Peter Anderson, who lives in Barwick-in-Elmet, West Yorkshire, has shared his worries about a new countrywide trend that is leaving new graduates dismayed. Unsurprisingly, a third of them, including his own daughter, are fleeing the country in pursuit of better job opportunities. This move begs the question of how fit for purpose the current UK job market is and what the long-term impact on younger generations could be.
Now, 33 years later, 13 engineering science graduates from Keble College, Oxford, still just as keen on engineering, are continuing their educational adventures. Of the three graduates, only one was successful in finding work in the UK. Strikingly, all of their landed positions were at “Daddy’s company,” emphasizing the importance of connections in today’s job market. This reliance on personal networks for job placement is a sad reality that many graduates encounter today.
The crisis of available, quality employment is driven home by Anderson’s own family experience. His oldest daughter, who became a certified paramedic through their community college system, is now working her way up in Australia’s prosperous mining sector. She is now employed by a Norwegian oil company in Stavanger. Her role includes conducting upstream research to inform the trading desk. Despite her qualifications, she is accumulating significant debt, expected to reach £100,000, as her position requires her to work overseas.
Anderson’s late nephew graduated with a degree in chemical engineering from Durham. Now settled in the UK, he quickly secured a position as a lab assistant. Although he was able to find work in the United States, his story seems to be the exception, not the rule. His story couldn’t be more different than many of the other graduates. This underscores the difficulties so many are having finding stable work in their own country.
Zoe Williams recently wrote a smart piece on these realities, focusing on the critical role that connections play in finding meaningful employment. This topic was notably highlighted during a discussion on July 15, which resonated with many who feel that networking has become essential in navigating the current job market. Graduates today, more than ever, feel the pressure to kickstart their professional careers. This heavy reliance on personal connections places inordinate burdens of fairness and accessibility squarely on the shoulders of job seekers.
Anderson’s daughter has an uncertain future as she starts her adult life and debt career in another country. What’s worse, “Daddy” has told her that going back to the UK is impossible, adding another layer of hell to her ordeal. She’s got the spectre of defaulting on her £100,000 student debt hanging over her. In the meantime though, she has to look for economic stability in an increasingly cutthroat global labor market.