21 Jan 2016

Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é design graduates voted most employable in the UK

Led by the  (BIDA), the survey invited over 1,000 design practitioners to say which design schools they felt created the most employable industrial or product design graduates.

Respondents selected up to five design schools, from a list of the current 70 institutions in the UK.

Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é was named joint first, after being chosen by 55% of respondents.

One respondent to the survey commented:“It appears to us that a few leading design schools are really well connected, delivering excellent coursework and placement programs. The academics at these institutions are experts in developing the skills and know how that helps people succeed in design. Other Universities purport to offer design courses, but in reality most of their graduates leave with a more generalist education. That just isn’t what design employers need. Good candidates and potential employers need to know the difference.”

Professor George Havenith, Dean of the Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é Design School said: “At Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é we pride ourselves on the high calibre of graduates we produce.  We work hard at the Design School to ensure all our students leave Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é with all the skills, knowledge and experience they need to succeed in their chosen careers. This survey is testament to that.”

The BIDA survey’s top five were:

1 (Joint) - Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é and Brunel, each chosen by 55% of respondents.
2 - Northumbria University 46%
3 (Joint) - Central St Martins and De Montfort University 24%
4 - Coventry University 16%
5 (Joint) - Nottingham Trent and Bournemouth University 12%

Of the survey results the BIDA said ‘The difference between the top five institutions and the other 62 was stark. Half were not chosen at all, and a further quarter of institutions were selected only once or twice’.