I started a business and escaped the post-uni jobs race
BBCInstead of jostling to find a job in a competitive market, Louis Clougher was inspired to set up his own business after a chance encounter.
"I was in the back lane cleaning my own little hatchback and someone said to us, 'have you got a business card?'"
The 22-year-old from Newcastle, who graduated from Northumbria University last year with a degree in business management, quickly realised there was a demand for a mobile car valet service and now employs two full-time members of staff.
But figures released this week show many other graduates are struggling to find employment after their degrees.
Clougher himself had been nervous about the prospect of finding a job after graduating.
"It was really challenging," he said. "You send your CV into hundreds of places and just hear nothing back. It's really competitive."
Figures compiled by the Department for Education show 61% of graduates leaving universities in north-east England during 2023-24 were employed without further studies, up from 59% a year earlier.
But heading west, almost 72% of University of Cumbria graduates were working without extra study within a year.
Similar disparity, ever changing and for various reasons, can be seen across individual institutions with 49% of Durham university graduates finding work against 60% for Sunderland alumni, again in the 2023-24 cohort.
Florence McMahon, 26, graduated from the University of Sunderland in 2021 with a 2:1 in performing arts but has yet to find a full time job in the creative industry.
"I've done little jobs here and there. I've worked in support roles. I was working for my family's business."
McMahon has set up her own theatre company because, she said: "I'm not getting any acting work so I'll create the acting work for me"
But the income does not cover her bills.
"It's nowhere near enough. It's just me doing all the writing, producing, directing, and not a lot of money comes out of it."
Her current employment comes to an end this month and while she has secured another job which starts in September, it is not in the creative industry.
"I've gone to uni and I've spent all of that money on a qualification. But I've got nowhere to put it."
'Better support'
All the universities in the North East and Cumbria offer careers advice and support for their students, in varying levels.
Teesside University teaches employability skills to all of its students throughout their courses.
Other universities in the region have departments offering advice, including the University of Cumbria, which has a careers and employability service.
Northumbria University runs The Business Clinic which supports students, like Clougher, with their start-ups.
Universities UK chief executive Vivienne Stern said: "Graduate employability is so central to what universities do for the country that we're having a look at what can we do differently, and better."
She said the organisation is working on a list of ideas for universities which will be published in the Autumn.
"I'm anticipating one of those things would be trying to make sure that every graduate has the opportunity to do some kind of work experience or work placement, because that's so powerful."
Stern also said 40% of universities offer lifelong careers support to alumni and she would like all universities to offer this in future.
Clougher said he was well supported by his university when he decided to go into business.
"It's not necessarily a natural progression from university, but a lot of people have good ideas and they've got a good creative mindset."
He said entrepreneurship should be a route that more people should go down, and that universities should offer support.
"At the minute it's a bit of a wildcard that some people take. But I think it really should be a main option."
The government has this week outlined plans to draw up options for legislation to limit the growth of some courses at some providers, where there are consistently poor returns for students.
The Department for Education claimed "drastic action to tackle poor-quality degrees and crackdown on the rapid expansion of franchised, and often poor-quality, provision is also ensuring the system prioritises student outcomes over volume or profits".
