GRADUATES WHO PLAY MORE EARN MORE
Impact of Sport on Graduate Employability study links sporting involvement to career
success
Graduates who participated in sport at university earn an average £5,824 (18 per cent) more per year than their non-sporting counterparts.
New research from British Universities & Colleges Sport reveals that the current average salary of graduates who engaged with sport at university is £32,552, compared with £26,728 for those who did not.
And the positive effects of sports participation go beyond earning power, according to the BUCS’ Impact of Sport on Graduate Employability study. More than half (51 per cent) of graduates say
sporting involvement has helped them develop team work skills and leadership qualities in the workplace.
Employers also recognise the benefits of sport in developing career-enhancing qualities, with more than nine in 10 (94 per cent) of those questioned identifying a clear link between university sport participation and valuable skills and strengths in potential employees.
Furthermore, more than a quarter (27 per cent) of graduates who did not play sport at university have experienced a period of unemployment at some point in their career, compared with just over one in five (21 per cent) of those who did participate in sport.
With 5,838 students and 112 of the UK’s top blue-chip graduate employers taking part in the study – conducted by the Sport Industry Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam University – the results prove employers view involvement in sport outside of academic courses as a hugely beneficial addition to the skill-set for an individual’s future value to their organisations.
Commenting on the study, Karen Rothery, Chief Executive of BUCS, said: “In a challenging economic climate, employers increasingly require candidates to demonstrate achievements beyond academic ability – key attributes such as team work, communication skills and leadership that can be developed through sport make a student stand out.
“The results of this research are proof positive that sport in higher education provides a recognised and valuable part of the student experience. Involvement in sport makes a real, measurable and positive impact not just on the student experience, but also on life beyond higher education.”
And the positive impact of sport on a graduates career prospects is not limited to participating and competing; sport also benefits those whose involvement spans coaching and refereeing, volunteering, being part of sports club committees and other support roles. Professor Simon Shibli, co-director of the Sports Industry Research Centre (SIRC) at Sheffield
Hallam and one of the lead researchers involved in the study, identified attributes of sporting involvement that enable candidates to demonstrate the personal qualities contributing to their
employability, such as drive, ambition, motivation and leadership.
“As the number of graduates increases, students need to do more than pass a degree to get their first job and to sustain their employability. The evidence indicates strongly that in the context of rising fees, engagement in sport is associated with providing a good career return on investment,” said Professor Shibli.
“There is also significant evidence from employers that engagement in sport is a recognised strength and a source of differentiation between top quality and average graduates. However, it's not just about playing sport it’s the involvement in volunteering and management aspects that can provide a competitive advantage in the jobs' market.
Paul Szumilewicz, Director, Retail Banking and Wealth Management at one of the UK’s leading banks, graduated from the University of Birmingham in 2003 where he was Team Captain and Secretary of the university’s football club. He says: “Playing sport at any level gives you a great university experience and employers really do view it as demonstrating personal and behavioural capabilities beyond your degree.
“A rounded candidate who shows commitment, academic skills and a wide range of interests is a hugely attractive prospect to an employer, and the attributes gained from participating and volunteering within sport are transferable across many industries.”
About The Impact of Sport on Graduate Employability research
The research was conducted by the Sport Industry Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam University - the same team that forecast Team GB would win 27 gold medals at London 2012. The data was collected via 13 interviews with university Vice Chancellors; 112 graduate employers; and 5,838 graduates who completed an online survey sent out by alumni offices. The graduates who repsonded to the survey are drawn from a wide range of universities including Russell Group, red-brick, and post 1992 'new' universities.
BUCS is the national governing body for higher education sport in the UK. BUCS vision is to enhance the student experience through sport, to support and promote the lifestyle and educational benefits to communities and individuals of taking part in sport, and to provide outstanding opportunities to all students to engage in sport and related activity in higher education. www.bucs.org.uk.
British Universities and Colleges Sport is a registered charity, No. 1126863.
The Sport Industry Research Centre (SIRC) is one of three sport-related research centres in the Faculty of Health and Wellbeing at Sheffield Hallam along with the Centre for Sport and Exercise Science (CSES) and the Centre for Sports Engineering Research (CSER). The main focus of the centre's work is the use of applied economic techniques to solve the specific research requirements of their clients and to generate new knowledge about the sport and leisure industries. In the last year, SIRC has completed research assignments for all four home nation Sports Councils as well as for UK Sport.
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