine chemicals Food Health Higher education Household chemicals Nuclear industry Paint and pigments Petrochemicals Pharmaceuticals Polymers Schools and teacher training Specialist consultancy Speciality chemicals Water industry

2 1 1 1 1 1 1 6 2 1 2 1 3 2 2 2 2 1

Some of the consultancy work is done with the pharmaceutical industry, and the speciality and bulk chemicals supply to other sectors on the list. Senior personnel interviewed often have remits that range across functions and so it can be difficult to tie down specifically which function they are employed in. In addition, some of the participant organisations are large and positioned in many sectors. Nevertheless, this spread gives a good working view of the range of specialist sectors that require Chemical Science graduates.

99

7.2.

Recruitment of Chemical Science graduates by specialist employers “We just want the best person for the role”

Generally, the success rates of applicants applying for jobs advertised by specialist chemical sector employers was higher than for the jobs advertised by the general employers. The most applicants for a position was 700, of which 15 per cent were selected for interview. Several employers who anticipated large numbers of applicants used external agencies to pre-filter applicants and routinely do this to reduce administration. Some of these employers interviewed very few applicants, but those they did see were considered to be of high quality. Some regarded over 20 per cent as “appointable”, although the median rate was 7 per cent; lower than in the case of the general employers. Chemical Science graduates made up 100 per cent of the applicants for over half of the jobs advertised. For the others, a range of graduates of other scientific and technical disciplines also applied, the most common being chemical engineers, who were broadly welcomed by recruiters, and forensic science graduates who were generally less warmly received. One employer of analytical chemists said, “We get a lot of forensic scientists applying. But it’s not what we need.” Most organisations were satisfied with the number of applicants. One described the organisation as “inundated”, but this was a very successful, rapidly expanding, niche business and they were very happy with this recruitment, with 20 per cent of candidates being appointable. A minority got fewer applicants than expected. Two jobs for general first degree chemists got responses considered by their organisations as disappointing, both attributed, for different reasons, to location. One was in Central London and offered a salary that the employer felt might not be competitive and another was in a rural area. The other five organisations who had experienced problems were all in the North of England and were looking for Chemical Science PhDs or specialised skills, with analytical chemists sought by two. One employer, looking for a senior scientist with a generous salary, only attracted responses from six applicants in four months of advertising. Another described the applicants as insufficient in number, or lacking the qualifications required. Employers in this group recruiting in the North East of England all felt that their location deterred potential applicants, with one remarking that their location meant that when recruiting, “we get one appointable candidate if we’re lucky”. Three of the five who had experienced low response rates to relevant jobs advertised did not make an appointment and one reported that it had been necessary to second a junior chemist from elsewhere within the organisation to be trained to fill the vacancy. 7.2.1

Specialist employers’ reasons for recruiting Chemical Science graduates

For many of the specialist employers interviewed, the reason for recruiting Chemical Science graduates is very straightforward: the roles they recruit for require skills that are possessed by those with Chemical Sciences qualifications or experience. Of the sample of 31 employers, 26 had recruited or tried to recruit into roles for which a chemical scientist would have been appropriate in the past 12 months. In 18 of these cases, the employer sought professional or technical skills only possessed by a chemical scientist or someone with significant Chemical Science experience. The remaining specialist employers offered positions that required technical skills that could be gained from an appropriate Chemical Science degree or experience, but which might also come from other disciplines, the most common being chemical

100

engineering. The interface between Chemical Sciences and chemical engineering as academic disciplines, and the practical effects of that on the workplace, particularly when it comes to reaction scale, is a recurring theme in this section. A range of qualifications were specified by employers. All but two employers required at least a first degree. One remaining employer would have taken an HND, but then intended to put the appointee through a degree whilst in post. The other was looking for a minimum of A-levels, but stated, “We find it very difficult to find people at A-level” and subsequently employed a first degree graduate. In contrast to the general employers, higher degrees, and PhDs were particularly sought, particularly by the advertising for academic or research appointments. Twelve of the specialist chemical employers who had advertised relevant posts in the past 12 months had requested a first degree as a standard entry qualification for the job and 10 had advertised primarily for PhD qualifications, with organic synthesis the most common specialism required. The level of skills required for some of the jobs made it necessary to recruit PhD graduates, but employers often favoured PhDs for other reasons as well. One large employer summed up the appeal of doctorates, on the grounds that “We need employees to challenge methodology, and themselves”, and in addition, the added maturity of PhD graduates was often seen as an advantage in employment. One employer commented, “A degree might get you the job, but skills and experience gets you the promotion”. However, a small minority of specialist employers were wary of PhDs and what was required to recruit them. One who did recruit a small number of PhDs remarked; “A small minority of PhDs perform shockingly at interviews. They don’t prepare well and expect that their technical skills will carry them through. We do a rigorous interview, and it finds them out”. Some others questioned how easily Chemical Science graduates with an academic background could integrate into a new work environment; “Potentially, someone who has been in education that long may not have developed the competencies that we look for. They may pitch themselves a little too high”. Very few of the employers interviewed specifically looked for MChem or Masters graduates. One specialist employer commented; “A Masters degree wouldn’t influence us, unless their experience was relevant to our business”. However others spoke warmly of those MChem graduates that they did encounter; “They come with that little bit more. The extra year’s experience shows that this person has clearly demonstrated that they can work”. A small minority, however, were either unfamiliar with MChems or did not see them applying for jobs with their organisation. Two employers sought specialist skills that they felt that they were unlikely to find in a candidate without either a postgraduate qualification or significant experience, although the job itself was at a relatively low level. These roles had proved hard to fill, and the

101

employers were philosophical. One was trying to recruit a graduate into a role in packaging, an important niche in manufacturing and one that demands certain chemical skills related to ensuring products maintain freshness, weight and consistency, so that packaging retains integrity and appearance in a wide range of storage and transport conditions. The interviewee commented; “Packaging as a degree subject does not exist in the UK…the role has taken eight months to fill….it requires a strange mix of skills” This interviewee observed that, although a Chemical Science degree is an extremely useful one for this kind of role because a knowledge of the physical properties of a wide range of materials and the way that materials can interact with one another is crucial, it was not an area that many chemists considered as a career. This was despite it being ubiquitous and crucial to industry. 7.2.2

Specialist employers’ methods of recruiting Chemical Science graduates

Like general employers, all of the chemical industry employers interviewed used more than one method of recruitment to maximise their chances. The methods used to recruit differed somewhat from those used for general employers. Table 7.2

Methods used to recruit employers interviewed

chemical

scientists

Used Targeted approach to particular institutions or departments Recruit through specialist agencies Own website Advertised in New Scientist Graduate recruitment fairs Undergraduate/graduate work experience programmes Graduate internships Advertisement in local newspapers Via university careers advisory centres University milk round Advertise through specialist graduate publications Consider unsolicited applications Other trade journals Advertise in national newspapers Other Prospects.ac.uk Word of mouth / referrals from family and friends jobs.ac.uk Chemical Science World Campus alumni and brand managers Monster.com Temporary employment Hobsons Job Centre

14

by specialist

Most Effective 6

12 10 8 7 7 7 7 6 5 4 4 3 2

3 1 5 2 2

6 4 3 2 1 1 1 1 1

1 4 3 1 1

1 1

1

As several interviewees were experienced, well networked and were recruiting in fields that they knew well, they would often sound out local higher education institutions for appropriate candidates first. These institutions tended to be familiar with the recruiter and would not always be traditional research-intensive universities. One high profile,

102

‘blue chip’, recruiter indicated that newer institutions were now being seen a source of recruits; “We have been very reactive in the past. We are doing something about it. We’ve been looking at a skills pipeline working with local universities” Another recruiter found going to local institutions for graduates very effective, but said of graduates of one local, post-92 institution, “They are strong for pharmaceuticals, but not so strong on basic chemistry” Other interviewees echoed similar sentiments about newer institutions, noting that perceptions of ‘good’ institutions and qualifications had evolved as they became more familiar with the output of new universities. This was particularly important as a number of recruiters were making efforts to recruit locally. The harmonisation of qualifications as a result of the Bologna accords means that, increasingly, UK chemists will be competing in a European job market with mobile graduates from other countries who may be perceived to have skills that the UK graduates lack. However, one representative of a firm with head offices in mainland Europe noted that individual country offices tended to recruit graduates locally and that in general new graduate recruits would be recruited by, and work in, their home country. This was attributed to a series of competing internal cultures. Two UK-based recruiters also targeted institutions in France to fill vacancies in the UK. One spoke about the company’s view of the relative strengths of graduates from the UK and France; “French Chemical Science first degree graduates have better practical skills, have done a longer degree and have often done two or three different placements. That makes them much more effective self starters. But UK PhDs are stronger than the French.” As in the case of the general employers, the most popular, and most effective, method of recruitment was through a targeted approach to particular universities, although the specialist employers tended to target the Chemical Science departments within these institutions, rather than the university more generally. Amongst the specialist chemical employers, this ranged from one employer who went to 25 departments to recruit, to another who contacted just two. In all, 31 different institutions were specifically named as targets for recruitment. The use of specialist recruitment agencies was common, with SRG by far the most popular mentioned. As mentioned previously, some routinely used agencies to filter large volumes of applicants. Others used agencies to find them appropriate candidates. This use of agencies was of interest for a variety of reasons. It differs from the experience of the general recruiters who were much less likely to go to a specialist recruitment agency. It also backs up findings in Chapter 4, which use DLHE data to show that recruitment agencies were the most common way for first degree Chemical Science graduates to find the job that they were doing six months after graduating. However, a minority of employers interviewed refused to use agencies to recruit, despite organisational pressure to do so.

103

Several mentioned the cost of using agencies and were sceptical of the quality of graduates they were offered, although one employer who did use them, noted that persevering with an agency could lead to better quality candidates being offered; “They are much better now that we have established a relationship and we don’t see the same candidates eight times.” Agencies were also used when positions were felt to be particularly difficult to fill. The perceptions of a small sample of recruitment agencies are discussed further below. Less popular overall, but considered most effective by more who did use it, was New Scientist magazine. Again, there were some mixed opinions. New Scientist is a high profile magazine with a large readership and advertisements tended to get a high response. However, some employers noted that it was expensive to advertise in the magazine, and that an advertisement could sometimes lead to a lot of unsuitable applicants. Nevertheless, more than half the employers who used the magazine felt that it was their most effective method of recruitment. Online applications were another popular method of recruitment. Recruiters noted that a job advertisement on the company web site was less expensive than other options and just as effective. This was particularly important for smaller employers who might be working under budget constraints. As in the case of the general employers, there has been some cross-over, with publications such as New Scientist, which have traditionally been paper-based now also making their job advertisements available online. Word of mouth and personal recommendations were used by a few employers, and were highly rated by them. Incentives for employees who recommended a successful candidate were popular amongst this group, and offered advantages of cost and providing a potential recruit who had already been effectively vetted by an existing company employee. Several employers offered work experience, although not all of them used their work experience trainees as potential recruits, which is in contrast to the general employers, who tended to try to employ people who had work experience in the organisation unless they had proved to be unsuitable during the placement. 7.2.3

Problems experienced by specialist employers when recruiting Chemical Science graduates

Most of the specialist recruiters had no problems filling their roles. The most common issue identified was that there was felt to be too few Chemical Science graduates in the marketplace. In contrast to the general employers, these recruiters are very familiar with Chemical Science graduates and have roles that play to their strengths. A number stressed that they had very robust and thorough recruitment systems that ensured that chemical scientists with the right skills were appointed, and that they are particularly designed to eliminate those with inadequate personal skills for the roles required. Many of the specialist Chemical Science employers felt that some Chemical Science graduates could lack skills in this area, with both spoken and written communication being highlighted by different recruiters, probably deriving from low confidence rather than poor communication skills. As one said, “We get really good scientists, but they need to produce reports that work”.

