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REC: more than just a degree needed

Employers will often look for more than just a degree when they search for new graduate recruits, an expert has argued.

Tom Hadley, director of external relations at the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), said that while a degree is useful in a number of ways, recruiters tend to look for more.

A degree shows an employer that a certain level of academic achievement has been reached, said Mr Hadley, adding that he believes many employers may now simply take that as a given.

"If you've got a few more specific things on your CV where you have done placements [and] a few temporary jobs, that can actually help you," he said.

A survey conducted on behalf of the Sutton Trust, an educational foundation, found that more 11 to 16-year-olds are now inclined to go to university. Some 77 per cent of respondents said they were fairly or very likely to continue their studies to higher education level.