Department for Education

The department is committed to improving construction training opportunities across England, including in South Holland and the Deepings.

A wide range of government-funded programmes are available for construction employers who are considering hiring employees, offering work experience, or upskilling existing staff. These include Apprenticeships, Skills Bootcamps, and Free Courses for Jobs. Through the Construction Support Package, we are investing in high-quality training provision, supporting providers to deliver industry-relevant skills and helping more people into good jobs in the sector. The recently announced Construction Technical Excellence Colleges (CTEC) will drive up standards in construction education by working closely with employers to ensure training meets current and future workforce needs.

The CTEC serving the East of England region, which includes South Holland and the Deepings, is West Suffolk College. This college is part of the government’s initiative to train construction workers through a network of 10 regional hubs operating under a ‘hub and spoke’ model.

I refer the hon. Member for Yeovil to the answer of 9 September 2025 to Question 71715.

The department is introducing Technical Excellence Colleges (TECs) to specialise in training skilled workforces which industry needs in growth-driving priority sectors.

The Post-16 education and skills white paper, confirmed that the government is expanding the TEC programme to a further four sectors: clean energy, advanced manufacturing, digital and technologies, and defence. These new TECs, backed by £175 million, will secure the pipeline of skilled workers into these areas. Provider specialisms will be aligned with the priority sectors in the Industrial Strategy and Plan for Change, and in direct response to employer demand for specialist technical skills.

Exact locations are yet to be determined, and colleges will be appointed through a fair and transparent application process. The selection process for these TECs will start by the end of 2025, with delivery planned to begin from April 2026. Further details will be published in due course.

The department has not recently made changes to the eligibility criteria for Disabled Students’ Allowance and has no current plans to do so.

As part of wider reforms set out in the government’s post-16 education and skills white paper, the department is committed to improving access and support for all students in higher education, including those with disabilities.

​​A supply teacher’s pay and pension depends on how the supply teacher is employed.

​Supply teachers employed directly by a state maintained school or local authority must be paid in accordance with the statutory arrangements for teachers laid down in the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document. If a supply teacher is employed by a private agency or non-maintained school, the employer can set the rate of pay.

​The Teachers’ Pensions Regulations currently provide for supply teachers to participate in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) where they are employed by a scheme employer, including local authorities, academies and further education colleges.

​Where supply teachers are self-employed or remain employed by a supply agency and their services are provided under a ‘contract for services’, it is not possible for them to participate in the TPS as there is no organisation to undertake the employer role, including remitting contributions to the scheme. However, eligible supply teachers working via agencies are entitled to workplace pensions.

​The department does not have plans at this time to assess the potential benefits of mandating pay or pensions for supply teachers.

School funding is increasing by £3.7 billion in financial year 2025/26, meaning that core school budgets will total £65.3 billion, compared with £61.6 billion in 2024/25.

In May, the government announced a further £615 million of additional funding for schools in 2025/26 to support them with their overall costs, including staff pay awards. Schools will, on average, be expected to find the first 1% of pay awards through plans to realise and sustain better value from existing spend. Schools will not be alone in making these decisions. The department will support schools to tackle the systemic issues that drive costs and prevent schools getting the best value for money, such as with energy, through our Energy for Schools Service.

The number of employees who were subject to an investigation as part of the department’s disciplinary process is shown in table below.

*1 January - 30 September 2025

The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) is responsible for collecting and publishing data on the UK higher education (HE) sector. HESA does not collect data on the parental status of students across all UK HE providers, and so information on the total number of postgraduate students that are parents of children of nursery age is not currently held by the department.

For the 2023/24 academic year, HESA reported there are 847,905 postgraduate students enrolled in UK HE providers. Counts of HE student enrolments by level of study are published in Table 3 of HESA’s Student data, which can be found here: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/sb271/figure-3.

On 20 October 2025, the department set out plans to introduce V Levels, a third vocational pathway at level 3. V Levels will sit alongside A levels and T Levels and will offer a vocational alternative to these academic and technical routes. They will blend applied learning with practical assessment, with content linked to occupational standards set by Skills England. We launched a consultation on post-16 level 3 and below pathways, closing on 12 January 2026. The consultation is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/post-16-level-3-and-below-pathways.

