The grads ditching the UK for a fresh start abroad

Image caption, Charlie West, left, Rachel James and Owein Iveson have all moved overseas

By Elizabeth Anderson

Business reporter

Last year Rachel James quit her corporate job in London, packed a suitcase and booked a one-way ticket to Sydney, without a job lined up or a plan in place.

"I went for a fresh start," says the 26-year-old from Surrey. "To take a risk and try something completely different. With the worst case being there will always be a flight home if all fails."

More than one in 10 UK university students are now planning to move abroad for better opportunities after they have graduated, up from 7.8% two years ago, according to a survey , external of 15,000 final year university students.

Meanwhile, a study by the Institute of Student Employers (ISE) says that competition for graduate jobs in the UK was at a three-decade high.

UK employers now receive 140 applications per graduate vacancy on average, an increase of 14% from 2025, and up…