Born in 1946 and brought up in Cupar, Fife, I was educated at the local school - And the latest statistics show that graduates from all across Scotland are leaving with excellent prospects for the future.
For leavers from Scottish institutions – 90 per cent went into employment, further study or both, and 73 per cent of full-time first degree leavers entering UK employment were employed in professional occupations. This is up from last year’s figure of 69 per cent and is the highest figure for all UK administrations.
Graduates leaving university with their first degree in Scotland are typically able to earn up to £22,000 – up £1000 over the past year, and again the highest figure for all UK administrations. And only five per cent were unemployed in the year since leaving further education – down from six per cent last year.
After a long and expensive journey through university, it’s heartening to note that Scottish graduates have excellent prospects on leaving. And Scotland is not losing out as the full time first degree graduates are finding the majority of their professional jobs north of the border.
The Scottish Government’s investment in higher education is paying off for all those involved. Scottish universities are already viewed as world leading around the globe with four institutions in the world’s top 200, more than any other country per head of population apart from Switzerland.
To give an example - for those who are still in further education and want to strengthen their job prospects - they will also now have the chance to benefit from travel as part of their studies in this year’s round of the Outward Mobility Fund.
Over 270 students from Scottish universities will be able to travel to India, China the US and Europe as part of their studies thanks to £143,000 in grants to be shared between nine universities and one students’ association.
The benefits of studying abroad are well documented - language skills, intercultural understanding, new ways of working and greater employment prospects are just a few - this year more Outward Mobility Fund money is being provided than ever before.
Importantly, the fund will support students who might otherwise find it difficult to take up these opportunities, and benefit from travelling.
As part of the grant allocation, Edinburgh Napier University secured match-funding to take a group of college and university computing students to meet their counterparts in collaborative project with University of Pittsburgh, and Glasgow Caledonian University biomedical students will go on a four-month study exchange to Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
Closer to home, Robert Gordon University has been granted £19,197 for a multi-disciplinary health and wellbeing project in Manipal in India.
So whether you are still in further education or you are one of the fortunate ones this summer donning a gown and picking up their graduation scroll, studying in Scotland will give you good prospects for the future – all the best!