104

“Some graduates seem to lack confidence to push themselves forward. It may be a lack of confidence in their own communication skills”. There were concerns about the basic practical skills of Chemical Science graduates, with some interviewees feeling that there had been a decline in laboratory work at degree level, with the result that some graduates were coming in to jobs without necessary training, particularly when it came to handling hazardous materials. One remarked, “Health and safety concerns may stifle innovation and excitement in labs and causes students to come with a skill set that is slightly deficient in techniques where there is some hazard”. Others noted that graduates were sometimes overconfident in their own ability. “Some graduates come with far too high an opinion of their own skill. But we soon knock that out of them!” Some noted competent graduates coming to their organizations, who tended to be less independent than in the past. One saw this as an issue in career planning: “In the last ten years, society has changed and people are starting to assume that career paths will be laid out for them”. Another felt that independent thought has suffered; “There is an element of them being too ‘taught’ and this sacrifices their ability to think for themselves. This is a problem for [employer] as we need people who can think their way around a problem”. A number felt that the numeracy of first degree graduates might also be weak as many degrees were making mathematics modules optional. But these issues were not felt to be unique to Chemical Science graduates. Allied to this was the feeling amongst employers that graduates were more demanding than they had been in the past; “New graduates seem more sophisticated in terms of career choices and have a different expectation of careers. They expect to work more flexibly, and don’t want a job that involves long hours or where they might need to work at weekends”. A handful of employers were concerned about standards at PhD level. One said; “PhDs lack the fundamentals and lack breath of experience compared to previously. It’s not confined to certain universities”. Another mentioned being surprised at the low level of numeracy of some PhD graduates, but also suspected that he might have been unfortunate with those he had seen. Some specific Chemical Science skills appeared to be in short supply for some employers. Seventeen interviewees had hard-to-fill vacancies in the last two years for which a Chemical Science graduate might have been suitable, with a wide range of reasons cited. As has been mentioned, location was the most common reason for having problems filling a role, but after that, it was a shortage of skills that was commonly mentioned as causing these recruitment problems. Experienced analytical

105

chemists, physical chemists (particularly physical organic chemists) and chemists who could work on a large scale, at the interface between Chemical Sciences and chemical engineering, were the most frequently cited as hard to find. This will be discussed more in the section dealing with skills. 7.3

Employment of Chemical Science graduates by specialist employers

This section outlines the types of organisations that employ Chemical Science graduates, and looks in more detail at the types of work Chemical Science graduates do in these organisations. 7.3.1

Types of employers of Chemical Science graduates

The organisations whose representatives were interviewed varied greatly in size. Several multinationals, employing tens of thousands of employees worldwide took part, and that contrasted with some much smaller employers, the smallest having just over 50 people working for them. In all, excluding schools and HE departments (which are technically SMEs), four of the companies were SMEs and 11 employed more than 1,000 people in the UK. The largest, a public sector body, had 13,000 UK employees. The largest private employer had 6,000 UK staff. The majority of these employers had workforces where over half of employees had at least a first degree, and several were effectively 100 per cent graduate. Those whose workforce was less than half graduate level were mostly large organisations with a significant manufacturing presence, although there were also two SMEs, both largely manufacturers of chemicals. For thirteen of the employers, over half of their graduates had qualifications in the Chemical Sciences. Only five, had less than 10 per cent of their graduate workforce in possession of Chemical Science qualifications, two of whom were recruiting for teachers while the other three were large organisations that had specific niches requiring chemists. Salaries are difficult to estimate accurately. Vacancies were advertised at several levels, and had pay scales that could vary depending on the qualification. Several employers did not specify a salary at all and left them negotiable. All of the employers who recruited for relevant jobs were happy with the graduates they had appointed, and some spoke very warmly of their new employees and the skills and attitudes they possessed. 7.3.2

Types of job Chemical Science graduates do

The specialist employers differed from the general graduate employers in the jobs they were recruiting for. The sample was chosen to be as representative as possible of the range of Chemical Science employers recruiting recent Chemical Science graduates in the UK. Consequently, all the companies interviewed had roles specifically for chemists, although for some of them, they were extremely specialist and in some chemists made up a very small proportion of the workforce. Many of these specialist employers also employed Chemical Science graduates in roles that did not ostensibly require a Chemical Science degree, but which could make use of Chemical Science expertise. There were three key areas for these employees. Firstly, several specialists spoke of looking for chemical scientists as sales staff, where it was considered that technical knowledge was vital in being able to sell complex products effectively and credibly to clients with their own expertise in the area.

106

However, some found it difficult to recruit Chemical Science graduates into sales roles, with one counting sales as a hard-to-fill area. The second area was in manufacturing. Chemical Science graduates were recruited to work alongside engineers in process and manufacturing positions by several organisations, particularly those who also recruited chemical engineering graduates. Chemical scientists with skills that overlapped with chemical engineers, particularly those with expertise in large scale reactions, were highly prized and noted to be in short supply. The final area was in management. Chemical Science graduates progressed both along formal progression routes into management, typically diverging from their technical colleagues when reaching senior roles and an aptitude for management was identified, or recruited from outside the organisation. This was largely to manage other technical staff, where their experience and insight would be of value. This route was not without its pitfalls, as one interviewee noted that, many scientists don’t make good managers and many do not aspire to management. Conversely, several felt that the analytical qualities of chemists made them suitable for management, particularly when employees possessed good interpersonal skills. Most specialist employers had formal progression systems whereby a new Chemical Science graduate could see the steps they needed to take to progress and the career opportunities available to those who performed well. Many had routes whereby chemists could become technical experts in particular roles and without taking on management responsibility if they wished. Several of those who did not have formal progression routes were planning to implement them, one remarking, "leavers have mentioned the lack of a clear career track as an issue", although another did point out that formality and career progression opportunities are not always possible for smaller businesses. 7.4

Specialist employers’ perceptions of Chemical Science graduates’ skills

7.4.1

Skills specialist employers look for

Like the general employers, the specialist science recruiters looked for a range of skills and used specific interview techniques to find them. Competency-based interviewing was used by a number of employers and many candidates had to negotiate multiple interviews in order to secure a role. One employer explained how their interviewing system was designed to find the skills they sought; “There is a two stage interview of the short-listed candidates. The two stages are firstly a technical interview, and then an interview to gauge interpersonal skills” Selection processes varied among employers, but most had procedures which enabled them to test both technical and interpersonal skills. The most commonly sought skills were team-working and communications. Well over half of all the roles recruited for required one or both of these skills and almost all interviewees stressed the importance of team-working skills. One representative of a large company commented succinctly in relation to this “We don’t want loners!”. And another explained how good team-working was essential in their organisation; “Although you come join my team, you don’t just work with the other people in the team. You have to work with a lot of people in other functions”.

107

Allied to team-working was good communication and interpersonal skills. employer put it;

As one

“We need people who can take responsibility for research and have the ability to forge strong industrial and academic collaborations. This is a very collaborative project”. Employers stressed that technical ability and chemical knowledge were of little use to their business if the employee was unable to articulate the product of their work to colleagues and clients. Some interviewees from large, well-established business that employed many chemical scientists noted that positions for chemical scientists who wanted a role requiring pure technical expertise without significant interpersonal reaction were becoming less and less common. One said, “Gone are the days when chemists would sit in the lab and didn’t interact”. One academic interviewee noted this, but pointed out that roles of this kind were still available in academia, reflecting that “Universities are accommodating to all sorts of people”. In general, employers felt that chemical scientists were perhaps expected to be better team-workers and communicators than had been the case in the past. Other skills actively sought in chemical scientists were, in order: Technical knowledge Self-management and organisation Problem solving Motivation Flexibility Management Research Business focus The large majority of employers interviewed had roles at their businesses requiring specific Chemical Science skills, and most of the roles examined required a specialism in Chemical Sciences. As a result, technical knowledge was important but the skills tested and methods used to test them varied between business and even between roles. This desire for specialism was not universal. One employer talked of how they preferred to recruit general chemists, reporting that the company “normally recruits chemists without particular specialisms and then develops them in-house, through open learning programmes”, but this approach was in the minority for specialist chemical employers. Abilities to self-motivate and self-manage were seen by several specialist employers as crucial. Roles could often be demanding from the outset and Chemical Science recruits were expected to self-start and manage their own workload. One recruiter for a small employer noted; “One of the most important things is that people fit into the culture. They need to be enthusiastic and keen to learn anything. Deadlines need to be met. If you can’t handle the stress then you’re not going to be able to do the work”.

108

Most of the employers reported little trouble in finding the softer skills they sought, although often the secondary school employers had experienced difficulties finding Chemistry teachers with sufficiently good communication skills to teach effectively. One employer reported problems getting a Chemical Science graduate with sufficiently developed sales skills. However, both schools and sales employer felt that these difficulties may have been a side-effect of a low applicant response and thought that if more chemists could be convinced to apply for such posts, recruitment might be less of an issue. 7.4.2

Skills specialist employers think Chemical Science graduates have

Interviewees were asked about the skills that Chemical Science graduates brought to their company. The replies to this section, and the next, comparing the level of skills with those for all graduates, differ from the responses for general employers, which can be attributed to several factors. The first is that many roles considered specifically needed Chemical Science skills, and so skills needs reflected those developed on Chemical Sciences degree programmes. Companies had learned to adapt roles to play to the strengths and weaknesses of their recruits. The second is that the interviewees were often very experienced in evaluating specialist skills and had seen and worked with a great many chemical scientists. This gave them different perspectives and experiences to those recruiting for jobs in environments where chemical scientists are rarely encountered and Chemical Science skills and knowledge are not specifically required. They had experience of recruiting and working with chemical scientists. Many of the interviewees were themselves Chemical Science graduates and it was a subject in which they had a great deal of personal interest and held strong views. Many interviewees were reluctant to generalise or give opinions on issues where they felt they did not have enough data to comment, but they were happy to give details of their own experiences. These interviewees generally spoke positively of chemical scientists’ skills. Chemists were largely seen as intelligent, highly motivated and often passionate about their subject. As in the case of the general employers, the Chemical Sciences was seen as difficult subjects taken by committed and intelligent people. One interviewee commented, “They are intelligent. They have to be. Chemical Science is hard”. In order, the main skills that Chemical Science recruiters found valuable in their Chemical Science recruits were: Analytical thinking Technical knowledge Numeracy Problem solving skills Interpersonal skills Flexibility Motivation and self-discipline Attention to detail Love and enthusiasm of subject

Similar to the general employers, many of the specialist chemical employers prized analytical thinking. As one recruiter for a large multinational employer said; “We test for analytical thinking and creative thinking. Chemists are much stronger than other graduates for analytical thinking”.

