New graduate figures show 'worrying' trend

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has raised concerns over the number of new veterinary graduates being given temporary contracts of employment.

Current figures have shown that more than 40 per cent of 2012 graduates left their first job within the first three months, according to results from a recent Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) survey.

This figure compares to 7.7 per cent of 2010's graduate vets and 15.9 per cent of 2011's graduate vets who left their job within the first three months.

However, the BVA has stated that the 2012 figure is likely to decrease as the year goes on, as graduates leave outside of the three month bracket.

The survey, meanwhile, found little change elsewhere for new graduates, besides a slight increase in the amount of time it takes to find first jobs.

"Perhaps most worrying is the statistic that the percentage of graduates leaving their first job within the first three months has significantly increased," said BVA President Peter Jones.

"The main reasons cited are poor management and temporary contracts – the trend towards temporary contracts is very worrying in terms of job security for those just starting out in our profession."

Mr Jones added that poor management has long concerned the BVA, and is what initially led it to establish initiatives such as the Young Vet Network and the Contracts of Employment campaign.

"We are currently working on building that support and we are in the process of widening the network of graduate support meetings to help with moral support and networking opportunities.

"We are also supporting the RCVS's Professional Development Phase to support new graduates in their first few years of practice and have produced a number of resources to assist with this process," he said.