We want to look after our children, say male graduates

A new report claims rising numbers of male university leavers want to prioritize commitments to children.

A new report claims rising numbers of male university leavers want to prioritize commitments to children and work/life balance.
The study, Class of 2010, published by Endsleigh reveals a third of male graduates are willing to sacrifice their career to care full-time for for their children.
Graduates told researchers from think tank Demos they put work/life balance and social relevance of their job above starting salary.
Nearly nine out of ten (89%) graduates rated climate change as an important global issue, and a quarter of graduates said they would turn down a job offer if the employer’s environmental credentials weren’t up to scratch.
The research, carried out over the past six months, examined the Class of 2010’s aspirations and concerns on issues including university life, the job market, family and community life, politics and the environment.
This is the first set of graduates to have gone through university through the recession, and the report recommends changes in the career service.
Careers services should be turned into not-for-profit recruitment consultancies for their respective universities, specialising in finding work for graduates in businesses local to the institution, says the report.
It recommends that those employees working for the careers servce would not be paid by commission to ensure the students’ best interests are maintained.
Lead author Jen Lexmond, from Demos, said: ”This generation of graduates faces greater costs to attend university, and fewer employment opportunities when they finish.  Yet their optimism toward their futures and their commitment to progressive environmental and social causes remains.  Given the scale of the challenges that this generation faces – climate change, an ageing population, a giant wealth gap – this optimism and commitment must not be diminished through a lack of opportunity.  More and more must be done to support graduates’ transitions into employment or self-employment so that they can begin to realise their progressive ideals.
”For so many graduates, the first step after finishing exams is signing up with a recruitment agency that knows nothing about them but immediately goes on to represent them in the labour market.  Careers services are already doing a great job in finding work for graduates.  That is why careers services at students unions are in a far better position to carry out this role as they will have developed a relationship with students over the duration of their degree and have students’ best interests in mind.
” A recruitment consultancy model would also provide a greater incentive for careers services to make contact with students and ensure the development of their employability and ‘soft’ skills throughout their time at university. 
”The change of role would also develop strong relationships between universities and local businesses, and be a source of supplementary income for universities at a time when cuts are looming.”

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• Work Gender equality Childcare Education Working mums Work life balance Working parents