109

Technical knowledge and numeracy were largely taken as read by Chemical Science employers as they were a necessity for the roles that they are recruited into. Problem solving was also seen as a strength of chemical scientists. A recruiter for a large business said of Chemical Science graduates; “If you go away and give them a problem, they’ll go away and come back with a solution for you. Non-chemists tend to have weaker problem solving”. Several interviewees expressed frustration at the popular view of chemical scientists as poor communicators, feeling that, while there was some basis for it, it did not show the whole picture. One interviewee from a large multinational conceded: “They are good people. They are motivated, driven. We have some geeks, but largely they are good communicators” and another, himself a Chemistry graduate, felt that the discipline has an unjustifiably negative image on this issue and praised the ability of chemists to get their point across, saying “Our chemists give clear, concise answers”. However, many of these chemical sector employers specifically sought chemical scientists with good communication skills, and it may be that they are recruiting the lion’s share of those with good interpersonal skills. One interviewee explained that the view of their company was that “Personal skills are the things that make international companies work”. 7.4.3

Skills specialist employers think chemical scientists lack

Because Chemical sector employers are familiar with Chemical Science graduates, this sample had fewer issues with the workplace skills of chemical scientists than did the general employers. Many employers felt that the image of chemists as broadly poor communicators was a stereotype, but there was acknowledgement that some chemical scientists were not adept at personal interaction. The nature of study and training of chemical scientists was attributed by some as a factor. As one employer said of chemists; “They spend a lot of time in labs not engaging with people outside the science sector”. Another felt that Chemical Science graduates did not always get the opportunity to demonstrate their communication skills, feeling that A-levels and degrees do not allow chemists enough practice in written and spoken communication. However, one interviewee felt that this was not an issue confined to Chemical Sciences, saying; “Written and spoken communication is often poor for chemists, but no worse than for other degrees. They’re all equally bad.” Laboratory practical write ups were not seen as particularly effective training in written communication skills for most employers, but a small number of recruiters into technical jobs felt that the discipline and structure helped improve the written communication of Chemical Science graduates. Interviewees believed that students who did more extra-curricular activity were more likely to develop good interpersonal skills, but some noted that the demands of study of Chemical Sciences could make this more difficult for chemists than for degrees with fewer formally timetabled hours.

110

Chemical Science graduates were also seen as sometimes lacking business and commercial awareness, and lacked common sense, but questioned whether this was a problem unique to chemists, or a characteristic of youth and lack of experience. Another gave a more concrete example of how lack of commercial awareness and interpersonal skills in graduate recruits had been an issue for his company; “They sometimes have trouble explaining the data effectively. They have problems understanding the customer’s point of view”. One interviewee felt that the breadth of knowledge possessed by Chemical Science graduates was not always as good as their company needed. This meant that they could be too focussed on Chemical Sciences, have too narrow a view of other disciplines and not always be good at seeing a broader perspective. Many employers stressed that work experience could help to provide more business awareness and consequently prized it highly. Lack of self-motivation was also seen by some interviewees as an issue for chemical scientists. However, this was felt to be an attribute of graduates in general and not something unique to chemists. As one experienced recruiter put it; “Over the years I’ve seen a lot of graduates and a lot have no career thoughts. They don’t get enough direction”. However, the technical skills that chemical scientists had been found to lack were more of a concern for the specialist recruiters. One key concern was lack of good applicants with mathematical ability. This will be also be discussed within the section examining recent changes in Chemical Science degrees prerequisites and syllabuses, but a number of employers were concerned about a perceived erosion of mathematical skills and felt that Chemical Science students were dropping what was thought to be difficult, dull yet vital modules in mathematics and physical chemistry; “We moan about self-motivation. A lot of students, for example, have dropped Alevel maths because they don’t like it. They take the easy option when they can”. A range of Chemical Science skills were felt to be in short supply. Four interviewees were concerned about physical chemistry and physical organic chemistry skills, feeling that too many students were avoiding degree modules in these disciplines as they were felt to be more difficult than other options. Three more had problems finding graduates with sufficient analytical chemistry, particularly in high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). They believed that students were not getting enough practical training at degree level in analytical chemistry, with the result that many candidates were applying for roles in techniques in which they had rarely, if ever, had practical experience of. Three more recruiters expressed serious concerns about the ability of Chemistry graduates to work on larger scale Chemical Science projects. These were all employers of chemical engineers, where there were important roles needing chemists and chemical engineers to work together. As one put it; “Where British chemists are weak compared to [those from other] EU [countries], is in the interface between Chemical Sciences and chemical engineering. British chemists are not so likely to have skills in scaling up reactions to industrial scale.

111

As chemists might be involved in working with chemical engineers, this is an area where we lose out”. Other employers with similar concerns echoed these sentiments and noted that graduates from Europe were often stronger in this area and this was a competitive concern for UK Chemical Science graduates. Other Chemical Science skills cited by employers as being weak or in short supply were: public health; medicinal Chemistry; handling hazardous materials; interdisciplinary work; and quality control. Interviewees were also asked to compare the skills of Chemical Science graduates with those for graduates in general. A number declined, feeling that as they worked with and recruited only chemists, a valid comparison was impossible. In general, the skills of chemists were felt to compare favourably with those of graduates as a whole. Only two of the skills requested, spoken communication and foreign language skills, were cited by no interviewees as being better in chemists than in graduates as a whole, whilst almost all those who answered felt that Chemical Science graduates were better researchers than other graduates. Table 7.3

Chemical Science graduate skills compared to graduates in general

Chemical Science graduates skills compared to graduates in general Research skills Numeracy skills Basic computer literacy Advanced IT or software skills Self-motivation Problem solving Ability to work in teams Written communication Creativity Leadership skills Entrepreneurial skills Management skills Spoken communication Foreign language skills

Better

Same

12 9 7 7 7 4 4 3 3 2 1 1

2 3 7 5 5 10 8 7 9 9 7 11 10 8

Worse

1

2 4 2 1 4 1 2 5

Numeracy was generally felt to be better than graduates as a whole. However, as has been discussed, several employers were concerned about the level of numeracy in Chemical Science graduates, although other employers noted that it was taken as read that Chemical Science graduates are numerate. Nevertheless, many employers felt that numeracy was important for their company and so it was an advantage for chemists to possess these skills to a high level. The same could be said about basic computer literacy, with Chemical Science employers echoing the remarks of the more general employers in feeling that it was now taken for granted that graduates will have enough computer literacy to fill most roles and that this area is no longer one where chemists enjoy much advantage as a result. Although few employers required advanced IT skills, those that did felt that chemists were rather better than average in the area.

112

Teamwork and creativity were two areas where there was some debate. Some employers felt that chemists were good at working in teams as a result of training in their degrees, one saying; “They’re good team-workers because of their experience on group lab work”. Another observed; “You have to work with others. You sometimes have to learn to work with someone you don’t get on with”. But others, particularly those who worked with chemical engineers disagreed, noting that many chemists work on their own or in pairs in labs, whilst chemical engineering graduates work in larger groups. This was the most important skill for Chemical Science recruiters, and one noted; “It’s not the most important attribute per se, but it’s the one that is mostly likely to lose you the job if you don’t have it”. There was a split in the way interviewees judged the creativity of chemical scientists. Some felt that Chemical Sciences, and particularly research, was a creative endeavour that was not sufficiently recognised by non-chemists. A good chemical scientist was felt to think laterally, to find novel solutions to problems and to be able to innovate. One said; “There are disciplines that allow creativity. There is a certain amount of creativity that you can do in labs”. Several employers specifically tested the creative thinking skills of their potential Chemical Science recruits, and interviewees noted that this might colour their view of Chemical Science graduates. But other interviewees disagreed, feeling that the creativity of Chemical Science graduates was not as strong as for other degrees. One attributed this to the effect of learning; “Sometimes you find that technical graduates have had this knocked out of them a bit by their courses”. As with the general employers, leadership and management skills were not seen as a strength of Chemical Science graduates, but this was not really a concern for many employers. Most preferred to develop these skills within the organisation. Chemists were gauged to be slightly weaker communicators than graduates in general, and this was felt to be partly a consequence of the type of people who are attracted to Chemical Sciences, and partly because Chemical Science degrees are not seen to offer as much opportunity for communication as other degrees. The specialist employers did feel these areas were of increasing importance and although sometimes there were areas where Chemical Scientists were less likely to excel, had generally been able to recruit candidates with the skills they required. It is clear from the opinions of general graduates that more could be done to improve the perception of the communication and interpersonal skills of chemical scientists. 7.4.4

Specialist employers’ perceptions of how Chemical Science graduates’ skills have changed over time

113

Opinions on this were diverse. Twenty seven interviewees answered this question, with 12 feeling that there had been no real change over the last few years. Chemical Science graduates were felt to be broadly of good quality, and these employers were seeing enough good ones to satisfy them that standards were being maintained and that their roles would continue to be filled. As one SME interviewee said; “I have seen, over the last 20 years, generations of graduates and they seem just as good as they’ve always been”. However, one did temper this somewhat, feeling that there were perhaps more poor candidates leaving university; “I don’t think any Chemistry graduate, when we graduated, actually knew very much. I don’t think quality has declined, but I do think there is perhaps a longer tail of ability. Every year, there are a few who probably don’t really benefit academically from the degree, and I think there might be slightly more of them than there used to be”. Another four felt that standards had improved. This was attributed to graduates having increased business awareness, and better training and support from institutions. One interviewee from a well-known organisation in the sector said; “We have done a lot of work in benchmarking skills and comparing graduates from three years ago with current graduates. They are more business aware and approach interviews more professionally. Universities and colleges have got better at getting the realities and needs of business across to students”. However, the remaining 11 felt that standards had fallen, with some feeling that the decline had been within the last three to five years. Most felt that the standards of degrees in general had fallen, with Chemical Sciences no exception. A drop in the literacy and numeracy of graduates was felt to have taken place, and the issues are felt to begin before HE. One interviewee said; “Grade inflation is real and it extends up to PhD level from GCSE level. University is about developing knowledge, but schools are producing students who expect things laid out for them and they have much smaller hurdles to overcome”. But most also identified some specific issues of a decline in quality of Chemical Science degrees. This decline was largely felt to be concentrated in two key areas. The first was that there was believed to be a drop in the practical skills of Chemical Science graduates. One employer sympathised with the cost for institutions of providing good laboratory facilities and practicals for students, but expressed concern that the decline in lab work was happening at highly-regarded institutions as well as less-heralded ones. The second specific issue was that the structure of Chemical Science degrees was felt to have changed, with some areas that are fundamental to Chemical Sciences being made optional modules in some degrees and hence being dropped by students in favour of specialisms that may be popular, but might not be as useful to careers. Basic chemistry skills were felt to be suffering as a result. Mathematics and Physical Chemistry were the two areas most cited as being dropped. As one interviewee put it;

114

“[Current undergraduate programmes] do seem to have a remarkable amount of specialism considering they’re only undergraduates. More emphasis on the fundamentals of chemistry is required, not the glitzy bits. More on the maths and how chemistry actually works, not the very specialist things straight away”. Others felt mixed degrees were a problem, with interviewees feeling that students were cherry-picking the least challenging or most glamorous bits of courses and finishing up with a qualification of limited use in the work place. Forensic Science degrees unfavourably compared with Chemistry ones by several interviewees. One interviewee observed; “We need a stronger emphasis on Pure Chemistry degrees and fewer modular courses. If you put a graduate through a Pure Chemistry degree, they have the skills. They don’t always have them from split degrees”. However, another noted that whilst there were some poor Forensic Science degrees, some were good qualifications that offered a good range of analytical science and allow students to gain experience of interdisciplinary working, which was an area where some chemistry graduates were seen as being weak. Concern about early specialism and mixed degrees was not universal either, with one employer considering that Chemical Science students need to specialise earlier; “Some courses produce excellent generalists, but they are not as useful to specialists like us”. Those views were influenced by the hard-to-fill vacancies in chemistry specialisms that his organisation had experienced. A small number of interviewees were specifically concerned about the standard of PhDs, which they felt had also declined. One recruiter for a large multinational gave his view; “PhD systems worry me somewhat. It’s becoming harder and harder to find good ones. People aren’t learning enough at PhD. Many students lack application and they don’t work at keeping a broad view of Chemical Science in general. Supervisors bear their share of responsibility. They are not driving their students enough”. 7.5

Recruitment of Chemical Science graduates by agencies

Six interviews were conducted with recruitment consultants. Five were specialists recruiting in the science sector and one was a more general recruiter working with graduates from a range of disciplines. As has been mentioned, use of recruitment agencies is becoming increasingly common, particularly in the science sector. Interviews discussed recruitment consultants’ experiences of recruiting generally and for a single specific job that could be used as an example of the types of jobs they recruited for an the issues they faced in finding suitable graduates. Three of the jobs discussed were particularly suitable for chemistry graduates, two were suitable for applicants with a sciences background, and one was suitable for any candidate with a technical or numerate background. Of the six jobs discussed, five had ultimately gone to a graduate with a Chemical Science degree, with the other being offered to a biologist. The interviewees were not asked to give the name of the company on behalf of which they were recruiting on.

