British graduates taking jobs abroad

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LONDON, Nov. 24 (UPI) -- Nearly 10 percent of graduates from Britain's top schools are taking jobs abroad, which experts say may threaten the country's supply of highly skilled workers.

Almost 5,200 British graduates sought employment in mainland Europe, the Far East and North America in 2011 -- up by 1,000 since the start of the economic crisis in 2008, The Daily Telegraph reported Friday.

Data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency shows about 40 percent of graduates working abroad were based in Europe, 20 percent secured jobs in Asia and 12 percent were in North America.

"It is worrying that the U.K. is increasingly losing top graduate talent to competing countries," Verity O'Keefe, employment adviser for the manufacturers' organization EEF, said. "Having invested in students during their years of study, we need to be doing our utmost to keep hold of them.

"Employers offer lucrative employment deals and pay packages to secure the best talent. If this information is not being channeled to our young people at an early stage, then we need to be looking at more innovative ways of getting this message across," she said. "Four in five manufacturers are currently reporting recruitment problems, if we do not act to prevent these trends, this figure will undoubtedly rise."