Raleigh Addington on the The Apprentice experience, personal crisis and how to get a graduate job &XOWXUH SDJH
THE
C OU RI E R THE INDEPENDENT VOICE OF NEWCASTLE STUDENTS
EST 1948
,VVXH 0RQGD\ 1RYHPEHU ZZZ WKHFRXULHURQOLQH FR XN )5((
Joy to despair: graduates face unemployment Exclusive statistics reveal the chequered fate of University’s leavers
Leader for Subway. In contrast, however, other respondents listed their professions as Teacher, Trainee Accountant and Professional Rugby Player. At 12.5 per cent, the School of Geography, Politics and Sociology has the second highest number of graduates joining the dole queue. Although the School was unavailable for comment, its alumni now include a Quantitative Trader for Goldman Sachs, A 999 Call Handler
at Cheshire Police and a Sales Advisor for Primark. The School for Architecture, Planning & Landscape has the University’s third highest unemployment rate at 11.2 per cent. Head of School John Pendlebury told The Courier how the weak construction sector is causing problems. He said: “Graduates in architecture and planning are generally highly motivated and determined to work in their chosen profession and will often hold out for that opportunity. The built environment professions are always at the sharp end of recessions, or booms, so regrettably it has been a particular struggle for graduates from these disciplines to enter their chosen profession in the last couple of years.â€? But a low unemployment rate for your degree does not guarantee strong earning potential. Despite only a comparatively favourable 5.9 per cent being out of work, students of the School of Arts & Cultures are expected to earn an average of just ÂŁ15,869, the lowest of the University’s 27 schools, and ÂŁ6,853 below the typical Newcastle graduate. Ellie Wells, who graduated this year with a MA in Museum Studies from the School and now works full-time in a call centre, told The Continued page 4 and 5
Shattered dreams: Newcastle’s graduates will have to deal with spiralling unemployment
Pukka food
&KLOG EHQHĂ€ W FKDQJHV
'DWH QLJKW
Kemode the interview
5 , 3 3DXO WKH 2FWRSXV
Popular chef Jamie Oliver arrives in the North East to promote his new healthy eating campaign in the region, Vicky Napier reports News, page 7
With a move from Income Support to Job Seeker’s Allowance to be brought in for single parents, how will it affect mothers? Comment, page 11
In a one off special, blind date takes a break as Lauren Girling and Matthew Wild prove that it’s not RQO\ WKH ¿ UVW GDWH WKDW PDWWHUV Life & Style, page 14-15
Film guru Mar Kemode talks to Film EditorAdam Williams about his perspective of Newcastle and IDYRXULWH Âż OPV IURP WKLV \HDU Film, page27
Sport Editor Wills Robinson bids a heart felt farewell to the original footballing oracle, Paul the Octopus who passed away last week Sport, page 42-43
Joshua Shrimpton Dean Deputy Editor The University’s leavers face damning rates of unemployment, with less than half securing graduatelevel work. DLHE (Destination of Leavers after +LJKHU (GXFDWLRQ À JXUHV VKRZ WKDW 7.4 per cent of students who graduated from the University in 2009 are assumed to be unemployed, with WKH À JXUH DOPRVW GRXEOLQJ IRU VRPH departments. Six months after graduation, in a punishing economic climate, those ZKR ZHUH IRUWXQDWH HQRXJK WR À QG employment recorded job titles including Bingo Caller, Waitress and Postman. Although data is not yet available, it is thought that 2010 graduates are being confronted with a far bleaker outlook as the squeeze on jobs continues. The UK’s national unemployment rate, as of August 2010, stands at 7.7 per cent. The news will come as a shock to students who believed they could HVFDSH WKH IRUWKFRPLQJ À QDQFLDO blows of the Browne Review. Instead, many are dwelling on the prospect of leaving Newcastle University with an uncertain future. Students’ choice of degree plays a huge role in determining their likely
employment and salary prospects. Current students of the School of Historical Studies, for example, are set to graduate into an unemployment rate of 13.2 per cent, the highest at the University. Occupations divulged by those who were able to À QG HPSOR\PHQW ZLWK D %$ +RQV History degree include Labourer, Betting Shop Manager and Team
“My expectations of Ă€ QGLQJ D MRE DQG the reality were very different thingsâ€?
Inside today >>>