• Employed in a wide range of sectors and roles across the workforce, from financial services to education, social work, the media and creative industries, and possess skills which open up a wide range of options, across the private, public and third sectors.

• Able to move between careers over their working life, using their generic skills to adapt to different industries and become successful leaders and managers.

• Well placed both to shape the future and to take advantage of the opportunities the future will present.

• communication and collaboration

• research and analysis

• independence and adaptability

and a range of ancillary skills including:

• critical analysis

• problem solving

• understanding other cultures

It concluded that pursuing SHAPE disciplines delivers core skills essential for future work and wider life

Crucially, it concluded that the choices and opportunities available to holders of SHAPE qualifications, as a result of their wider skill sets, might offer greater flexibility over the longer term compared to STEM graduates – in terms of occupation, role and industry.

• SHAPE graduates underpin key sectors of the UK economy. Of the ten fastest growing sectors, eight employ more graduates from SHAPE than other disciplines.

• Employment rates for SHAPE and STEM graduates are almost identical (88% vs 89%)

• Earnings for SHAPE and STEM graduates, ten years after graduation, are also almost identical

• The top five skills developed by SHAPE graduates (communication, creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and independence) precisely match the top skills identified to thrive in 21st century work.

• More likely to have developed creative and social skills during their degree, in comparison to STEM students

• Contributing to innovation across our economy — over half of the UK’s leading start-ups were founded by SHAPE graduates and 59% of the leaders of FTSE 100 companies have backgrounds in SHAPE disciplines

• Recognised as employable by a wide range of businesses — a global survey of 1000 business leaders found that companies with successful talent recruitment were more likely to hire graduates with non-STEM degrees

• Leaders in the civil service — comprising just over 80% of successful candidates in the civil service Fast Stream and Fast Track programmes

• Motivated by the breadth of perspectives and career flexibility that SHAPE disciplines offer

• Passionate about their disciplines, ambitious to make positive differences, and intellectually curious about different societies and perspectives.