How Does Sport Impact on Employability at the University of Nottingham?

Insight Team, Sarah Melville, Oct 2014

How does Sport impact on employability at the University of Nottingham?

Source: Raw data from the ‘Impact of Engagement in Sport on Graduate Employability’ by BUCS and SIRC. 2,580 responses were University of Nottingham Graduates. Their responses were as follows:

Headline Findings

Sport participation, officiating and management, volunteering and student representation has a greater positive impact on graduate employability than for those students who do not engage in extra-curricular activities.

Sport participation, volunteering, student representation and sport officiating and management has significant positive impact on punctuality, time management, organisation, planning and coordination skills, problem solving, creativity, innovation, ability to reflect, team work, management and leadership and customer handling understanding.

These ‘active’ and ‘engaged’ students perceive themselves to be more productive than their colleagues in comparison to their peers who did not participate in extra-curricular activities. The same can be said for other areas of work life – our student representatives, volunteers, sport players and officialscan expect to:

Use the skills they have developed through university activities in their job
Use examples of their activities in their applications and interviews
Be off sick less often than their colleagues

The extent of impact observed by graduates in the above areas was found to be greatest when they had a background of sport officiating, sport volunteering and sport management. These graduates also secured their first job after graduated faster than other students. This first job was also paid very slightly higher.

Impact of sport participation

25% of the 2580 Nottingham graduate respondents played sport for the Uni during their undergraduate degree.

These UoN graduates tell us that their involvement in sport has had the following impact:

61% of UoN graduates say it enhanced their ability to clearly write communication for a variety of audiences (in fact, 15% of UoN graduates say that the extent of this impact was very significant)
83% of UoN graduates say it enhanced their ability to be punctual with good time management (in fact, 22% of UoN graduates say that the extent of this impact was very significant)
88% of UoN graduates say it enhanced their ability to be organised, planned and coordinated (in fact, 33% of UoN graduates say that the extent of this impact was very significant)
87% of UoN graduates say it enhanced their ability to solve problems and find solutions (in fact, 21% of UoN graduates say that the extent of this impact was very significant)
79% of UoN graduates say it enhanced their ability to be creative, innovative and reflective (in fact, 18% of UoN graduates say that the extent of this impact was very significant)
96% of UoN graduates say it enhanced their ability to work as part of a team (in fact, 50% of UoN graduates say that the extent of this impact was very significant)
92% of UoN graduates say it enhanced their ability to lead and manage others (in fact, 41% of UoN graduates say that the extent of this impact was very significant)
64% of UoN graduates say it enhanced their understanding of customer handling and service (in fact, 13% of UoN graduates say that the extent of this impact was very significant)
85% of UoN graduates say it makes a positive contribution to the organisation they work for (in fact, 27% of UoN graduates say that the extent of this impact was very significant)

71% of graduates inform us that engagement in University sport had a positive impact on their employability skills and attributes (in fact, 31% of students told us that it strongly impacted positively).

These graduates also believe that they are:

More productive in their job than their colleagues (62% agree)
Off work with sickness less often than others in their workplace (80% agree)
Able to use examples from their extra-curricular university activities in interviews and applications (64% agree)
Able to use the skills they developed through university sport in their job (58% agree)

These graduates, as an average graduated in the year 1992, and earned around £10,000 in their first job, which took 2.7 months after they graduated to achieve.

Impact of not taking part in any extra-curricular activity (including volunteering, societies and sports)

31% of the 2580 Nottingham graduate respondents stated that they did not engage in any University sport, societies or volunteering during their undergraduate degree.

These graduates also believe that they are:

More productive in their job than their colleagues (55% agree) – less than those who take part in sport
Off work with sickness less often than others in their workplace (69% agree) – less than those who take part in sport
Able to use examples from their extra-curricular university activities in interviews and applications (37% agree)
Able to use the skills they developed through university activities in their job (30% agree)

These graduates, as an average graduated in the year 1995, and earned around £10,000 in their first job, which took 2.9 months after they graduated to achieve.

Impact of volunteering, managing and officiating in sports teams

18% of the 2580 Nottingham graduate respondents either volunteered, managed or officiated for sports teams during their undergraduate degree.

These UoN graduates tell us that their involvement in sport has had the following impact:

63% of UoN graduates say it enhanced their ability to clearly write communication for a variety of audiences (in fact, 23% of UoN graduates say that the extent of this impact was very significant)
90% of UoN graduates say it enhanced their ability to be punctual with good time management (in fact, 31% of UoN graduates say that the extent of this impact was very significant)
96% of UoN graduates say it enhanced their ability to be organised, planned and coordinated (in fact, 45% of UoN graduates say that the extent of this impact was very significant)
92% of UoN graduates say it enhanced their ability to solve problems and find solutions (in fact, 34% of UoN graduates say that the extent of this impact was very significant)
90% of UoN graduates say it enhanced their ability to be creative, innovative and reflective (in fact, 23% of UoN graduates say that the extent of this impact was very significant)
97% of UoN graduates say it enhanced their ability to work as part of a team (in fact, 60% of UoN graduates say that the extent of this impact was very significant)
96% of UoN graduates say it enhanced their ability to lead and manage others (in fact, 53% of UoN graduates say that the extent of this impact was very significant)
77% of UoN graduates say it enhanced their understanding of customer handling and service (in fact, 21% of UoN graduates say that the extent of this impact was very significant)
92% of UoN graduates say it makes a positive contribution to the organisation they work for (in fact, 34% of UoN graduates say that the extent of this impact was very significant)

81% of graduates inform us that engagement in University sport had a positive impact on their employability skills and attributes (in fact, 42% of students told us that it strongly impacted positively).