This government is fully committed to T Levels. Where a student wishes to study a large qualification (those with 720 guided learning hours or more) and a T Level exists, they should undertake the T Level. T Levels are outperforming large qualifications in T Level areas of study. In line with this, funding for other qualifications of 720 guided learning hours and over in T Level areas of study will be removed in 2026 and 2027.

The department is keeping funding for most existing qualifications in place until new V Levels and other qualifications come in.

In August 2025, the department appointed 10 Technical Excellence Colleges (TECs) in construction, backed by £100 million in funding to deliver high-quality construction skills provision. The post-16 education and skills strategy white paper confirmed that we will now go further, expanding the TEC programme to a further 4 sectors which will include: four TECs in advanced manufacturing, five TECs in clean energy, five TECs in digital and technologies and five TECs in defence.

These new TECs, backed by £175 million, will ensure the pipeline of skilled workers into these areas, securing new defence jobs in this growing industry and will help to address shortages in engineering. Exact locations are yet to be determined, and colleges will be appointed through a fair and transparent application process. Selection processes for these TECs will start by the end of 2025, with delivery planned to begin from April 2026. Further details will be published in due course.

The requested information can be found in the Student Loans Company’s Student loans in England publication, updated in July each year. The publication, ‘Student loans in England: 2024 to 2025’ can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/student-loans-in-england-2024-to-2025.

The amount that has been cancelled or written off during the 2024/25 financial year, the total amount outstanding at the start of the financial year including interest and loans not yet due for repayment (after adjustments), and the proportion that write offs or cancellations make out of the starting balance can be found at: https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.publishing.service.gov.uk%2Fmedia%2F684c16b8da3d1b49e6797046%2Fslcsp012025.xlsx&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK.

These statistics are not broken down by borrower nationality. This information is not readily available and cannot be obtained within the timeframe given to respond. Figures for the 2025/26 financial year will be available in the July 2026 publication.

Further education colleges can decide to retain students who have been absent from their maths or English lessons, but they will have their future funding allocations reduced by half the national funding rate for every eligible student who is not offered the minimum planned teaching hours. This demonstrates the importance of supporting all students to make progress towards and attain level 2 in English and maths. A provider is permitted to opt out up to 2.5% of their 16- to 19 cohort from this requirement without financial penalty, where it is not appropriate to offer a student the minimum planned teaching hours.

Further education colleges can decide to retain students who have been absent from their maths or English lessons, but they will have their future funding allocations reduced by half the national funding rate for every eligible student who is not offered the minimum planned teaching hours. This demonstrates the importance of supporting all students to make progress towards and attain level 2 in English and maths. A provider is permitted to opt out up to 2.5% of their 16- to 19 cohort from this requirement without financial penalty, where it is not appropriate to offer a student the minimum planned teaching hours.

I refer the hon. Member for Wyre Forest to the answer of 31 October 2025 to Question 83275.

The department publishes statistics on those not in education, employment or training (NEET) for England from the labour force survey (LFS) for young people aged 16-24. These are accessible at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/neet-statistics-annual-brief/2024.

Additionally, estimates of young people aged 16 to 18 participating in education and training using the department’s administrative data are published at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/participation-in-education-and-training-and-employment/2024. This release contains the most robust measure for 16 to 18 year olds NEET.

Both NEET sources are based on status at time of data collection and therefore the definition does not rely on being out of education and employment for a specific length of time before being categorised as NEET.

Neither source can be used to estimate the number of young people who left school/further education before the end of their course. However, they will be included in the statistics as NEET if they had left their course prior to the reporting timeframe and not taken part in any employment or alternative education at that time.

The department publishes statistics on those not in education, employment or training (NEET) for England from the labour force survey (LFS) for young people aged 16-24. These are accessible at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/neet-statistics-annual-brief/2024.

Additionally, estimates of young people aged 16 to 18 participating in education and training using the department’s administrative data are published at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/participation-in-education-and-training-and-employment/2024. This release contains the most robust measure for 16 to 18 year olds NEET.

Both NEET sources are based on status at time of data collection and therefore the definition does not rely on being out of education and employment for a specific length of time before being categorised as NEET.

Neither source can be used to estimate the number of young people who left school/further education before the end of their course. However, they will be included in the statistics as NEET if they had left their course prior to the reporting timeframe and not taken part in any employment or alternative education at that time.

