University of Manchester rated one of the world’s best for graduate employability

The Times Higher Education Global University Employability Ranking 2016 was published on the 16th of November after surveying 2,500 recruitment managers and 3,500 business managers around the world to get their views on the most employable graduates.

The University of Manchester has been ranked fifth in the UK and 24th in the world in an independent league table illustrating the way in which universities prepare their students for work.

The companies surveyed ranged across all major business sectors, having more than 5,000 employees each and also recruited more than 50 graduates per year.  Those surveyed were asked to define what they look for in a graduate as well as what university they believe produce the most employable graduates.

For Tammy Goldfeld, head of The University of Manchester’s Careers Service, this graduate employability success is down to an approach dedicated to developing skills that are not only associated with conventional teaching. She said: “Alongside the practical support we give to students we encourage all of them to take part in structured activities outside of their courses, developing a leadership and social responsibility ethos which they can translate into successful future careers.”

This latest triumph is the only the most recent in an already impressive list of performances for Manchester in both UK and international league tables. The University has also reached its highest ever position of 29th in the QS World University Rankings in September and, in August, climbed six places to 35th in The Academic Ranking of World Universities.

This latest result also confirms the findings of the ‘Graduate Market in 2016’ survey of the UK’s top 100 employers which revealed that University of Manchester students are the most targeted by leading graduate recruiters.

One strong point listed by the university was the University’s Sustainability Challenge. In Welcome Week 2016, almost 8,000 first year students worked together in teams to project manage the development of a new fictional university campus. This allowed them to develop important skills and learn about issues facing the world today.

Goldfeld added: “The employers we work with consistently tell us that they value the extra skills that students gain over and above their course and this is something we work very hard to impress on our students. The placing in this league table shows that Manchester graduates are making a positive impression all around the world and taking to the first steps to successful careers.”

To view the full rankings, visit the Times Higher Education Website.