Understanding where graduates go, and the value they create, is critical to making informed strategic and investment decisions.

University of Leeds is one of the UK’s largest and most prestigious research universities, with a broad portfolio of creative arts and industries programmes. We were commissioned to help them understand their creative graduates’ impact to the local and national economy.

Combining LinkedIn workforce analysis with official ONS employment data, we developed a robust evidence base quantifying graduate impact across both creative and non-creative sectors. The study evidenced the scale of creative graduate contribution to the regional and national economy, highlighting the cross-sector value of creative skills and their role in driving productivity and growth. 

The analysis helped to demonstrate that Leeds is a dynamic place to build a creative career, with a high proportion of University of Leeds creative graduates choosing to stay in the city after graduation and securing creative employment.