115

Within the small sample of recruitment consultants interviewed, there was a large amount of variation in the number of applicants they received or were able to pass on to clients. One respondent attributed this to their own standards, commenting that; “Some agencies, they just go for quantity, but we’re not about that. We want to say, “we have good applicants”, that’s the important issue, because anyone can find a thousand people who can’t do the job, I can go out onto the street and pick up a thousand people who couldn’t do the job I’m recruiting for, they’re everywhere!” The number of applicants received also affected by whether the recruitment agency kept a database of potential applicants CVs from which they could draw suitable candidates. The number of applicants passed on to the client also varied, depending on the stage at which the client wished to assess applicants. 7.5.1

Role of agencies in recruiting Chemical Science graduates

Different employers prefer to take over, or take a greater role in, the recruitment process at different stages, some after an initial weeding of the applicants by the recruitment agency, some after the drawing up of a shortlist, some after one or several rounds of interviews or tests, and some may even leave the final appointment in the hands of the recruitment agency. Interviewees found that the most common time for Chemical Science employers to take over the recruitment process was once a shortlist has been drawn up. One interviewee who had experience of recruiting in different sectors commented that employers in the Chemical Science sector were less likely to rely on the recruitment agency conducting late or final stage interviews, and were less likely generally to want any involvement by the recruitment consultants in the later stages of the recruitment process. Table 6.6 shows the roles the agencies had played in recruiting Chemical Science graduates to a range of jobs. Table 7.4

Role of agencies in the recruitment of Chemical graduates Advertising in Job Centres Other Advertising of employment opportunities – own website Advertising of employment opportunities – specialist publications Advertising of employment opportunities – national newspapers Advertising of employment opportunities – local newspapers Advertising of employment opportunities – trade press Advertising of employment opportunities - targeted approach to particular institutions or departments Advertising of employment opportunities – university careers services Graduate recruitment fairs Drawing up of shortlists Interviewing candidates Psychometric testing / role playing Appointment Advertising of candidates CVs Temporary recruitment database Skills, numeracy or literacy testing Headhunting

116

Science and other General 1 graduates

Chem Sci graduates

6 4 1 0 3 6

6 4 0 0 0 5

6

6

6 6 6 4 5 5 4 3 3

5 6 3 3 2 4 4 3 3

7.5.2

Agencies’ methods of recruiting Chemical Science graduates

In the majority of cases, most of the recruitment consultants’ business involved one-off recruitment for specific posts, rather than a long-term recruitment or selection contract with a particular client. On average, around 70 per cent of the recruitment consultants’ business involved recruitment for a one-off post. Four of the recruitment organisations interviewed had advertised for more that 1000 jobs in the past 12 months, and all had advertised for more positions than in the previous year and expected this number to grow. They attributed this not so much to an increase in the jobs available generally, but to increasing use of agencies in the recruitment process. Four of the organisations felt that they would be likely to recruit more Chemical Science graduates for their clients next year, and two felt the number would stay roughly the same. Table 7.5

Methods used to recruit chemical scientists by agencies surveyed Use

Own website Via university careers advisory centres Targeted approach to particular institutions or departments Graduate recruitment fairs Advertise through specialist graduate publications Other Advertise candidates CVs Temporary recruitment database Headhunting

6 6 5

Most Effective 6 3 2

5 4

3 2

4 4 3

2

Most of the recruitment consultants used a range of methods to recruit Chemical Science graduates. Advertising on their own website was considered to be the most effective method, although in all cases, this was in combination with other methods. Although university departments and careers advisory centres were thought to be effective in providing applicants, two respondents commented that they had found it difficult to build a good relationship with universities, with one commenting; “Really, they seem to see themselves and their graduates as better than that. Why would they have to use an agency when they are so brilliant? It’s an oldfashioned view, we are the last resort for finding some kind of temp job or something. It’s really difficult to get it through to some universities, some departments, that this is the way the world works these days. They can be really snooty and I think they pass that on to their students too”. 7.5.3

Problems recruiting Chemical Science graduates

Whilst most of the recruitment consultants had generally experienced few difficulties in finding suitably qualified applicants, several mentioned specific instances where they had been unable to find as many good candidates as they had hoped, and two mentioned particular jobs that had ultimately gone unfilled because of a lack of candidates. The most common reason the recruitment consultants gave for these problems was unrealistic expectations on the part of clients, particularly when it came to looking for people with specific, rare skills. A recurring issue in the interviews with recruitment consultants was the question of quantity versus quality, with the recruitment consultants generally finding that they did not lack quantity of applicants for most jobs, but the quality, particularly in terms of

117

specific skills was not always available. They concurred with some of the chemical sector employers in the view that some graduates are leaving without the practical chemistry skills that employers were looking for, interviewee naming skills related to organic chemistry and particular techniques as being in short supply.

specialist university with one analytical

When asked about the recruitment methods that were most effective, four of the six respondents drew a distinction between methods that would generate a large number of applicants and methods that would generate good applicants. One recruitment consultant commented that the methods they would use, or suggest using, would depend on how difficult to fill they thought the job would be, stating; “Sometimes you’ve got to cast the net wide, as it were, and pick up a lot of small fish, because if the truth be told, you’re only going to get small fish and you’ve got to get the best of them”. He felt that some of his clients did not understand that some posts simply were difficult to recruit for because there were not many people available who had the very specific set of skills the client was looking for; “They say to me, “Why did you send this person? They weren’t what we were looking for” but they were all that was out there in the sea. The number of times I have been accused of hiding the best candidates, keeping them back for some fancier company. They come to me in November, wanting someone to start before Christmas, and the good candidates are gone, gone! They went in March, April, the summer. I’m not a miracle worker and I’ve got to send someone”. This view was echoed by another respondent, who stated; “I prefer to let them decide, if someone is borderline and we didn’t get many applications. Some clients don’t like that, some do. Sometimes they will appoint that person that I thought was borderline, so you never know”. 7.6

Recruitment agencies’ perceptions of Chemical Science graduates’ skills

The small sample of recruitment agencies were asked what skills they looked for when recruiting graduates. Some pointed out that it would depend on the job they were recruiting for and also the wishes of the organisation they were recruiting on behalf of. In most cases, the recruitment consultants’ picture of Chemical Science graduates’ skills was similar to that expressed by the general and specialist employers. Three key skill areas were highlighted by the majority of the recruitment consultants interviewed: Technical knowledge Teamwork Self-motivation and management In addition, recruitment consultants reported looking for the following attributes: Personable and able to talk to a range of people Confidence In addition, the applicant wanting the job and being able to convey that they wanted the job was also seen as important. One respondent felt that this was an area where Chemical Science graduates did not present themselves well, although he also suggested that the Chemical Science graduates he saw did not see the jobs he was

118

recruiting for as a long-term career anyway. Overall, Chemical Science students were seen as being strong in technical areas, logic and numerical ability. They were regarded by the recruitment consultants as good at managing their time and generally self-motivated, although one respondent suggested that this self-motivation only extended to areas the graduates found interesting. The area where Chemical Science graduates were felt most to be lacking was in the general area of communication. Respondents felt that this let them down both at the interview stages and in the job itself. One respondent commented that although in the past he had actively tried to recruit Chemical Science graduates because of their technical knowledge, he was now looking at graduates from other disciplines, commenting that; “It’s a lot easier to teach an outsider a bit of technical jargon and know-how, enough that you can send them in there and they will get by, than it is to teach some of these people how to talk, how to look people in the eye, how not to overload them. They don’t really appreciate those skills, it’s a certain arrogance”. Two of the respondents commented that Chemical Science students were slow to adapt what they had learnt at university to the work setting, but one also mentioned that Chemical Science graduates do not always realise just how good their skills are, and how they could sell their skills in different settings. Two recruitment consultants felt that there had been a change over time, although this was less to do with Chemical Science graduates skills and more to do with their attitudes. One felt that Chemical Science graduates had become more flexible in terms of the type of work they were willing to consider, but he also said that he had the impression that graduates were less willing to commit to jobs, both when they had received an offer and over the longer term. It was his impression that a large proportion of the people he recruited would not remain with the organisation that recruited them for more than a year or two, and many would leave within six months. The other respondent felt that Chemical Science graduates as a whole had become more ambitious and self-assured, but that there was also an increasingly large group that he felt were lacking in confidence in both their chemical and more general skills and knowledge, and that the polarisation between these two groups was growing. He attributed some of this to differences between university Chemical Science departments and commented that; “a degree in Chemical Science doesn’t tell you very much these days. You have no idea what someone might know or might not know, what techniques they will be familiar with, what equipment they will be experienced in using. You have to ask them, and, well some of them will lie, and some of them will blame their university. It must make you wonder. It makes me wonder”. 7.7

Demand for Chemical Science graduates by Universities

Given that HE is both an employer as well as a producer of highly-qualified Chemical Scientists, it was important that Chemical Science departments should be included in the employers’ investigation. However, it rapidly became apparent that they recruited virtually no newly-qualified or recently-qualified undergraduate degree-holders. Applicants for teaching and research posts, even at the most junior level, were invariably reported to require not only a PhD, but evidence of highly specialist skills, publications and evidence of the capacity to attract research funding. The traditional academic career appears to be alive and well in Chemical Sciences, with typical career

