According to The Office for National Statistics (ONS) around 20% of the 2010 graduates were unable to find work upon their entrance into the job market. This represents a 100% increase since 2008 when the unemployed graduate rate was around 10% (one in ten)!

Whilst students nationwide campaigned and protested over the huge hike in tuition fees on November 10th in Central London, there was not much thought given towards the graduates of 2010 who had endeavoured through tough economic conditions with false hope.

The Office of National Statistics (ONS) figures not only represented a huge increase in the rate of unemployed graduates over a two year period, but the data also displayed that graduate joblessness had increased sharper than the unemployment rate of the UK as a whole. At the beginning of the recession 10.6% of newly graduates were unemployed compared to 5.2% of the population as a whole.

The data obviously indicates that things could be better for graduates, but on average 21-24 year olds who are educated to degree level are proving stronger than many of their friends without a degree. Figures indicate that around 12% of this age group who have a degree are unemployed, compared with around 15% without one.

Although these figures suggest that graduates are better placed to find work many feel that they have become over-qualified for a substantial amounts of jobs. Nicholas Williams from Bolton, Greater Manchester graduated last year from Edge Hill University with a 2:1 in BA Business and Management. He told us that,

“I was naive leaving University thinking I was going to just walk into a job… things have not been as easy as I first thought. I have found myself lying on my CV, removing my degree! It seems ridiculous that after accumulating around £20,000+ worth of debt that I am in a position where I cannot apply for what I would describe as ‘generalised role, such as bar, restaurant and retail work. It seems many employers feel that if you have a degree you are not going to be sticking around for the longer-term. It has become a nightmare, I am under-experienced for graduate type roles, and over-qualified for others!”

This is a very real situation for thousands of graduates across the nation, as graduate unemployment 2010 will have increased substantially come the summer of 2011. Examples such as Nicholas Williams it appears, will become the norm for a majority of university leavers. Aaron Porter, president of The National Union of Students (NUS) blames the lack of responsibility from the government, and the lack of support structure to aid newly graduates find their feet. He insisted on the government re-introducing The Future Jobs Fund, but the new coalition government have decided to scrap the scheme in March 2011. This decision to scrap the scheme seems extremely naive of the new coalition government, as at the end of the day it will be the youth of today that will surely be the only generation to get the country out of this economic deficit, will it not?

It appears that  Chris Grayling, Employment Minister can not take responsibility as he stated that,

“As well as paying for the enormous debt left behind, young people are struggling to get into work despite the billions Labour has squandered on schemes such as the New Deal and the Future Jobs Fund… The priority now must be to create financial stability in the economy so that businesses will invest and create jobs. But we also need measures like our new work experience scheme.”

It is all well and good passing the blame on, but instant action must be taken if Britain does not want to see its skilled future workforce move abroad to find employment. This economic recovery is not something that is going to happen overnight. With tuition fees increasing, commercial companies becoming weak at the knees with fear of investing, and graduates ending up in the same position as many 16-year olds will there be anybody left in the UK in 20 years time? Only time will tell…

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