Good management and leadership skills are vital for the success of both employers and employees

CMI’s previous 21st Century Leaders Report found that employers want new recruits to be work-ready with professional management skills and behaviours. This report explores the interplay between employers, higher education institutions, students and other learners, and the role of professional bodies in championing learners’ professional development to the highest possible standards. These will also strengthen graduates and prospective students, who need resilience and transferable team and self-management skills to tackle a changing world of work.

In a Graduate Outcomes Survey of students recently graduated from CMI-accredited courses, CMI has found that 87% of survey respondents were economically active six months after graduation. 94% of graduates who were economically active at the time of the survey were employed in a professional role.

The majority of respondents felt that CMI-accredited degrees gave them a competitive edge in the job application process, skills to be productive in their new jobs, and good career prospects.

Steve Heappey, Director of Partnership Engagement, said:

“It is brilliant to see that graduates of CMI-accredited courses are getting the most out of their education. We know that good management and leadership skills are vital for the success of both employers and employees, and CMI is proud to be helping students and graduates advance their careers and feel ready to enter the ever-evolving world of work.”

Analysis of DHLE (Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education) data has already demonstrated that CMI-accredited degrees boost employability by 10% compared to non-accredited degrees. Additionally, the vast majority of graduates agreed that they were gaining valuable management and leadership skills from their CMI-accredited degree.

Corey Kemp, Project Management Officer, Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership, Bournemouth University:

“CMI helped me to think outside of the academic environment, where there is an emphasis on ‘knowing your stuff’. A wealth of management material and CPD resources indicated that you need to have a working skillset to adapt to the working environment. This is the value of being a CMI member: you become a well-rounded professional, not just an academic.”

Danielle Keeling ACMI, Personal Tax Assistant, EY:

“I truly believe that my decision to study a CMI accredited degree was instrumental in helping me to secure my first role… I was looking for a course that would offer me something that would help me stand out to employers – and that is exactly what I found.”

Dr Katerina Sidiropoulou, Course Leader BSc(Hons) Business Management, ARU Cambridge:

“As a Course Leader I want to ensure that all my students will start their professional career on a level playing field. Studying a CMI-accredited recognised business course not only boosts graduates’ confidence by enabling them to aim higher but also embraces their aspirations and encourages them to unfold the potential of their talents and abilities to the fullest in such a competitive job market.”

Methodology: The Graduate Outcomes Survey explored graduate outcomes with recent graduates from CMI-accredited degrees, and was conducted between 5th August and 9th September 2019. CMI members who graduated with a CMI-accredited degree between 2015 and 2019 were contacted: 131 graduates responded.