119

development described by one respondent a process whereby an excellent young graduate, normally via an MChem or BSC followed by an MSc; “……would do a PhD, then they would do a post-doctoral job somewhere and maybe after 1, 2, 3 posts they would then be interested in taking up a lectureship position. But then, of course, there’s a real difficulty with research positions, in that there aren’t enough lectureships to go around. And of course, when you interview them, you don’t always find that they are suitable. Although they’re very good researchers, they’re not necessarily suitable as lecturers ”. With reference to recently advertised junior lectureships, the numbers of applicants cited by the senior Chemical Science academics interviewed ranged from over a hundred to one or two, but the few instances of shortfalls in applications were attributed to timing of advertisements and were confined to highly specialist or senior posts. For most teaching jobs and many post-doctoral appointments, all the departments normally received a high volume of applications, including many from overseas and often, a substantial proportion that were inappropriate. Two recent experiences cited were of two lectureships in physical chemistry, for which ‘somewhere in the region of 90 applications’ were received, 10 applicants were short-listed and of these “…six of them were very, very good candidates who were appointable”. Even for temporary posts, competition was generally reported as strong. Most of the Chemistry departments, of course, competed in a global market for excellent researchers and had experienced few problems in recruitment. For junior posts, the candidates they described as seeking were summed up by one head of School as; “Somebody who has the vision to see where the research is going, see where it’s going to fit in, see how they are going to be able to get the money to support the activities that they’re going, because in science...you need to be able to get the Research Councils to give you money, so you need to have that initiative and flair and I think that they’re the key things”. The predominant ways in which academic posts tend to be filled are notices of vacancies on university websites and on jobs.ac.uk; although New Scientist and Chemistry World had also been used to advertise specialist academic posts. Respondents reported that the previous decade had generally seen as a reduction in the numbers of technicians employed in their departments and – a job mainly previously filled by applicants with sub-degree level HE qualifications such as HNDs who often went on the acquire training and qualifications in the course of their employment. Because of reduced numbers required, turnover tended to be low. Departments had different approaches to the appointment of Technicians, many categories of which have been identified in the recent national longitudinal studies as occupational groups that had increasingly moved from being a niche to a new graduate job; from one where certain specific posts required degrees but most did not, to one where degrees appear to be increasingly required for most vacancies Recentlyappointed Technicians in most of the departments included in the investigation had often been highly specialist posts requiring PhD-holders to maintain and teach colleagues and students about the use of extremely complex and expensive equipment, and in other cases, candidates with postgraduate qualifications (not sought in the job specification) had successfully applied for such posts – “It was a bit of a surprise to discover that there were a number of applicants with PhDs”.

120

This is clearly a changing area of employment, closely related to changes in HE organisation and funding. In another of the departments, it was reported that technical staff are still usually taken on with HNCs or through apprenticeships, and in yet another, it had recently been decided to target good A-level candidates interested in an alternative to university undergraduate studentships, where they would be able to work part time at a subsequent stage to gain higher qualifications in the course of staff development programmes. The senior academics had strong - and presumably well-informed - views about the skills developed on Chemical Science courses and those that their students tended to lack, and these conformed more closely to the views of the specialist Chemical Science recruiters than to the general ones. They identified the same skills that they believed Chemical Science students were more likely to have possessed and had developed on their programmes: problem solving skills, numeracy skills, basic computer literacy, research skills and self-motivation, but mot also asserted that their students were also likely to be able to demonstrate better degrees of creativity, ability to work in teams and self-motivation than either other science graduates or graduates as a whole. They provided illustration of how these were developed; “They will work in pairs during practicals -and that’s quite common, again, quite common across the sciences, so there’s a certain amount of team work involved there. There may well be practicals that involve larger groups at some stage. Sometimes you find that some kind of affective problem-based learning is used, where the groups will act as a team and when students are doing their project, they’re in a situation where, on the one hand it’s their project, they’re doing it, but it will be part of a bigger group within the academic’s research group and so you get team-working there”. One respondent reflected that now that they have personal development plans, students and staff were aware of the need to develop better problem-solving and teamworking skills and that this had widely been achieved, sometimes with the help of Careers Services colleagues. This Head of Department was keen to develop ways of providing more opportunities and guidance in developing entrepreneurial skills, but saw this as a difficult challenge and reflected that more could be done to build up student confidence. The educators generally agreed that written communication, spoken communication, entrepreneurial skills and management skills might be weaker than the average for graduates as a whole, but mostly thought these would be the same as for other natural scientists. Finally, several commented on the dilemma posed by employers’ and policy-makers’ requirement to develop generic ‘employability skills’ such as how to give presentation with the time required to teach basic Chemistry skills and knowledge – also demanded by employers; sometimes thought to be in danger of being eroded. Some also reflected that student entering undergraduate programmes now are not necessarily coming to university with the background and A-level subjects they might have had years ago, and this needs to be counterbalanced to minimise the erosion of undergraduate skills.

7.8

Summary

- Targeted approaches to particular university departments were the most popular recruitment method. Employers are making attempts to widen the range of universities they target, in particular trying to recruit qualified graduates from post-92 universities. Respondents noted that this was getting easier as they became more

121

familiar with other universities, but there were questions raised about the content of degree programs and the employer’s ability to assess the quality of what has been taught. - Recruitment agencies are becoming increasingly important in recruitment into the chemical industry. - Specialist employers who had experienced problems recruiting attributed this to their location and that they were looking for skills that were in particularly short supply. - As well as going into jobs that used specific Chemical Science skills, Chemical Science graduates were also working in the chemical industry in manufacturing and management and as sales staff with specialist technical knowledge. - Skills shortages were identified by employers in analytical chemistry, physical organic chemistry and large scale work at the interface between Chemical Sciences and chemical engineering. - The skills employers looked for most often, in addition to from subject-specific expertise, were teamwork, communication skills, technical knowledge and selfmanagement. - The skills that specialist employers identified and valued in Chemical Science graduates were analytical thinking, technical knowledge, numeracy, problem solving, skills, interpersonal skills, flexibility, motivation and self-discipline, attention to detail - and love of, and enthusiasm for, their subject. - The skills these employers felt that Chemical Science graduates most frequently lacked were written and spoken communication skills, business awareness, and, in some cases, self-motivation. There were concerns raised about a lack of particular technical skills, especially those that required mathematical ability. - Some employers were concerned about what they perceived to be an increased specialisation on undergraduate degrees. Employers mentioned that it was important to them that people should have pure chemistry skills and degrees that were too specialised or which were split between several subjects did not always give graduates suitable skills and experience. This was not, however, a universally held view, as some employers did like to see specialisation when it was in an area they were particularly looking for.

122

CHAPTER 8.0 8.1

CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS OF THE INVESTIGATION

The fit between the supply and demand

This chapter attempts to draw together the findings from the preceding chapters, with particular reference to the evidence provided from the very different perspectives investigated, ranging through student applicants for Chemical Science courses, Chemical Science students, graduates in their early careers, and the employers who recruit them. How far are Chemical Science students and graduates equipped to access appropriate career opportunities, and how far do employers value, use and build upon the skills and knowledge they have acquired as students? We investigated the characteristics of those who apply for Chemical Science degree places and find that ‘traditional’ HE applicants who proceed to undergraduate courses directly from secondary education, with higher than average school-leaver qualifications, and from relatively advantaged socio-economic and educational backgrounds tend to be over-represented. However, recent cohorts are more diverse in origin than their predecessors, with more women and a higher proportion of applicants from Asian backgrounds. Despite this, as degree levels rise, diversity decreases. Analyses of the profile of first degree 2006/7 graduate profile reveals that MChem courses had been less ethnically diverse than BSc courses, as well as being taken by proportionally fewer women. The proportions of both these minorities decrease at postgraduate Masters degree level, and decrease further at PhD level. Given their higher educational achievements prior to university and the fact that Chemical Science degree courses are disproportionately located in pre-1992 universities, Chemical Science graduates across the full spectrum are likely to meet many of the traditional graduate recruiters’ basic selection requirements prior to accessing their undergraduate courses, deemed to have demonstrated achievement levels and evidence of potential in accessing their courses. However, the application stage analysis reveals that they are somewhat less likely than those opting for many subjects to have chosen their courses with a view to future career planning; rather on the basis of intrinsic interest in and prior experience of, the subject. Many Chemistry degree graduates, in particular, embarked on their degree without a clear idea of their aim when they complete and at the end of their first year and just under half reported that their career plans were neither more nor less clear than they had been when they had been applying to enter HE. There is some evidence that views became clearer as students approached graduation, but there was still evidence of lack of long term career planning. Only a third of the finalists said they knew broadly what they wanted to do and how to do it, an additional 36 per cent said they knew broadly what they wanted to do and had some idea of how to do, but the remainder remained uncertain of the next step. This clearly has implications for career outcomes. Although the Careers Advisory Service at their universities was the most frequently used source of careers guidance by the final year students who participated in the enquiry, with 85 per cent of those had sought careers advice doing so there, only 45 per cent had sought careers advice in the past 2 years. Given their relative lack of career direction and the experience of previous cohorts in early career development, it is likely that Chemical Science students would benefit from earlier accessing of careers advice and information. Employers interviewed expressed concerns that Chemical Science graduates were not aware of the range of options available to them and as a result were less likely to consider sectors with good opportunities for people with their skills and knowledge, such as in manufacturing or technical sales. The data from the finalists’ enquiry and analyses of graduate outcomes indicate that Chemical Science undergraduates and graduates are more likely than those from most other disciplines

123

to aspire and proceed to postgraduate study. For those who have aspirations for an academic or research career, or for specialist employment in the Chemical and related industry, this may be a good investment, but the general graduate employers and many of the specialists were less concerned with level of qualifications and more concerned with skills developed and evidence of potential to develop and use their skills and knowledge in work contexts. The Futuretrack Chemical Science students as a whole rated their skills highly, but it is perhaps significant that they reported themselves to be less self-confident, and to be somewhat worse communicators, than students as a whole. This tends to bear out some of the criticisms of employers cited later in the report that there is potential to improve Chemical Science students’ perception of their skills. When asked about their current weaknesses in relation to finding a job after graduation, final year students most frequently mentioned lack of confidence in presentation skills – perhaps relating to their growing awareness that this was important in recruitment and selection. The second and final year undergraduates interviewed believed that those who complete MChem degrees have an advantage over those completing BScs, and the job-seeking experiences of the latter, and the early careers evidence, bear this out. Those on MChem programmes were more likely than BSc students to report that their courses had enabled them to develop the key skills that employers seek. However, this may be more indicative of the fact that the former are more likely to have included a work experience placement as part of their courses, something that employers regard particularly favourably as contributing to better informed applications and evidence of the development of relevant skills. The Futuretrack participants interviewed at the end of their second year had gained a variety of work experience and more than half of those on Chemical Science degrees intended to complete a graduate internship or work placement as in the course of their studies, and the MChem final year students approaching graduation were considerably more likely to have undertaken industrial placements as part of their degree courses, and rated the impact of these highly. Those seeking employment had found that the majority of employers now require evidence of work experience. Those who had undertaken work experience placements as part of their courses were also more likely to have reported that they wanted to obtain employment that enabled them to use their Chemical Science or other scientific knowledge. The difference between MChem and BSc graduate outcomes is reinforced by the comparison of their first destination employment. 2006/7 MChem graduates were much more likely to enter roles in science than their BSc counterparts, while one in eight (14 per cent) went into business and finance roles, with accountancy and financial analysis positions the most popular. BSc graduates were a little more likely to go into management and teaching. 8.1.1 Making the match between supply and demand Concentrating on the fit between the most recent and current graduating cohorts, the most frequently used methods through which the 2006/7 DLHE had found the jobs they were in six months after graduation were via personal contact and networking, through recruitment consultants and via employers’ websites. The current final year students who had embarked on job hunting had used graduate vacancy publications and websites, their University Careers Advisory Services, and almost equally in third place, recruitment consultancies and taking a speculative approach (which probably included via employers’ websites). Both general and specialist graduate recruiters also used these means to recruit graduates, but they conform more closely to the approaches taken by the general graduate recruiters who used agencies less. The specialist

