UK consultancies are hiring fewer Oxbridge and Russell Group uni grads than a decade ago
The UK’s management consultancies are hiring fewer Oxbridge graduates and fewer Russell Group university graduates than they were a decade ago, figures from the Management Consultancies Association (MCA) show.
The proportion of young management consultants from the UK’s top-ranking Russell Group universities has dropped from heights of 73 per cent in 2011, to rates of 36 per cent last year.
At the same time, the proportion of young consultants from Oxford and Cambridge universities has dropped from 13 per cent in 2011 to 4 per cent in 2021.
Established in 1994, the Russell Group came about after leaders from the UK’s biggest research universities met at the Hotel Russell, in Russell Square, with a view to joining forces to lobby for their interests.
However, critics of the self-selected Russell Group say the coalition does not necessarily represent the UK’s best or highest ranking universities.
The drop in the number of Russel Group uni grads working in consulting comes as competition for white collar talent continues.
Wider pools of talent
The shift has also seen a rise in the number of apprentices working in consultancies.
The MCA figures show the number of consulting apprenticeships is set to hit record highs, following a 25 per cent increase in the number of apprentices last year.
The rise in the number of apprentices comes as the UK’s major consulting firms push forwards with large-scale apprenticeship schemes, through which they have, on average, 186 apprentices working for them at any one time.
“The consulting industry is continuing its drive to recruit diverse young talent from across the UK irrespective of whether they have a traditional degree or not,” MCA chief executive Tamzen Isacsson said.