UNIVERSITY of Worcester graduates are being snapped up in the workplace, according to a new report.

The Higher Education Statistics Agency has released its latest employment performance indicators, which show that 92.8 per cent of Worcester graduates are in work or further study within six months of leaving the university. The national average is 92.1 per cent.

It comes only weeks after a report developed for the think tank CentreForum, found that Worcester was among the best in the country at finding graduate level employment for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. That report, titled Higher Education as a Tool of Social Mobility and written by Professor Michael Brown, ranked Worcester at 22nd out of 153 higher education institutions in a proposed new Social Mobility Graduate Index.

Professor David Green, vice chancellor and university chief executive, said: “Graduate employment is high on the agenda at the University of Worcester. Our students have the opportunity to engage in a wide variety of initiatives aimed at preparing them for life after university. Employability is built into all courses, with students under taking work placements, workshops or specific modules and the university also runs an extensive earn as you learn programme, and actively seeks to prepare graduates on all of its courses for the workplace.”

Wesley Hudson, president of Worcester Students’ Union, added: “Worcester students are highly employable because of the many opportunities to undertake relevant work placements, including many design students who get the opportunity to design websites for real firms, drama students who run productions and classes at local venues, and sports students who undertake coaching sessions with community clubs. These are just a few examples.

“The Students’ Union also provides a wide number of opportunities for students to earn alongside their studies and actively promotes employment opportunities. We also have an extensive volunteering network, which gives students the opportunity to gain new skills and experiences, which can be transferred to the work place.”