For detailed information specific to individual qualifications, the department advises education providers to consult the relevant Awarding Organisation. These organisations are responsible for developing and delivering qualifications and will provide tailored guidance to support providers in their delivery of the Technical Occupational Qualification in Social Care from September 2026.

The department provides comprehensive support materials to help education providers in implementing newly reformed qualifications, including Technical Occupational Qualifications. This includes hosting a toolkit, model pathways, resources for careers advisers, video explainers, links to webinars, newsletters, and the webpage: https://support.tlevels.gov.uk/hc/en-gb/sections/16829562632850-Qualifications-Review.

These resources are regularly updated to ensure providers have access to the latest advice and are signposted to broader support where appropriate.

The department remains committed to maintaining and enhancing guidance materials to ensure continued support for providers throughout the reform process.

The department is conducting a review of the UK government’s International Education Strategy alongside the Department for Business and Trade, and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, to ensure that it continues to be an effective tool in increasing the value of education exports and reflects the priorities of education stakeholders, businesses and our global partners. As part of the review process, officials have engaged with devolved government officials and stakeholders to seek feedback on the strategic direction and other aspects of the strategy. We will announce next steps on this shortly.

Ensuring schools and colleges have the resources and buildings they need is a key part of our mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every young person the best start in life.

The department collects consistent data on the condition of the school and college estate, which helps inform capital policy and programmes. The full set of Condition Data Collection (CDC) 1 data is presented at school or regional level and can be accessed here: https://depositedpapers.parliament.uk/depositedpaper/2285521/details. A summary of the CDC1 data can be accessed in the CDC1 key findings report, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/condition-data-collection-2-cdc2-programme. Individual reports are also shared with schools.

CDC1 ran from 2017 and 2019, covering government funded schools in England. The successor programme, CDC2, will provide an update on the condition of the government funded school buildings. It does not yet cover all schools in scope and is due to complete in 2026.

On 20 October 2025, the department set out plans to introduce V Levels, a third, vocational pathway at level 3. V Levels will sit alongside A levels and T Levels and will offer a vocational alternative to these academic and technical routes. We launched a consultation on post-16 level 3 and below pathways, closing on 12 January 2026. This can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/post-16-level-3-and-below-pathways. The results of the consultation and the department's response will be published in 2026.

This government remains strongly committed to T Levels and will continue to encourage their growth. T Levels are delivering fantastic results for students, providing the technical skills needed for progression into further study and training or skilled work. Where a learner wants in-depth knowledge of a subject area, they should study the T Level, compared to the V Level which allows learners more flexibility to explore different areas and which we generally expect will be the size of one A level.

The government has committed to conducting a review of the whole parental leave system. This review was launched on 1 July and represents a much-needed opportunity to consider our approach to the system of parental leave and pay.

The department will also consider whether the support available meets the needs of other working families who do not qualify for existing leave and pay entitlements, such as kinship carers.

Foster carers who combine fostering with paid employment have a range of existing workplace rights and legal entitlements to help manage their dual responsibilities, including the right to request flexible working from day one, introduced through the Employment Rights Bill, and adoption leave where applicable. The department also supports The Fostering Network’s ‘Fostering Friendly Employers’ campaign.

The department is dealing with this matter under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. As such, we are seeking necessary clearances and will provide a response as soon as possible.

Schools are responsible for recruiting supply teachers, which includes deciding whether to use supply teacher agencies.

The department, in conjunction with the Crown Commercial Service, has established the agency supply deal, which supports schools to obtain value for money when hiring agency supply teachers and other temporary school staff. The deal has established a list of preferred suppliers that schools can access, all of which will be transparent about the rates they charge.

The Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) Regulations 2014, which set out the rules for the TPS, determine that for teachers to be eligible, their employment must be with an accepted employer, usually a school. Where supply teachers are self-employed, or employed by a supply agency and their services are provided under a contract for services, it is not possible for them to participate in the TPS. This is because there is no organisation to undertake the employer role, including remitting contributions to the scheme.

The department has engaged with employers throughout the development of T Levels. Employers from the hospitality sector were particularly involved in discussions with the Institute of Apprenticeships and Technical Education around potentially developing T Levels in Catering and Hospitality, with a decision taken not to pursue this T Level announced in March 2025.

Hospitality employers have been involved in other T Levels, including as members of the T Level panel developing and approving the Management and Administration T Level, and through providing industry placements to learners.

