26/08/2026
A re-post, with additions, in the light of the BBC News report (24/08/2026, tagged below) that graduate job opportunities have dropped by almost 50% in a single year.
Whilst we are genuinely sympathetic to the real employment challenges young people face in the UK – “the growing use of AI; the employer national insurance and minimum wage hikes making hiring more expensive, particularly for junior staff”, we have not found that 50% figure to be representative of students graduating from Regents.
Nor are we disputing the Adzuna Job Search statistics suggesting “competition among job seekers across all levels is rising, with an average of 2.14 job seekers per vacancy in July, up from 1.93 a year earlier.”
As a relatively small theological college, we recognise some would unfairly say we are in a niche market as the national training centre for the Elim Pentecostal Churches, and graduating students have access to opportunities within the Elim church movement.
That is not necessarily the case - 83% of our 2025 graduates were offered all sorts of employed roles when they left their studies with us.
A further 9% chose not to take paid work by becoming homemakers, or by taking voluntary roles in their local communities.
There were other qualifying statistics that came to light in former Health Secretary Alan Milburn’s recent report regarding the detrimental effects on young people’s job prospects.
These included “mental health, the Covid long shadow, the loss of the Saturday job”, with other implemented government policies.
Regent’s students come from many of the same social and economic backgrounds Milburn mentioned, which could, but do not, hold them back from achieving remarkable things even in similar personal and financial circumstances.
Many are neurodivergent, and include those that are autistic, or have ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia - these differences instead bring about unique strengths and different perspectives.
We do not train students just to be informed academic theologians but, as Jesus showed us, inspire them “to go”, doctrinally strong and practically able.
Many of them do take up formal church-based ministries after college, but others work in chaplaincy, in the health and caring professions, the police and armed forces, tourism, the social services; some have started their own companies and businesses.
A theology degree at Regents not only develops a deeper understanding of God and scripture, but it covers literature, history, sociology, management, leadership, and practical life skills.
Round this up in a dynamic Pentecostal environment, and you can see why students successfully fulfill the variety of vocations God has opened-up for them.
Link to the BBC News article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crerd8l3pw5o
