Graduate jobs in Wales: perceptions and pull factors

A student research project at Harper Adams University has acknowledged a perceived lack of awareness of graduate career opportunities in Wales, write Claire Toogood and Olivia Bennett Jones

The project also considered the factors that influence career location of choice for graduates, focusing particularly on graduate employment within the agricultural sector in Wales.

Background

The working age demographic in Wales has regressed since 2008 and is expected to reduce to 58% of the total population by 20431, coinciding with slow overall population growth.2 At present, Welsh-domiciled graduates who study outside of Wales are perceived to be unlikely to return to Wales to seek employment.3 A high proportion of English-domiciled students choose to study in Wales, creating an opportunity to encourage and support graduates to remain, reside and work in Wales following graduation.4

Wales may also look to capitalise on the changes and innovations driven by COVID-19. Increased remote employment might enable those who live rurally to compete for the more numerous roles available in urban areas.5 This development may see graduates choosing to live in Wales, while working for a company based elsewhere.6 However, this may not deliver the potential for long-term economic growth that has been linked to a more highly qualified population.7

Existing analysis on the mobility of graduates suggests that location choice is driven by both individual and location-specific influences.8 In 2017, Corcoran and Faggian identified three factors that influence graduates' choice of location:

• professional (qualification level, study area and overall educational performance)
• social (family circumstances, personal preferences, cost of living and networks)
• spatial (push and pull considerations of university, home, and potential career destinations).9

Project focus and approach

This project investigated the number of UK graduates seeking employment within the agricultural sector in Wales and looked to establish the factors that influence whether UK agricultural graduates consider employment in Wales. An online survey was used to establish initial data, with subsequent focus group discussions to clarify and enhance understanding.

Research findings

1. Perceptions of opportunities in Wales - the research identified a perceived lack of awareness of opportunities available for graduates in Wales. In total, 60% of 101 respondents either disagreed or strongly disagreed that 'students from other areas of the UK are aware of career opportunities in Wales'. Welsh-domiciled respondents demonstrated significantly stronger agreement with this statement, than those domiciled in other countries. This would suggest that those already living and working in Wales may not fully realise the lack of awareness of Welsh employment opportunities amongst those currently resident elsewhere.

Focus group participants discussed their perception of graduate roles in Wales for both agricultural and non-agricultural roles. Both groups agreed that they feel there is a lack of opportunity in Wales, particularly noting lower salary expectations in Wales. Focus group discussion also highlighted that although organisations may employ people in Wales, head offices are often based elsewhere, potentially limiting opportunities for Welsh workers. 

2. Factors influencing career location of choice - data from 164 respondents showed that when considering career location of choice, the most important factor was job security (cited by 94% of respondents as important or very important). This was followed by salary (93%), work-life balance (91%) and job prospects (88%). The chart below illustrates this data.

Factors,Percentage of respondents
Job security,94
Salary,93
Work-life balance,91
Job prospects,88
Career progression,87
Cost of living,86
Rural/urban setting,83
Location of role,81
Close/similar to family,74
Culture,66

Statistical testing of respondent data demonstrated that the country of degree qualification, the respondent's current location, and the location of their current employment, were all factors that were associated with respondents being significantly more likely to consider Wales as a career location of choice. These findings are in line with Corcoran and Faggian's social and spatial factors.10 However, no significant associations were observed between Wales being a career location of choice, and the respondent's gender, preferred language, or their involvement in the agricultural sector.

Focus group discussions with Welsh-domiciled students added further insight. Although some participants wanted to migrate elsewhere initially, through discussion the group identified a collective willingness to return to Wales either immediately after graduation or within the next ten years. Comments such as 'I think I'd like to return home in my late-20s, but for now I'd rather go elsewhere' and 'Having secured a graduate job in England I am happy to work there. But I have not ruled out returning home in the future to mid-Wales' show that while graduates may delay a return, they do not rule it out. The potential of a longer-term intention to return to Wales amongst Welsh-domiciled graduates, is an interesting area for further exploration.

Application and future research

This research may be relevant to any individual or organisation with an interest in employment in Wales. It is also relevant to anyone wishing to consider the factors affecting graduate decision-making in relation to career location of choice.

This study did not focus on why graduates may prefer to migrate and not return to Wales, focusing instead on the factors that positively influence decision-making. This is an area that would benefit from further research. As mentioned previously, consideration of longer-term intentions in relation to career location would also be a fruitful area for further exploration and may allow policy development to encourage people to consider Wales as a career location of choice at a range of stages in their career.

Acknowledgments

This research was kindly supported by The School of Sustainable Food and Farming at Harper Adams University, in conjunction with Morrisons, NFU and McDonald's.11

Notes

1. 'You don’t have to get out to get on': Economy minister to tackle Wales’ brain drain in speech, Nation.Cymru, 2021.
2. Summary statistics for Welsh economic regions: Wales, Welsh government, 2019.
3. Stay, Leave or Return? Understanding Welsh Graduate Mobility, WISERD/SKOPE, 2011; and The Future of Work in Wales, Public Policy Institute for Wales, 2018.
4. Welsh graduates and their jobs, HEFCW. 
5. The future of work: the impact of innovative technology on the workforce, Welsh government, 2021.
6. There is gold in the Welsh valleys, Chartered Management Institute, 2021.
7. The relationship between graduates and economic growth across countries, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, 2013; and Professional Development: Benefits of Obtaining Professional Qualifications, Regulatory Focus, 2020; and Labour market overview, UK: October 2021, ONS.
8. Anchoring talent to regions: the role of universities in graduate retention through employment and entrepreneurship, Regional Studies, 2022.
9. Graduate migration and regional development: An international perspective, 2017.
10. Ibid.
11. School of Sustainable Food and Farming.