The government outlined plans for how it is supporting students travelling to the United Kingdom from Gaza in a policy statement published on 15 September 2025 available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/support-for-students-travelling-to-the-uk-from-gaza/scholarships-for-students-from-gaza.

To be eligible to come to the UK under this approach, students must submit a student visa application, which will need to be sponsored by their university, and pay associated fees.

Students must:

• Be aged 18 or over.
• Meet the requirements of the Immigration Rules.
• Have an offer for a course starting no later than 31 December 2025.
• Be supported by a fully funded and verified scholarship that covers both course fees and living costs.

The government remains committed to doing everything we can to assist eligible students to leave Gaza, specifically those who hold full scholarships to UK universities with course start dates no later than 31 December 2025.

The government is making every effort to support this process. However, a student’s journey from Gaza to the UK cannot be guaranteed, and timelines remain subject to external factors, outside the government’s control.

The government is working with the devolved governments and universities to identify eligible students, and to ensure students receive the support they need for the duration of their studies.

The Data Futures Programme is led by the Office for Students (OfS) in collaboration with sector partners. The programme is primarily focused on enhancing data collection and reporting within the higher education sector.

The programme is not directly managed by the department, and its scope and development are matters for the OfS. The department maintains an interest in its progress and continues to engage with relevant stakeholders as appropriate.

Decisions regarding system changes or replacements in relation to the programme fall under the remit of the OfS and its delivery partners. The department does not hold specific information on system decommissioning linked to the programme. Any consideration of its relevance to operational data, including border movements, would be subject to further engagement with the OfS and other responsible bodies.

The OfS, in collaboration with delivery partners including Jisc, are working to implement recommendations highlighted in the Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC) review published in January 2025.

The Data Futures Programme is led by the Office for Students (OfS) in collaboration with sector partners. The programme is primarily focused on enhancing data collection and reporting within the higher education sector.

The programme is not directly managed by the department, and its scope and development are matters for the OfS. The department maintains an interest in its progress and continues to engage with relevant stakeholders as appropriate.

Decisions regarding system changes or replacements in relation to the programme fall under the remit of the OfS and its delivery partners. The department does not hold specific information on system decommissioning linked to the programme. Any consideration of its relevance to operational data, including border movements, would be subject to further engagement with the OfS and other responsible bodies.

The OfS, in collaboration with delivery partners including Jisc, are working to implement recommendations highlighted in the Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC) review published in January 2025.

The Data Futures Programme is led by the Office for Students (OfS) in collaboration with sector partners. The programme is primarily focused on enhancing data collection and reporting within the higher education sector.

The programme is not directly managed by the department, and its scope and development are matters for the OfS. The department maintains an interest in its progress and continues to engage with relevant stakeholders as appropriate.

Decisions regarding system changes or replacements in relation to the programme fall under the remit of the OfS and its delivery partners. The department does not hold specific information on system decommissioning linked to the programme. Any consideration of its relevance to operational data, including border movements, would be subject to further engagement with the OfS and other responsible bodies.

The OfS, in collaboration with delivery partners including Jisc, are working to implement recommendations highlighted in the Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC) review published in January 2025.

A £182 million defence skills package was announced at the start of September 2025 in the Defence Industrial Strategy, which aims to make defence an engine for national renewal and economic growth, harnessing the skills needed for the future, from submarine engineers to specialist welders. The package centres on establishing five Defence Technical Excellence Colleges (DTECs), training people in the skills needed to secure new defence jobs in this growing industry.

DTECs will be in England. The exact locations are yet to be determined and will be appointed through a fair and transparent application process. All further education (FE) colleges that are part of the statutory FE sector in England will be able to apply, subject to meeting specific eligibility criteria, to be released in due course. The selection process for these Technical Excellence Colleges will start by the end of 2025, with delivery planned to begin from April 2026. Further details will be published in due course.

Commercial sensitivities exist around aspects of spending of this kind which could prejudice commercial interests. All spend in these areas are subject to the standard value for money assessments.

It is for employers and further education providers to work together to ensure that provision meets learner, labour market and employer needs. The department welcomes and encourages such partnerships.

Across all areas of England, Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) give businesses a direct route to work collaboratively with local providers and leaders to shape curricula and deliver skills provision. Over 25% of LSIPs identified Hospitality and Tourism as a priority sector with key skills needs. In these areas, key stakeholders are working in partnership to develop a skilled workforce that can support these areas' growth and sustainability.

