ONE IN EIGHT YOUNG PEOPLE WITHOUT DEGREES WORK IN GRADUATE JOBS
One in eight young people without degree-level qualifications are working in graduate jobs, according to analysis by the Office for National Statistics.
In 2017, 12% of non-graduates (327,303) aged 22 to 29 were working in a graduate job – defined as a role where the tasks typically require knowledge and skills gained through higher education. This compares with 54% of graduates (1,273,336) in the same age group who had a graduate job.
Sales, HR, and retail and wholesale management most common graduate jobs for non-graduates
Some types of graduate jobs were especially common for those without degrees. These include sales, HR and retail and wholesale management.
In these types of job, it may be easier for non-graduates to “work their way up” to senior positions without formal qualifications, unlike in more regulated professions like medicine, law and teaching. In addition, apprenticeships are more established in retail and sales, enabling school leavers to obtain on-the-job training.