124

employers had more often used specialist recruitment agencies – despite marked reluctance on the part of many of them to do so. Almost all increasingly used their own websites as a first stage of recruitment and almost all targeted particular universities or departments and known contacts within them: the general employers most often via the Careers Service and via Graduate Fairs, the specialists often via particular Departments. Agencies used the same approaches but mainly found their own websites most useful – which is interesting in view of the fact that the specialists did not respond similarly, with only one employer nominating this as the most effective mechanism. Table 8.1 examines final year students’ awareness of the skills employers consider most important. Table 8.1 Final year students’ awareness of the skills employers consider most important What employers look for, in order of importance:

What Finalists think employers look for, in order of importance

General employers

2008 graduating students

Specialist employers

Teamwork

Teamwork

Teamwork

Communication skills

Communication skills

Communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Technical knowledge

Self-motivation

Hard working/motivated

Self-motivation

Problem-solving

Problem-solving

Problem-solving

Time management

Numeracy

Hard working/motivated

Hardworking/motivated

Analytical skills

Flexibility/adaptability

Potential to be trained

Presentation skills

Management

Enthusiasm

Potential to be trained

Research

Interpersonal skills

Flexibility/adaptability

Business focus

Analytical skills

Sources: Employer Interviews and Final Year Student Enquiry

It can be seen that final year students recognised the importance of teamwork and communication skills to employers, and the list of the ten skills they mentioned most frequently contains seven of the ten skills and attributes that the general employers most frequently mentioned that they were looking for. The skills on the general employers’ list that were not mentioned on the finalists’ list were numeracy, presentation skills and flexibility/adaptability. Numeracy was surprisingly undervalued by the finalists, being only the 29th most frequently mentioned skills or attribute when finalists were asked to name three skills or attributes they thought employers looked for, although this may be because it is something that would be equally sought by employers in all sectors. Presentation skills were ranked 24th, although some respondents may have included these under the generic term ‘communication skills’. Flexibility/adaptability was ranked 19th, although it was on the top ten lists of both the general and specialist employers. The finalists proved to have slightly less knowledge of what the specialist employers were looking for, although it must be noted that they were not asked the question with particular reference to employers in the chemical industry. The finalists named five of the ten skills on the employers list. Two of the skills they did not mention that they thought employers looked for, technical skills and research skills, were ones that employers mentioned that Chemical Science students were particularly good at and sought for. The other two skills not mentioned in the finalists ten most frequently mentioned list but which were on the specialist employers 125

list were management (which was linked with leadership and ranked 12th) and business skills (which was mentioned by only 3 finalists), both of which Chemical Science students were felt to lack. Table 8.2 shows that there is a close match between the skills the employers thought that Chemical Science graduates lack and those that finalists said their courses were least likely to develop very much or quite a lot. The most obvious difference is that written communication skills appear on the lists of both the general and specialist employers, but not on the finalists’ list. This may be because while they were developing written communication skills, they were not the type of written communication skills sought by employers. Several general and specialist employers said that writing lab reports was often poor preparation for the type of writing employees could expect to do as part of their job. Given how frequently employers mentioned that Chemical Science students were lacking in spoken communication skills, the ranking of spoken communication as only 6th least likely to be developed very much or a lot on students’ courses, with the related areas of presentation skills and interpersonal skills also being somewhat low in the list, suggests that although these skills may be being developed, it is not sufficient to meet the needs of employers. Ability to deal with clients/customers, which featured on the general employers’ list was not on the list finalists were asked to consider. Table 8.2 Congruence between the skills and attributes that employers perceive as lacking in Chemical Science graduates, and those finalists saw their courses as not enabling them to develop much General employers

Specialist employers

Skills Finalists said their courses were not enabling them to develop

Spoken communication skills Written communication skills

Spoken communication skills Written communication skills

Entrepreneurial skills

Teamwork

Business awareness and commerciality Self-motivation

Interpersonal skills

Creativity Leadership Computer literacy

Leadership

Teamwork

Ability to deal with clients / customers Presentation skills

Desire to go on learning Spoken communication skills Presentation skills Interpersonal skills

Sources: Employer Interviews and Final Year Student Enquiry

8.2

Trends and projections

Well over a third (38 per cent) of 2006/7 UK-domiciled respondents to DLHE at first degree level had completed an ‘enhanced degree’ course. For the large majority of Chemical Science graduates in this study, this means an MChem qualification – and the responses from current students suggest that demand for these courses has grown and, on the evidence of relative labour market success discussed above, is likely to grow further. Employers interviewed did not generally declare a preference for MChem graduates and were more concerned to stress that evidence of skills and competences was more important than level of qualifications, but their recruitment patterns, and the relative application experiences and destinations of students surveyed prior to

126

graduation and included in the DLHE analysis, suggest that in practice they more readily recruited those with MChem experience. This might imply that these students had been more successful in convincing them that they possessed the required skills, experience and potential for posts – and it is certainly clear that they were more likely to have undertaken work experience placements. First destination statistics are acknowledged to be an increasingly unreliable indicator of longer-term labour market integration, but at all the stages of analysis undertaken, it appears that Chemical Science graduates are relatively successful in gaining employment compared to outcomes and career trajectories of most comparable relatively non-vocational areas of study. First destination outcomes for graduates in 2006/7 did not differ greatly from those the previous year, but looking at the work first degree graduates went into, less than a quarter of those entering employment went into a job in science. However, those who did enter this type of employment were likely to be employed as Chemists. Chemical Science graduates initially went into a wide range of employment sectors, with just over 10 per cent entering the pharmaceutical or allied industry, and HE, research and development the two next most frequent destinations. At the most conservative estimate, around 37 per cent were likely to have already been working in contexts that required their Chemical Science-related skills and knowledge at first destination, and from the job titles and sectors in which they were employed, a significant further proportion appear likely to be using their general course-developed skills; particularly numeracy and IT skills. The pictures revealed by the longitudinal analyses are relatively positive for Chemical Science graduates in terms of the career trajectories and outcomes revealed. Data from the surviving samples are likely to paint a more positive picture than a census of the cohorts would reveal, given the greater likelihood of relatively successful graduates responding to surveys such as these, but the same factor applies across the spectrum of subjects and disciplines, so we can be relatively confident that strong differences among sub-samples are likely to provide a reasonable indication of relativities. Four years after completing their courses, the majority in 1999 graduates were in full-time employment, but that Chemical Science graduates were somewhat more likely than the comparator groups to be in engaged in postgraduate study, they were more likely than natural scientists as a whole to be in full-time employment related to their long-term career plans, and less likely than either of these two groups to be in other full-time employment. Nearly half of Chemical Science graduates (slightly less than for graduates as a whole) reported that their current job was exactly what they wanted, and this was their joint most frequent response, with equal numbers citing the fact that it provided interesting work. When we compared these distributions with those reported for a similar classification by the 1995 cohort seven years after graduation, the proportion reporting that they were in a job that they considered to be related to their longer-term career plans had risen to over three quarters for Chemical Science graduates, who were significantly more likely to report this that either all Natural Scientists (69 per cent) or all graduates (63 per cent). For both cohorts, the other variables explored reinforce the probability that the Chemical Scientists were in appropriate occupations for people with their qualifications, skills and knowledge: they were mainly in jobs where a degree had been required and their HE experience was relevant, and mainly using both the skills and knowledge developed on their undergraduate programmes. The most significant differences between these distributions and those reported by the Seven Years On respondents was that, of those in employment, the proportion of Chemical Science graduates working in manufacturing had grown very substantially, to

127

nearly a third of those in employment, compared to around 18 per cent of Natural Scientists as a whole and between 7-8 per cent of all graduates. It is an established trend shown in successive cohorts surveyed in the DLHE show that Chemical Scientists are among the most likely subject/discipline to go on to doctoral research – and are one of the few groups of graduates, (along with those who had studied mathematics, physics, law and modern languages), where fewer than half went on to full time UK employment within six months of graduating as a result. MChem graduates were more likely than BScs to go on to take further degrees, particularly PhDs, with 40 per cent of MChems having embarked on study for a research degree compared to 17 per cent of BScs. We found that among 2008 final year students studying for MChem degrees, the proportion who planned to go on to study for a PhD was somewhat higher proportion (47 per cent) than of the earlier cohort, whereas the proportion of BScs planning to do so was identical, (17 per cent). This may reflect an impending increase in PhD study among Chemical Science students or it may simply illustrate the fact that intentions are not always fulfilled or some students (as in previous cohorts) anticipated taking a gap prior to planned higher degree study. As in the DLHE findings, males were more likely to be opting for PhDs and, to a lesser extent postgraduate Masters and almost six times as high a proportion of females were opting to do a PGCE. The trend to progress to postgraduate study has been upwards and may continue to grow. In the employers’ interviews, we found that academic employers require PhDs and relevant expertise and knowledge as pre-requisites for most jobs advertised in universities and research institutes, and ten of the specialist chemical employers who had advertised relevant posts in the past 12 months had advertised primarily for PhD qualifications, with organic synthesis the most common specialism required. These are generally recruiting for such posts relatively infrequently and for small numbers to fill very specialised vacancies, however, specialist Chemical Science employers had also recruited those with higher degrees without specifying a PhD or Masters’ degree as a prerequisite, in the course of seeking specialist knowledge and skills usually developed at postgraduate level. 8.3 8.3.1

Implications for key stakeholder groups Chemical Science undergraduate programmes

Some employers in the chemical industry raised particular issues about the content of Chemical Science courses. They were uneasy about the kind of specialisation that they saw as becoming increasingly possible on Chemical Science degrees. They were concerned that students were dropping options that were perceived to be difficult or dull, which often included modules that were seen by employers to be vital, including subjects such as physical chemistry and mathematics. Some employers commented that if students were allowed to choose to simply study the least challenging or most glamorous areas of the Chemical Sciences, there was a danger they would graduate lacking basic chemistry skills and with a qualification that was of limited use in the work place. On the other hand, like the general employers, some employers in the chemical industry talked about their perception that skills had improved in recent years. Some students mentioned that they had found lab work boring and repetitive, and they were discouraged from entering particular areas of the Chemical Science industry because they thought that jobs in these areas would involve a lot of lab work. In the interviews with second year students, comments were made about how much students enjoyed some of the practical work they had done, but even these respondents noted

