Students considering a career in engineering may welcome the news that a first-class degree in an engineering-related subject is not necessarily required - but the continued lack of diversity in this sector should be a wake-up call for employers and universities
According to the latest Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) data from HESA, 8,595 2016/17 first-degree graduates in employment were working in engineering occupations six months after they graduated. That's 5% of all employed UK first-degree graduates.
Most (17%) were classed as engineering professionals not elsewhere classified (n.e.c.), although mechanical engineer and lab technician were also popular roles (15% and 14% respectively).
| SOC5 engineering occupations | Percentage of all first-degree graduates working in engineering |
|---|---|
| Engineering professionals n.e.c. | 17% |
| Mechanical engineers | 15% |
| Laboratory technicians | 14% |
| Civil engineers | 13% |
| Design and development engineers | 13% |
| Science, engineering and production technicians n.e.c. | 5% |
| Production and process engineers | 5% |
| Electrical engineers | 4% |
| Engineering technicians | 4% |
| Quality assurance technicians | 3% |
| Electronics engineers | 2% |
| Planning, process and production technicians | 2% |
| Building and civil engineering technicians | 1% |
| Electrical and electronics technicians | 1% |
Degree classification
Most first-degree graduates working in engineering roles had first-class (39.7%) or 2:1 degrees (39.8%), but those with lower grades also found employment.
Mechanical, electrical and electronic engineering roles attracted most first-class graduates, while those with 2:1s gravitated towards civil engineering, laboratory technician, and electrical and electronics technician roles.
Graduates with 2:2s found employment as laboratory technicians, building and civil engineering technicians, and quality assurance technicians.
Occupations with the highest proportion of third class degree graduates were science, engineering and production technicians (6%) and electrical and electronics technicians (5%).
Nevertheless, all roles employed graduates with a range of degree results and therefore individuals should not be deterred from applying based solely on their grades if the job advert does not specify a desired classification.
Subject studied
Though most graduates working in this field have engineering degrees, it's not the case for all.
Of 2016/17 first-degree graduates employed in engineering, 89% of civil engineers, 88% of mechanical engineers and 84% of production and process engineers held some form of engineering degree. Usually the specific degree and occupation are linked - for example, civil engineering graduates tend to find work as civil engineers - but mechanical engineering graduates entered a particularly diverse range of engineering occupations.
In contrast, 98% of first-degree graduates working as laboratory technicians, 91% of quality assurance technicians and 86% of science, engineering and production technicians did not possess an engineering-related degree.
The most common non-engineering degrees held by first-degree graduates working in engineering occupations were:
- biology (3%)
- chemistry (3%)
- others in subjects allied to medicine (2%)
- molecular biology, biophysics and biochemistry (1.4%)
- forensic science (1.4%).
Location of study
Of all first-degree graduates who secured engineering occupations, the largest percentages studied in the South East (12.4%), Scotland (11.6%) and Yorkshire and the Humber (11.2%).
Ethnicity
Among 2016/17 first-degree graduates entering engineering occupations, the vast majority (82%) were ethnically white.
Planning, process and production technicians, and design and development engineers, had the largest white majority - 86% respectively - while laboratory technicians, and building and civil engineering technicians, had the smallest at 77% and 79% respectively.
Gender
Three quarters of 2016/17 first-degree graduates working in engineering occupations were male. The gender gap was even larger among first-degree graduates who both studied engineering and then worked in engineering occupations, where males made up 88% and females only 12% of this group.
Where females did enter engineering, they tended to work as:
- laboratory technicians
- engineering professionals n.e.c.
- science, engineering and production technicians.
The most common engineering occupations entered by male graduates were:
- engineering professionals n.e.c
- mechanical engineers
- design and development engineers.
Age
Some 77% of first-degree graduates working in this field were aged 21-24. Only 10% were aged 30 and above.
The most common route into engineering occupations was via full-time study leading into a full-time job. This is not always a practical option for older students who generally juggle other responsibilities, perhaps explaining why there were significantly fewer of these.
Socio-economic background
Most graduates working in engineering occupations come from the highest POLAR3 participation quintile.
| Participation quintile | Percentage of first-degree graduates working in engineering |
|---|---|
| 1 (Low participation) | 10% |
| 2 | 15% |
| 3 | 18% |
| 4 | 23% |
| 5 (High participation) | 32% |
Those from the lowest quintile tended to work as:
- laboratory technicians (19%)
- engineering professionals n.e.c. (16%)
- mechanical engineers (13%).
Individuals from the highest quintile tended to find employment as:
- engineering professionals n.e.c (18%)
- mechanical engineers (17%)
- civil engineers (15%).
This shows that although graduates from neighbourhoods with a lower proportion of inhabitants accessing higher education are underrepresented in engineering occupations, they enter similar roles as their more privileged counterparts.
Disability
Diversity in terms of disabled graduates was also low. Only 11% of all 2016/17 graduates working in engineering occupations had some form of disability.
Engineering occupations with the highest percentage of disabled graduates were science, engineering and production technicians n.e.c (18%), planning, process and production technicians (16%), and engineering technicians (13%).
Improving diversity
The extent of the lack of diversity in graduates entering engineering occupations may be shocking, but it is reflective of similar trends throughout UK higher education. In 2016/17, 79% of all UK first-degree graduates were white, 76% were aged 21-24, 29% were from high participation neighbourhoods compared to 12% from low participation ones, and 14% had some form of disability.
Consequently, graduates who do not fit these demographics should be encouraged, not discouraged, from applying for engineering jobs.
More graduates in engineering occupations found their jobs through apprenticeships or internships than did UK first-degree graduates in general
Much more must be done to improve the diversity of the general graduate population before any great improvements can be expected among those who work in engineering. In the meantime, tweaking how engineering employers advertise and recruit might improve the diversity of their graduate intake.
For example, the most common methods by which first-degree graduates found engineering jobs in 2016/17 may disadvantage those from lower socio-economic backgrounds. More graduates in engineering occupations found their jobs through apprenticeships or internships than did UK first-degree graduates in general (16% and 11% respectively).
Older graduates with financial responsibilities and those from less economically privileged backgrounds might struggle to participate in internships or apprenticeships, thereby blocking access to engineering occupations for these individuals.
Ensuring that other routes into engineering jobs are promoted might reduce inaccessibility and improve the diversity of graduates entering these occupations.
Also in this series
- What we know about graduates working in finance
- Which graduates start their careers in teaching and education?
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