A survey by the Institute of Engineering and Technology has shown that many British engineering and technology companies are concerned about the lack of practical skills of university graduates.

Analysis of the survey by Tereza Fultarova found the Universities of Bath, Loughborough and Hertfordshire are noted for producing employable graduates. These universities were, however, given a low rank in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings or not ranked at all. Employers did not think very highly of those universities who dominated the upper levels of the rankings such as Oxford, Cambridge, University College London and Imperial College London.

In contrast. these schools did very well in the Formula Student competition, sponsored by the Institute of Mechanical Engineering, where students build racing cars to an internationally competitive standard. In 2019 Oxford Brookes University was second in Class 1 in the UK event and Bath, Loughborough, and Hertfordshire were all in the top 15. Cambridge, University College London, and Imperial College London failed to reach the top forty and Oxford did not take part. First place was taken by the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia.

Team leaders in student projects like these are highly regarded by employers while there is growing scepticism about the practical abilities of graduates of those universities that are do well in national and international rankings.