128

that they would not like to enter a career where lab work was the only thing they did. Another issue related to practical work was one raised by employers who were concerned that students at some universities did not have the opportunity to gain practical experience with some techniques, often those requiring expensive equipment. High performance liquid chromatography was one area mentioned where students lacked hands-on experience. A recurring issue was whether universities were doing enough to furnish Chemical Science students with employability skills. Evidence from the finalists’ investigation in Chapter 3 suggests that there may be shortfalls in this area. A significant proportion of respondents felt that their courses had not helped them to develop employability skills such as team-working and communication skills very much. Employers noted that people could not longer expect to be employed in jobs that did not require them to work in teams, or to communicate with other people, and the general employers in particular considered these areas to be ones where Chemical Science graduates were weaker than graduates in general. However, the academic employers reported that students were increasingly working in pairs or teams as part of their courses, and there is a conflict between more concentration on developing transferable skills and the need to cover the core discipline-based syllabus. There was some debate in the employers’ interviews about who should be responsible for helping Chemical Science students develop employability skills. Some interviewees felt the onus should be entirely on the student to seek out the services they needed, either from university careers services or elsewhere, while other employers felt that some employability skills, particularly those related to teamwork and presentation skills could easily be integrated into degree courses. Employers believed Chemical Science departments should take all the opportunities they could to make their graduates employable. Courses conducted by invited parties who had experience of working with students from different disciplines may also give students a clearer picture of how their skills compare to the graduates from other disciplines with whom they may be competing for jobs, and so identify areas where the need to improve. Although final year students were less likely to say that their courses had enabled them to develop their employability skills compared to their traditional academic and personal skills, a high proportion of them did feel that their employability skills were being developed very much or quite a lot. However, both general employers and specialist chemical industry employers felt that Chemical Science students were somewhat weak in these areas, to the point where they would be excluded from certain types of job. This suggests that Chemical Science students may be slightly overconfident about their skills in certain areas. A particular issue for the post-92 universities was engaging with employers to inform them about the content of their courses and the quality of their graduates. Some of the employers interviewed noted that as they became more familiar with an institution and its qualifications, they were more likely to ‘risk’ recruiting students from there. In general, employers felt that a greater degree of standardisation in the skills a student with a Chemical Science degree could be expected to have would help them to widen recruitment away from traditional sources. The interviews with employers in Chapters 6 and 7 showed how much they valued the experience of work students gained on industrial placements or other types of work. The finalists interviewed in Chapter 3 also spoke highly of the industrial placements they had undertaken and students who had undertaken an industrial placement were more likely to want to remain in the Chemical Sciences. Although there has been some

129

increase in numbers, the proportion of students undertaking industrial placements and other types of internship is relatively low, and some of the second year students interviewed commented that their departments did not do enough to encourage people to do a placement year, that they did little to help people who wanted a placement to find one, and that the process of signing up to do a placement year often inflexible and complicated. Students who took four year courses, particularly ones that led to a Masters level qualification, were more likely to think that their courses had enabled them to develop particular key skills a lot. As has been mentioned, these courses were also seen to give students more opportunities to undertake a placement, conduct research and become more independent. Some employers, particularly those in the chemical sector, were also seen to favour students who had taken longer degrees, particularly if they included some kind of work placement or led to an MChem or similar qualification, and students on these courses were found to be more successful in finding employment related to their long term career plans. However, the geographical spread of these courses is not uniform, with students in Wales and NI and ROI being less likely than students in England and Scotland to be studying on a course lasting at least four years, and less likely to be studying for an MChem or similar qualification. There was evidence in Chapters 2 and 4 that although there is evidence that the Chemical Sciences are becoming more diverse, there was still work to be done. This lack of diversity was particularly evident amongst students studying for MChems and higher degrees. This raises questions about what can be done to widen access to various under-represented groups and ensure that they are able to study for the qualifications that have been found to give students the best opportunities for future employment. A somewhat similar issue was seen in relation to teaching. In the finalists’ investigation discussed in Chapter 3, a much larger proportion of women than men were planning to study for a PGCE, with those women who planned to undertake further study being more than three times more likely than men to be planning to study for a Postgraduate Teaching Certificate. Students on BSc courses were also much more likely to have applied to study for a PGCE than those studying for a MChem level qualification. 8.3.2

Higher Education Careers Services

It was found in the surveys of students in their second year and at the end of their final year that although higher education institutions’ careers services were the most often accessed source of careers guidance, they were still used by a surprisingly small proportion of respondents. Additionally, in the survey of students in their second year of HE, 12 per cent of respondents said that they were unaware of the existence of the careers service at their institution, which suggests that some careers services need to do more to raise their profile. Students were found to have done a lot of research on their own, in particular searching for relevant employers on the internet. Advertising on the internet was also a growing area for recruitment by employers. Some employers, especially those in the chemical industry, were also found to be bypassing the Careers Service and recruiting students through direct contact with Chemical Science departments. This raises the question of how the Careers Services at HEIs can best help Chemical Science students. One of the ways is to work with Chemical Science Departments, as is happening at several institutions. Most employers felt that although there were some skills that could

130

be easily and usefully integrated into university degree courses, such as team-working and presentation skills, certain other skills could not be developed in this way without diluting the academic standards of the course. It was suggested by employers that Chemical Science students were lacking in practical application techniques, such as being able to write a good CV or create a favourable impression in an interview, it may be useful for Careers Services to make this kind of assistance available more widely and to do more to ensure that students are aware that it is available and potentially very useful to them. Additionally, although most of the careers advice students accessed was of a general nature, some Chemical Science students expressed a desire for more focussed careers advice, so that they were more aware of what kind of jobs could be done by someone with a Chemical Science degree. This was echoed by employers in the chemical industry, who said that students were not aware of the range of employment options open to them and as a result were not considering sectors such as manufacturing where there were good employment opportunities available. Some students had approached people within their own departments to find this sort of information, but making more specialised information available via the Careers Service would simplify the process of information gathering for students and make the Careers Service more useful. There was also a suggestion that Careers Services were unwilling to recommend students use agencies to find a job because they were unaware of the importance agencies had developed in chemical industry recruitment. One recruitment agency claimed that some of the Careers Services they had dealt with saw agencies as a last resort for someone who needed to find casual work until they could find a better or more permanent post. It was not clear how wide-spread this experience is. 8.3.3

Higher Education students

Chemical Science students were found to be somewhat less motivated by possible future employment options than the student cohort as a whole. A large proportion appeared to lack long term career plans, or at least an idea of how they would go about achieving the kind of career they aspired to. Additionally, of the students surveyed at the end of their final year, only half of those who had begun to apply for jobs had secured employment related to their long-term career plans. This situation might be improved by greater, and earlier, use of the careers resources available. The survey of second year Chemical Science students found that almost half had never visited the careers service at their institution, and the finalists survey showed that 45 per cent had not sought careers advice in the past two years. Although there are other sources of careers information, it appears that Chemical Sciences are not making full use of all their options. Both the general and specialist employers suggested that one of the best ways students could make themselves employable was to undertake some form of work experience, which has been discussed above. The Employers Survey revealed that Chemical Science students were regarded as missing out on opportunities to improve the skills employers found valuable. It was particularly suggested that students could engage in extracurricular activities that would allow them to demonstrate that they had such qualities as leadership and the ability to work as part of a team. It was stated by the general employers that Chemical Science students needed to show that they could engage with people outside of the Chemical Sciences, as this is something that their jobs would entail. Similarly in the case of the specialist chemical sector employers, the ability to work as part of an interdisciplinary

131

team, and translate specialist chemical knowledge into a range of settings and for a variety of audiences, was a highly valued skill and one that was found to be in short supply. While it was recognised that the workload on Chemical Science courses meant that students might have less time available than students studying some other subjects, it was also clear that an inability to demonstrate experience in these areas had counted against Chemical Science students in the job application process. As a result of this, jobs had gone to applicants with less technical knowledge but who demonstrated interpersonal skills. Chemical Science students were also found to be somewhat lacking in confidence in their skills, particularly those that were not directly related to subject knowledge. The Employers Surveys showed that Chemical Science students were viewed as intelligent and highly skilled, but also relatively bad at demonstrating this, not simply because they lacked experience, but because they tended to be reticent in interviews.

8.3.4

Employers

Investigation of the sectors final year Chemical Science students were considering working in revealed that some sectors appeared to be more attractive to students of one particular gender. A much higher proportion of men than women were attracted to Fine Chemicals (including oil and paint), the Nuclear industry, Agrochemicals, and the Primary and Utilities sector. Women were much more likely than men to be considering working in Education, Heath Care and Public Services. This pattern was also seen in the surveys of graduates found and seven years after graduation. Men were more likely to work in the Primary or Manufacturing industries, whereas women were more likely to be working in Education or Public Services. This reflects long-standing patterns of graduate employment, although it was not clear from the findings of the surveys detailed in this report why particular sectors of the chemical industry were not as attractive to female graduates as others. Women in Chemistry were more likely to be employed in the private sector than graduate women as a whole. Students perceptions of the chemical industry were not always very positive. Some students expressed concerns about how ethical companies were, and said that there were certain employers they would not be happy to work for on these grounds. There was also a general perception that jobs in the chemical industry are poorly paid. Interviews with employers and the data from the Class of 1999 and 1995 surveys suggests that although the average salaries of jobs in the chemical sector are not generally amongst the highest paying, nor are they amongst the lowest paying, nonetheless, the perception existed amongst the students surveyed that jobs were low paying, particularly considering the skills they required and the supposed scarcity of qualified Chemical Scientists in the job market. The issue of the need for closer links between employers and HE as mentioned above, is also relevant, particularly for the chemical sector organisations. Employers found that they were able to recruit good candidates from a wider range of universities if they were more familiar with the courses on offer and the skills students could be expected to learn. Although attempts have been made by some organisations in the chemical industry, it is still possible that other organisations are missing out on graduates with valuable skills that may be in short supply because they are not willing to take someone with an unknown background in the Chemical Sciences. A closer working relationship between employers in the chemical industry and universities may also help to overcome the criticism made by some students that employers in the Chemical Sciences did not visit their institutions as frequently as

132

employers from other sectors, and that when they did so, the visited at inappropriate times and provided inadequate information about the process of finding employment within their organisation. 8.3.5

Professional bodies

Work experience was seen by employers as one of the ways in which students could increase their employability while they were in HE. Students in the Finalists Investigation were also concerned that a lack of experience would hinder them in finding the kind of employment they wanted. It was suggested by some employers in the chemical industry that some kind of register should be set up, either by a professional body or by individual academic departments, to match students who were seeking work experience in the chemical industry with employers who were offering placements. A similar register might allow employers who have expressed an interest in the skills Chemical Science students possess, but which are in sectors that Chemical Science students may not consider as potential areas of employment, such as marketing, PR and advertising, to promote themselves and the opportunities that they offer to gain knowledge and experience that students would not acquire as part of a typical Chemical Sciences course. Professional bodies, such as the RSC, were seen by some chemical industry employers as having a role in safeguarding standards in the Chemical Sciences in the UK. Employers in the chemical industry said that accreditation by a professional body would enable them to determine the quality of degree courses. They also suggested that they could take action if the quality of qualifications was perceived to be falling. It also seems from the views expressed by both the specialist and general employers, as well as those involved in providing undergraduate Chemical Science education, that the RSC and other professional bodies have a role in clarifying the skills and attributes developed in HE and promoting both the specificity and transferability of the skills acquired by Chemical Science students to employers in both categories.

133

Appendix 1 Sample surveys and statistical significance At various points in this report we make use of information from samples of graduates or undergraduates. This raises issues about the statistical significance of the information contained within the sample – could an observed difference between groups within the sample be an indication of the ‘true’ or underlying difference if the full population had been surveyed, or is it just down to chance in terms of the specific sample that was drawn from the population. Statistical theory helps to resolve this issue to some extent – at least for what are termed ‘simple random samples’ (samples drawn from a population in which each member of the population has an equal chance of being drawn for the sample). Obviously, the bigger the sample that is drawn, the closer any measured percentage found within the sample will be to the population value. But how big should a sample be to remove concerns about statistical significance resulting from sampling variation? As a general rule of thumb, for simple random samples, a sample of size 100 drawn from a population will produce information which will have quite a high degree of sampling variation. Ninety five times out of a hundred the true or underlying value of a percentage measured in the sample will be within +/- 10 percentage points of the observed value. For a sample of size 250, the variation drops to +/- 6 percentage points. For a sample of size 500, the precision increases again, to +/- 4 percentage points. Bearing these figures in mind, the impact of sampling variation upon the interpretation of the information in this report will be felt most in the surveys described in Chapters 3 and 5. Chapter 2 is based on a very large survey – sampling variation will be very small or negligible for the results presented in this chapter. Chapter 3 is based on information from 672 respondents to the enquiry of final year chemistry students. We term this an enquiry as opposed to a survey, given that we have some concerns about the selection of respondents as discussed in this chapter. Chapter 4 is based upon population statistics (or very large surveys of the population), giving no rise to concerns about sampling variation. Chapter 5 is based upon two small samples of chemistry graduates, those who graduated in 1999 and those who graduated in 1995. For the former survey we record only 233 chemistry graduates. Sampling variation will be in evidence in this small sample. Any observed difference between groups within this sample, or between the sample of chemistry graduates and all respondents which is less than 10 percentage points in magnitude could have arisen from the random nature of the ample drawn rather than from any underlying difference in then populations. The number of chemistry graduates in the latter survey is smaller still, hence the caution with which we report the findings from this source.