A new round of LSIP development started on 1 October 2025 and this is an opportunity for businesses to engage with their local Employer Representative Body to discuss their skills needs and set out the challenges specific to their local economies, including in the hospitality sector.

The department has strengthened the requirements for the mathematics and English conditions of funding to ensure every eligible student is supported to make progress towards and, wherever possible, attain GCSE English by the end of their 16-19 study. This is backed by significant additional investment, including increases to the English and mathematics funding rate of 11% in 2025/26.

The Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper includes a package of support for English, including new level 1 stepping stone English qualifications that support students with lower prior attainment for successful GCSE resits. It also pledges to improve the gathering and sharing of effective practice to support providers’ delivery of 16-19 English in the meantime and strengthens accountability measures to hold providers to account.

This government is committed to ensuring students in higher education (HE) have access to effective mental health support. This is why my noble Friend, the Minister for Skills, has recently appointed a new HE Student Support Champion to lead a reconvened HE Mental Health Implementation Taskforce. Full details of the new champion will be announced shortly.

The taskforce is instrumental in assessing and driving improvements in mental health support across the sector, including taking forward recommendations from the recent national review of HE student suicides.

The government also strongly supports the University Mental Health Charter Programme and Award, run by Student Minds. This programme provides a robust framework for universities to improve their mental health provision and is a valuable tool for driving sector-wide change.

The response to Written Parliamentary Question 76810 was published on 15 October 2025.

No meetings have taken place with the Association of Commonwealth Universities.

The department does not hold data on what proportion of student visa holders progress to graduation, however, data on non-UK domicile entrants is collected by the Office for Students (OfS).

The OfS publish data on the completion rates of entrants. For full-time first degree non-UK domicile entrants from 2016/17 to 2019/20, 89.9% completed their courses within 4 years 15 days of entry to higher education. This data is published annually and the latest available data was published in August 2025 at : https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/data-and-analysis/student-outcomes-data-dashboard/data-dashboard/.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, is pleased that 14 university Vice Chancellors and representatives joined my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, in his recent trip to India in recognition of the increased demand for higher education (HE) in India, which has created an opportunity for UK universities seeking new funding streams. HE is one of the UK’s greatest exports, and international education was worth £32 billion in export revenue in 2022. The UK’s HE sector is set to bring in a £50 million boost over the next five years to the economy as part of a major expansion of British universities in India.

The UK remains an incredibly attractive overseas study destination to international students across the globe. We have a world-class higher education sector, with four universities in the top 10 and 17 in the top 100, as well as a wide range of institutions offering high quality education and a fulfilling experience.

The Immigration White Paper set out that we will retain the graduate visa but reduce its duration from 2 years to 18 months, whilst maintaining the 3-year duration for PhD students. This will maintain our competitive post-study offer whilst ensuring individuals on this route obtain employment in graduate level roles and contribute to the country’s skills needs more quickly.

The department wants to make sure that all students, regardless of their background, benefit from high quality, world-leading higher education (HE) that leads to excellent outcomes.

The Office for Students (OfS) monitors the outcomes achieved by students at HE providers, including international students with minimum expectations set for rates of course continuation and completion. This monitoring will consider the way in which courses meet its expectations for quality for all students who providers choose to recruit.

Where the OfS discovers providers failing to meet its expectations for quality, it can impose sanctions, including financial penalties and, in extreme cases, removing providers from its register.

The government has commissioned the Institute for Fiscal Studies to update their 2020 research report on the impact of undergraduate degrees on lifetime earnings, and this will be published in early 2026.

The 2020 research suggests that higher education (HE) yields a positive financial return to both the graduate and the exchequer for the majority of graduates over their lifetime. Previous graduates are estimated to be over £100,000 better off on average in real terms by going to university after taxes, student loan repayments and foregone earnings are considered.

Whilst the department recognises not all HE qualifications are associated with high salaries, we want all HE providers to equip their students with the skills they need to progress to good jobs they find rewarding.

The government will continue to work with the Office for Students, empowering it to hold HE providers to account for the quality of students’ experiences and the outcomes they achieve.

Higher education (HE) providers are independent. This means government is not involved in workforce matters as it is in other education sectors.

