Dancing with Gorillas

1. Dancing with Gorillas LTSN GEES Conference 2004 Paul Redmond, redmonp@hope.ac.uk

2. Drivers of change: • Globalisation and the deregulation of interconnected, global financial markets • Technological innovation leading to the democratisation of Information • Decline of heavy industries and the rise of the service sector

3. Globalization… • ‘… the inexorable integration of markets, transportation systems and communication systems to a degree never witnessed before – in a way that is enabling corporations, countries, and individuals to reach around the world farther, faster, deeper and cheaper than ever before’ Friedman, T. (2003)

4. Global Reach ‘The Rise of Corporate Global Power’, I.P.S. (2000) • 51 of the world's top 100 economies are corporations. Only 49 are countries. • Sales of the Top 200 corporations are greater than the joint sales of all countries, minus the biggest ten. • Top 200 sales equal 27.5% of world economic activity – this by employing just 0.78% of the world’s workforce. • WAL*MART employs 5% of the Top 200s’ workforce.

5. Britain’s Fastest Growing Jobs?

6. Britain’s Fastest Growing Jobs(1990 – 2000) Source: LFS, 2003

7. Rise of the Service SectorDTI Report, 2001 • ‘Services’ account for 76% of UK jobs and are the ‘dominant source of job creation’ (DTI) • Manufacturing accounts for 17% (down by 16% in last five years) • Services employ more women than the economy as a whole • Public sector, distribution, hotels and restaurants are now the largest employers • Since 1984, the main job-generating service industry has been ‘business services’ • How has this happened, and what has it got to do with graduates?

8. The Four Pillars of McDonaldization(Ritzer, 2000) • Efficiency • Calculability • Predictability • Control (via technology)

9. ‘The Golden Arches Theory of Conflict Resolution’ Friedman, T (2002)

10. “The ‘surplus society’ has a surplus of similar companies, employing similarpeople, with similar educational backgrounds, coming up with similarideas, producing similar things, with similarprices and similarquality.”Kjell Nordström and Jonas Ridderstråle, Funky Business

11. “While everything may be better, it is also increasingly the same.”Paul Goldberger on retail, “The Sameness of Things,”The New York Times

12. The quiet revolution: Of the UK’s 1.8 million students, • 57% are women • 51% are over 21 when they enrol • 15% are from ethnic minorities • 5% have a registered disability • 1-in-5 are from private schools • 53% work during term time • Graduate debt currently averages £11,365

13. Surplus students? (1900 – 2000)

14. Enrolments by Social Class

15. Ratio of middle class to working class students at ‘old’ universities 75: 25

16. Ratio of middle class to working class students at ‘new universities’ 68: 32

17. What do graduates do? Entering employment: 66.9% (67.7%) Further study: 18.7% (18.4%) Not available: 6.3% (6.4%) Seeking: 1.2% (1.2%) Unemployed: 6.9% (6.3%)

24. Types of work • Business services: 29.2 (30.9) • Clerical / admin 14.3 (14.0) • IT: 3.5 (4.9) • Science / Health / Social 15.6 (14.9) • Engineering 3.1 (3.5) • Arts / Media / Mktg /PR 8.9 (8.4) • Teaching 7.8 (7.5) • Retail 9.1 (7.5)

25. Occupational Trends, 1994-2004

26. ‘The Premiership’ • In 1998, 27,417 graduates were recruited by top firms • By 1999, this had fallen to 17,070 • 50% fall in industry; 30% in service sector • 2000: 13,879 • 2001: 14,629 • 2002: 14,132 • 400,000 graduates are now competing for around 15,000 ‘fast track’ jobs

27. Glass ceilings • Despite achieving consistently higher grades, women’s salary expectations are lower than men’s: £16,000 compared to £18,600 • Aged 24 a female graduate will earn 15% less than a male. The gap widens with age • The gender pay gap remains the same even when women and men have studied the same subject, achieved the same grade and are employed in the same job!

28. Percentage of employers using various selection techniques with graduate applicants 1990s 2000s • Interviews 99% 99% • References 96% 96% • Personality tests 35% 64% • Cognitive tests 30% 70% • Assessment centres 21% 59%

29. ‘Extra-curricula engagement’ • ‘Dress, deportment, speech, skiing holidays, hobbies and interests are all incorporated in the creation of a personality package which must be sold in the job market’

30. ‘Extra-curricula engagement’ • ‘We’re looking for people who are task orientated, who show evidence of having done something with their lives’. • ‘Tennisand rowingexhibit energy and contribution, playing snooker does not.

31. ‘Extra-curricula engagement’ • ‘Girls with a working-class Essex accent and who are not into power dressing are invariably excluded, irrespective of their academic abilities.’

32. Brown & Lauder, 2003: Chances of Oxbridge graduate being successful when applying for a fast track job: 1:8

33. Brown & Lauder, 2003: Chances of a graduate from a new university or college: 1:235

34. Message:Distinct or Extinct

35. Point 1. Never make a permanent career decision. To be employed is to be at risk. To be employable is to be secure.

36. Point 2. Blame Nobody!Expect Nothing!Do Something! Don’t rely on others to look after your career for you. They won’t.

37. Point 3. Don’t Seek Praise. Seek Criticism. Get a mentor - an honest mentor.

38. Point 4. Don’t be afraid of taking risks.

39. Point 5. The geek shall inherit the earth. IT skills are essential – not optional

40. Dancing with Gorillas LTSN GEES Conference 2004 Paul Redmond, redmonp@hope.ac.uk