134

Appendix 2 List of Universities whose students participated in the Finalists survey

National University of Ireland, Galway Newcastle University Northumbria University University of Nottingham Nottingham Trent University University of Oxford University of Plymouth University of Reading Robert Gordon University School of Pharmacy, University of London University of Sheffield Sheffield Hallam University University of Southampton University of St Andrews Staffordshire University University of Strathclyde University of Surrey University of Sussex University of Teeside Trinity College Dublin University College Cork University College Dublin University College London University of Warwick University of the West of Scotland University of York

University of Aberdeen Aston University Bangor University University of Bath Queens University, Belfast Birkbeck College, University of London, University of Birmingham University of Bradford University of Bristol Cardiff University University of Cambridge Durham University University of East Anglia University of Edinburgh University of Glamorgan University of Glasgow Glasgow Caledonian University University of Greenwich Heriot-Watt University University of Huddersfield University of Hull Imperial College, London Keele University Kingston University University of Leeds University of Leicester University of Liverpool Liverpool John Moores University Loughborough University University of Manchester

135

Appendix 3 Employment categories from What Do Graduates Do? used in this report Types of work categories A - Marketing, sales and advertising professionals Includes advertising writers and executives; auctioneers, buying and purchasing officers; contract officers; estate, land or letting agents; fundraising, appeals and campaign organisers; market research analysts; marketing professionals; media planners; public relations officers; sales controllers, administrators, representatives and agents and technical sales agents. B - Commercial, industrial and public sector managers Includes officers in the armed forces; general managers & administrators in national & local government, large companies & organisations; production managers in manufacturing, construction, mining & energy industries; specialist managers; financial institution & office managers, & civil service executive officers; managers in transport & storing; protective service officers; managers in farming, horticulture, forestry & fishing; managers & proprietors in service industries; and other managers & administrators. C - Scientific research, analysis & development professionals Includes chemists; biological scientists & biochemists; physicists, geologists & meteorologists; and other natural scientists. D - Engineering professionals Includes civil, structural, municipal, mining & quarrying engineers; mechanical engineers; electrical engineers; electronic engineers; chemical engineers; design & development engineers; process & production engineers; planning & quality control engineers; and other engineers & technologists. E - Health professionals and associate professionals Includes medical practitioners; house officers; registrars & consultants; pharmacists & pharmacologists; ophthalmic opticians; dental practitioners; veterinarians; nurses; midwives; medical radiographers; physiotherapists; chiropodists; dispensing opticians; medical technicians & dental auxiliaries; occupational & speech therapists, psychotherapists & other therapists; environmental health officers; and other health associate professionals. F - Education professionals Includes university teaching professionals; further education teaching professionals; education officers, school inspectors; secondary (& middle school deemed secondary) education teaching professionals; primary (& middle school deemed primary) & nursery education teaching professionals; special education teaching professionals; examiners & moderators and other teaching professionals. G - Business and financial professionals and associate professionals Includes chartered & certified accountants; management accountants; actuaries, economists & statisticians; management consultants & business analysts; estimators & valuers; underwriters, claims assessors, brokers & investment analysts; taxation experts; personnel & industrial relations officers; transport and traffic advisors; events coordinators; recuitment agents; organisation & methods & work study officers. H - Information technology professionals Includes computer systems & data processing managers; software engineers; computer analysts & programmers; computer & IT consultants; telecommunications professionals and network systems professionals. I - Arts, design, culture, media and sports professionals Includes authors, writers & journalists; artists, commercial artists & graphic designers; industrial designers & textile designers; clothing designers; actors, entertainers, stage managers, producers & directors; musicians; photographers, camera, sound & video equipment operators; professional athletes & sports officials; web designers and desk top publishers, assistants and operators.

136

J - Legal professionals Includes adjudicators, tribunal & panels members; barristers & advocates; clerks & officers of court; judges, magistrates, coroners & sheriffs; legal advisers, executives & paralegals and solicitors. K - Social & welfare professionals Includes community workers; counsellors; drug workers; housing and welfare officers; clinical, education, occupationals & general psychologists; probation officers; social workers and youth workers. L - Other professionals, associate professional and technical occupations Includes general researchers; social science researchers; architects; town planners; surveyors; public service administrative professionals; registrars; clergy; librarians, archivists & curators; technicians; aircraft pilots, flight engineers & navigators; conservation, heritage & environmental protection officers; health and safety officers; industrial & trading standards inspectors; environmental health officers and careers advisers. M - Numerical clerks and cashiers Includes accounts & wages clerks, bookkeepers, & other financial clerks; counter clerks & cashiers; and debt, rent & other cash collectors. N - Other clerical and secretarial occupations Includes administrative & clerical officers & assistants in civil service & local government; filing & records clerks; other clerks; stores & despatch clerks & storekeepers; secretaries, personal assistants, typists, word processor operators; receptionists, telephonists & related occupations; and other clerical & secretarial occupations. O - Retail, catering, waiting and bar staff Includes chefs & cooks, waiters & waitresses & bar staff; and sales assistants & check-out operators. P - Other occupations Includes assistant nurses & nursing auxiliaries; hospital ward assistants; ambulance staff; dental nurses; care assistants & attendants; nursery nurses; playgroup leaders; educational assistants; ncos and other ranks, armed forces; police officers; fire service officers; prison service officers; customs & excise officers & immigration officers; traffic wardens; security guards & related occupations; craft & related occupations (skilled and unskilled); other personal & protective occupations; other sales occupations; agricultural occupations; plant & machine operatives; and other occupations. Q - Unknown occupations

137

Appendix 4 Methodology for approximating the number of postdoctoral researchers in first destination data, adapted from What Do PhDs Do? One of the primary occupations of PhD graduates is postdoctoral research. However, postdoctoral researchers are not explicitly identified in the dataset. They have been identified in WDPD? by cross-referencing available information on industrial (SIC) and occupational (SOC) classifications. The total number of postdoctoral researchers was identified in the data by the total of all PhD graduates who were employed in SIC 8030 (Higher Education) who were also classified in the following SOCs: • 21110 Chemists • 21111 Research/Development Chemists • 21120 Biological Scientists and Biochemists • 21121 Biochemists, Medical Scientists • 21122 Biologists • 21124 Botanists • 21126 Agricultural Scientists • 21127 Physiologists • 21130 Physicists, Geologists and Meteorologists • 21131 Physicists • 21133 Geologists, Mineralogists etc. • 21134 Meteorologists • 21135 Astronomers • 21136 Mathematicians • 21210 Civil Engineers • 21220 Mechanical Engineers • 21221 Aeronautical Engineers • 21230 Electrical Engineers • 21240 Electronic Engineers • 21242 Avionics, Radar and Communications Engineers • 21250 Chemical Engineers • 21260 Design and Development Engineers • 21290 Engineering Professionals (Not elsewhere classified) • 21291 Metallurgists and Material Scientists • 213 Information and communication technology professionals • 22120 Psychologists • 22121 Education Psychologists • 22122 Clinical Psychologists • 22131 Pharmacists • 22132 Pharmacologists • 23210 Scientific Researchers • 23220 Social Science Researchers • 23290 Researchers (Not elsewhere classified) • 23292 Researchers (University - unspecified discipline) This is not a definitive classification, merely an approximation. Current destination data from HESA does not allow us to identify postdoctoral researchers.

138

Appendix 5 Additional Table and Figures Table A4.1 First destinations of first degree chemistry graduates from 2006/7 by employment sector First degree level - all employment sectors entered by chemistry graduates from 2006 Manufacture of pharmaceuticals, medicinal chemicals and botanical products

Number

%

110

10.8

Higher education

55

5.5

Research and experimental development on natural sciences and engineering

55

5.3

Other retail sale of new goods in specialised stores

45

4.5

Accounting, book-keeping and auditing activities; tax consultancy

40

3.7

Technical testing and analysis

35

3.3

Labour recruitment and provision of personnel

30

3.1

Hotels and restaurants

30

3

Central, regional and local government administration, regulatory activities

30

2.7

Banks

25

2.5

Hospital activities

20

2.2

General secondary education

20

2

Manufacture of soap and detergents, cleaning and polishing preparations, perfumes and toilet preparations

20

1.9

Business and management consultancy activities

20

1.9

Retail sale in non-specialised stores

15

1.7

Retail sale of food, beverages and tobacco in specialised stores

15

1.6

Research and development activities

15

1.5

Primary education

15

1.4

Manufacture of basic chemicals, except refined petroleum products

15

1.4

Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products

15

1.4

Manufacture of food products

15

1.2

Manufacture of paints, varnishes and similar coatings, printing ink and mastics

10

1.2

Social work, community and counselling activities

10

1.1

Software consultancy and supply

10

1.1

Manufacture of machinery and equipment not elsewhere classified

10

1

Public security, law and order activities

10

1

Manufacture of other chemical products

20

2.2

Other employment sectors

300

29.4

Total

1015

100

Data: HESA Destinations of Leavers of Higher Education, 2006/7

139

Figure A5.1 Current activity four years after graduation, comparing Chemistry , all Natural Science and all graduates Full time employment related to long term career plans Part-time employment related to long term career plans

Full-time employment (other)

Part-time employment (other)

Self employed

Postgraduate study

Unemployed seeking work

Out of labour force/not seeking work

Other

0

10

20

30

All graduates

40

50

cent Natural sciencePer graduates

60

70

Chemistry graduates

Source: Class of ’99 data: IER

Figure A5.2: Employment by broad sector, comparing Chemistry, all Natural Science and all graduates by gender 100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0% Chemists

Natural scientists

All graduates

Chemists

MALES

Natural scientists FEMALES

Public sector

Private sector

Source: Class of ’99 data: IER

140

Not‐for‐profit sector

All graduates

Appendix 6 Organisations consulted in the employers’ survey In total, representatives involved in graduate recruitment in 62 organisations were interviewed, as discussed in Chapters 6 and 7. These included the following: Allen and Overy Ash Communications AstraZeneca Axa-UK AxiCom Bourne Business Consulting Civil Service Dumfries & Galloway Constabulary Experien QAS Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer Graduate Recruitment Bureau GSK Horwath Clark Whitehill Lloyd’s National Skills Academy Nuclear Ocado Peakdale Molecular Pentagon Chemicals Peter Gilding and Co Pfizer Polartech Ltd Royal Geographical Society Sigma-Aldrich Spectrum Value Partners TeachFirst University of Bristol University of Warwick Respondents from 35 organisations have not given permission for their organisations to be identified here

141