These graduates also believe that they are:

More productive in their job than their colleagues (66% agree)
Off work with sickness less often than others in their workplace (78% agree)
Able to use examples from their extra-curricular university activities in interviews and applications (80% agree)
Able to use the skills they developed through university sport in their job (71% agree)

These graduates, as an average graduated in the year 1997, and earned around £10,600 in their first job, which took 2.4 months after they graduated to achieve.

Impact of volunteering

25% of the 2580 Nottingham graduate respondents stated that they volunteered during their undergraduate degree (the nature of volunteering is not clear).

These UoN graduates tell us that their volunteering had the following impact:

72% of UoN graduates say it enhanced their ability to clearly write communication for a variety of audiences (in fact, 20% of UoN graduates say that the extent of this impact was very significant)
53% of UoN graduates say it enhanced their effectiveness with IT applications
86% of UoN graduates say it enhanced their ability to be punctual with good time management (in fact, 23% of UoN graduates say that the extent of this impact was very significant)
91% of UoN graduates say it enhanced their ability to be organised, planned and coordinated (in fact, 36% of UoN graduates say that the extent of this impact was very significant)
86% of UoN graduates say it enhanced their ability to solve problems and find solutions (in fact, 29% of UoN graduates say that the extent of this impact was very significant)
89% of UoN graduates say it enhanced their ability to be creative, innovative and reflective (in fact, 25% of UoN graduates say that the extent of this impact was very significant)
94% of UoN graduates say it enhanced their ability to work as part of a team (in fact, 44% of UoN graduates say that the extent of this impact was very significant)
89% of UoN graduates say it enhanced their ability to lead and manage others (in fact, 37% of UoN graduates say that the extent of this impact was very significant)
75% of UoN graduates say it enhanced their understanding of customer handling and service (in fact, 20% of UoN graduates say that the extent of this impact was very significant)
89% of UoN graduates say it makes a positive contribution to the organisation they work for (in fact, 29% of UoN graduates say that the extent of this impact was very significant)

53% of graduates inform us that engagement in University sport had a positive impact on their employability skills and attributes (in fact, 20% of students told us that it strongly impacted positively).

These graduates also believe that they are:

More productive in their job than their colleagues (62% agree)
Off work with sickness less often than others in their workplace (72% agree)
Able to use examples from their extra-curricular university activities in interviews and applications (72% agree)
Able to use the skills they developed through university volunteering in their job (58% agree)

These graduates, as an average graduated in the year 2000, and earned around £10,400 in their first job, which took 3 months after they graduated to achieve.

Impact of being a student representative

21% of the 2580 Nottingham graduate respondents stated that they were a student representative during their undergraduate degree (the nature of their representation is not clear).

These UoN graduates tell us that their representation had the following impact:

50% of UoN graduates say it enhanced their numeric skills, and ability to measure, calculate and estimate (in fact, 11% of UoN graduates say that the extent of this impact was very significant)
75% of UoN graduates say it enhanced their ability to clearly write communication for a variety of audiences (in fact, 27% of UoN graduates say that the extent of this impact was very significant)
52% of UoN graduates say it enhanced their effectiveness with IT applications
83% of UoN graduates say it enhanced their ability to be punctual with good time management (in fact, 24% of UoN graduates say that the extent of this impact was very significant)
91% of UoN graduates say it enhanced their ability to be organised, planned and coordinated (in fact, 36% of UoN graduates say that the extent of this impact was very significant)
86% of UoN graduates say it enhanced their ability to solve problems and find solutions (in fact, 29% of UoN graduates say that the extent of this impact was very significant)
86% of UoN graduates say it enhanced their ability to be creative, innovative and reflective (in fact, 25% of UoN graduates say that the extent of this impact was very significant)
93% of UoN graduates say it enhanced their ability to work as part of a team (in fact, 42% of UoN graduates say that the extent of this impact was very significant)
91% of UoN graduates say it enhanced their ability to lead and manage others (in fact, 39% of UoN graduates say that the extent of this impact was very significant)
72% of UoN graduates say it enhanced their understanding of customer handling and service (in fact, 19% of UoN graduates say that the extent of this impact was very significant)
87% of UoN graduates say it makes a positive contribution to the organisation they work for (in fact, 30% of UoN graduates say that the extent of this impact was very significant)

52% of graduates inform us that engagement in University sport had a positive impact on their employability skills and attributes (in fact, 20% of students told us that it strongly impacted positively).

These graduates also believe that they are:

More productive in their job than their colleagues (66% agree)
Off work with sickness less often than others in their workplace (74% agree)
Able to use examples from their extra-curricular university activities in interviews and applications (64% agree)
Able to use the skills they developed through university representation in their job (56% agree)

These graduates, as an average graduated in the year 1995, and earned around £9,900 in their first job, which took 2.6 months after they graduated to achieve.