While government understands that HE providers must make difficult business decisions to safeguard their financial sustainability, we encourage providers to work with their staff to develop sustainable models that retain talent and expertise and provide stability for the workforce and the institution. All efficiency measures taken by the sector should provide a better long-term future for staff, students and the country.

The department publishes the ‘Graduate Labour Market Statistics’, which provides statistics on employment and earnings outcomes for post-graduates, graduates and non-graduates. The publication includes estimates for high-skilled employment for graduates aged 21-30 years. In 2024, 60.1% of young graduates (age 21-30) were in high-skilled employment, a 0.1 percentage point increase on 2023 at 60.0%. This data was published on 5 June 2025, and is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/graduate-labour-markets/2024.

Higher education (HE) should be a pathway to opportunity for all students. Students and taxpayers deserve a good return on their significant investment in HE, and our economy needs graduates to go on to highly skilled and well-paid employment. We are supporting the Office for Students to implement a new expanded quality system that will include a specific focus on the needs and benefits of HE to employers.

We published our Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper on 20 October 2025, which sets out our reforms to the skills system to support the development of the skilled workforce our economy needs, delivering on our Plan for Change and driving national renewal.

The department publishes the ‘Graduate Labour Market Statistics’, which provides statistics on employment and earnings outcomes for post-graduates, graduates and non-graduates. The publication includes estimates for high-skilled employment for graduates aged 21-30 years. In 2024, 60.1% of young graduates (age 21-30) were in high-skilled employment, a 0.1 percentage point increase on 2023 at 60.0%. This data was published on 5 June 2025, and is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/graduate-labour-markets/2024.

Higher education (HE) should be a pathway to opportunity for all students. Students and taxpayers deserve a good return on their significant investment in HE, and our economy needs graduates to go on to highly skilled and well-paid employment. We are supporting the Office for Students to implement a new expanded quality system that will include a specific focus on the needs and benefits of HE to employers.

We published our Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper on 20 October 2025, which sets out our reforms to the skills system to support the development of the skilled workforce our economy needs, delivering on our Plan for Change and driving national renewal.

The department reviews the latest available data and evidence on graduate earning outcomes, including differences between UK-domiciled and EU-domiciled graduates, to inform and shape policy development where appropriate. The Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) Graduate and Postgraduate Outcomes statistics show that in the 2022/23 financial year, EU-domiciled graduates working in the UK earned more than UK graduates on average. Higher median earnings for EU-domiciled graduates have likely been a result of the minimum salary requirements needed to obtain a UK visa.

The department is working with the Office for Students (OfS) to explore how high-cost funding can be effectively targeted towards provision which supports future skills needs and the Industrial Strategy. The LEO Graduate and Postgraduate Outcomes statistics show that employment outcomes vary by subject, but in the 2022/23 financial year employment outcomes were generally high across all subjects. Veterinary sciences had the highest proportion of graduates in sustained employment and/or further study (94.2% of graduates), and combined and general studies had the lowest proportion (80.5%).

The LEO Graduate and Postgraduate Outcomes statistics provide an estimate of the real-term change in median earnings over time, with the latest available year of data being the 2022/23 financial year. For the latest available data at five years after graduation, the statistics show that real terms earnings decreased between 2018/19 and 2022/23. For first degree graduates, real-term median earnings (in 2016/17 prices) at five years after graduation were £26,300 in 2018/19 and £25,400 in 2022/23. Real-term median earnings were rising slightly but have seen a decline in the latest two years of data.

The department reviews the latest available data and evidence on graduate employment outcomes, including the variances in outcomes between graduates and postgraduates at different stages, to inform and shape policy development where appropriate. In the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper, the government announced its plans to work with the OfS to develop options for how we measure and compare progress in higher education, which will consider a range of data on student outcomes.

The LEO Graduate and Postgraduate Outcomes statistics reports the proportion of graduates in sustained employment but does not distinguish ‘high-skilled employment’. Graduate Outcome survey data published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency does include statistics specifically for high-skilled employment and shows that 76% of 2022/23 graduates were in high-skilled employment fifteen months after graduation. This data was published in July 2025 and can be found in Table 12 here: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/sb272/figure-12.

The LEO Graduate and Postgraduate Outcomes statistics can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/leo-graduate-and-postgraduate-outcomes/2022-23.