The North West retains more students who studied locally than any English region outside London, according to figures revealed the Higher Education Careers Services Unit (HECSU) in Graduate Market Trends published today.
The study examines how successful regions are at retaining their graduates six months after they left university, which is essential to improving local economies.
Fifty nine per cent of North West graduates stay in the region during and after university, and twenty per cent study elsewhere before returning to work.
HECSU found that areas closer to London will find retention much harder than those further away.
It identified four graduate migration patterns.
Firstly that 59% of graduates employed in the North West studied and worked in their home region.
Nursing was the most popular profession for this group, but there were also significant numbers of teachers, doctors, social workers, pharmacists, midwives, youth workers, marketing and PR professionals, HR professionals, legal workers, IT professionals, and business and finance workers.
20% of graduates employed in the North West had moved away to study, but returned to work. They were the most likely group to be in a non-professional job after six months, often in office work, and to have a job in the law. Other common roles included medicine, pharmacy, welfare professions, finance, accountancy, HR and marketing.
12% of graduates employed in the North West had left their home region to study and work there. Sixty eight per cent of Stayers were in professional-level employment after six months, and were the most likely group to be in marketing or PR.
9% of graduates employed in the North West had neither studied nor were domiciled there. The majority (81%) of Incomers had professional level roles. They were the most likely group to be working in STEM, the finance industry or the arts.
Charlie Ball, head of higher education intelligence at Prospects and its parent charity HECSU said: “Graduation migration patterns are complex. The research demonstrates the differences between different forms of retention, the challenges in thinking of graduate retention, and what that might actually mean. It highlights two clear approaches for universities and local authorities looking to secure graduate talent – targeting graduates originally domiciled in their region and those who went to university there. A skilled and educated workforce is a boon to any region looking for economic growth and the regional agenda for graduate employment is becoming increasingly important.”
