MARK Cooper, 27, from Edinburgh, has a degree in politics and international relations from Aberdeen University.
He would like a job in public affairs, but has been out of work for four out of the past five years.
As well as a scarcity of jobs, Mark faces additional challenges to finding work because he has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair.
He has had two job offers, but had to turn down a job with ITV in London because he could not find accessible accommodation. The other was for Lehman Brothers but he started the day the bank went bust. He worked for a charity campaigning to improve disabled access to pubs, but the job ended after 12 months due to voluntary sector cutbacks.
"I had this target of being a bit successful and feel that I am being left behind," he said. "Sometimes I wonder why I did a degree in the first place."
Meanwhile, Matt McLister, 24, graduated in history from Glasgow University in July 2009 and then did an MSc. He had a six-month paid placement arranged through the now-defunct Future Jobs Fund and is now on a six-month contract with Citizens Advice Scotland, but continues to apply for jobs.
He says he must have applied for "hundreds", adding: "In 99% of cases, you don't even get a reply."
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