A recent poll from the body found that 59 per cent of employees who graduated in the last two years are not working in a field related to their professional studies.

Of those, 58 per cent said this was because they were unable to find a suitable job, with 28 per cent believing that their degrees did not equip them with workplace skills.

Tom Richmond, skills adviser at the CIPD, says: ‘Our survey findings suggest the government’s target of 75 per cent of young people achieving a degree or equivalent level qualification is counter-productive and should be urgently reviewed.

‘The government should focus on understanding the needs of learners and employers, as well as providing young people with better information about realistic employment prospects.’

Of the 419 graduates not employed in a field related to their training, 21 per cent say they have decided to choose a new career path.

According to the latest unemployment figures, joblessness among 18 to 24-year-olds fell by 34,000 to 715,000 for the three months to January.

See also: A graduate ‘must have’ – The work experience problem