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Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapy is a very vocational degree and on successful completion of the course graduates may apply for registration with the Health Professions Council and practice as an Occupational Therapist in the UK.

As a result the majority of 2010/11 graduates who were working were employed as Occupational Therapists for NHS trusts. Those who were not working as Occupational Therapists were employed in roles such as Rehabilitation Assistant, Physiotherapy, Technical Instructor, Social Care Worker and Learning Support Worker. 

In 2010/11, six months after graduating:

80.3% of graduates with a first degree were in employment

1.5% were combining work and study

The national labour market for Occupational Therapists remains competitive. For some graduates finding a position as an Occupational Therapist can take longer than the six months they are surveyed at.

A growing national trend is for many students to delay their job applications until completing their studies, preferring to focus on achieving the highest grade possible. This can result in some graduates initially continuing with their part-time job while they explore their options after graduating. As a result a small number of Occupational Therapy graduates were working in non-graduate level positions including sales, customer service, administrative and personal service occupations.

It is important to note that the DLHE survey provides a snapshot of a very short amount of time (six months) after graduating and while many have progressed into relevant graduate jobs others are taking time out, travelling, waiting to start a course or continuing with their part-time job while they explore their options after graduating. Many graduates have moved on in their careers since completing the questionnaire.