Tertiary degrees not translating to work

The 2018 edition of The Good Universities Guide reveals that while universities around the country are providing a high-quality experience for students, it’s not translating to graduate jobs... when it comes to life after university, the employment outcomes are not as positive; the news isn’t so rosy once students attempt to enter the workforce.

Analysis from the Guide shows that across many courses and fields of study, Australian university students are overwhelmingly enjoying and excelling during their time at university. Across all Australian universities the results for the six key measures of Student Experience – Learning Resources, Learner Engagement, Student Support, Skills Development, Teaching Quality and Overall Experience – are all strong.

The Guide's graduate outcome data shows that across the country, Australian university graduates struggle to secure a job and earn a reasonable salary, with around 30% of graduates without full-time employment within four months of graduation.

The Guide also reveals that the average salary for graduates employed full-time is $56,000 – the same post-graduation income vocational graduates achieve, according to figures published by the National Centre for Vocational Education and Research.

Chris Lester, CEO of Good Education Group which publishes The Good Universities Guide, said the results are a wakeup call but some workforce sectors had better graduate work placements than others.

“There were exceptions at a field of study level, with a general trend of healthcare sectors performing well”, he said.

Students from rehabilitation, medicine, dentistry and pharmacy reported strong outcomes in the measure of full-time employment, while dentistry, medicine and rehabilitation also surpassed the national average for starting salary.

The Good Universities Guide ratings are based on the results of the annual Student Experience Survey and the Graduate Destination Survey.