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Harper Adams remains leading University for undergradate employment in new figures

Posted Today

Students developing new products in the Harper Adams Food Academy

A consistent focus on the prospects of its students has ensured Harper Adams has remained the leading University for full-time UK undergraduate employment.

Graduate Outcomes figures track how many UK-based undergraduates who completed their studies in 2024 are in work or further study 15 months later.

The latest stats have just been released, with Harper Adams leading the sector for the proportion of those graduating from their first undergraduate degree in full-time employment and with the lowest proportion unemployed.

Seven undergraduate degree subject areas at the University - Agriculture, Business, Environment, Sustainability and Wildlife, Food, Land and Property Management, Veterinary Nursing and Veterinary Physiotherapy - each saw more than 90 per cent of respondents reporting they were in work or further study.

Four subject areas – Business, Food, Land and Property Management, and Veterinary Nursing – also had more than 80 per cent of respondents in full-time employment – compared to a UK sector average of 53.4 per cent.

ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ Vice-Chancellor Professor Ken Sloan said: “The employment market is proving challenging for young people nationally, so to see our graduates bucking that trend is a testament both to the work we do to boost their employability – and, of course, to the calibre of those students themselves.

“With most undergraduate courses at Harper Adams offering students the chance to secure industry placements, by the time our many of those students come to graduation, they have not only learned about the industries in which they want to build their careers – they have already completed their first jobs in them.

“Our courses have also been designed with significant industry input, ensuring that we’re producing graduates with the skills employers want – skills which are then tested in the real world.

“It’s little wonder many of our students end up taking up roles with placement employers after completing their studies with us. Indeed, as leading higher education analysts WonkHE put it in their assessment of the figures: ‘if you want a job, study at Harper Adams.’”

Careers support at Harper Adams begins before students even take up their studies, with advice and guidance available at the University’s Open Days – and continues throughout their time at the institution and beyond.

Head of Careers and Employability Lisa McWilliams said: “While other universities are starting to move towards securing some kind of placement experiences for their students, it has been at the heart of what we’ve done for decades.

“This work takes time and effort, but as our consistent graduate employment figures show, that investment reaps rewards – for both students and employers.

“Our long track record of working with employers means in many firms, senior staff understand exactly the value of a providing a placement opportunity for a Harper Adams student– because they have undertaken one themselves.

“Each year, we hold well-attended careers fairs and Scholarship fairs for our students in the Autumn term – events which both students and employers are keen to attend.

“Alongside the significant work undertaken by the University’s Development Trust to offer Scholarships – many with industry placements – and a strong alumni network, this focus means our graduates leave University with the contacts, skills and experience they need to start making their mark in their chosen career.”