Health offers future opportunities but 30% still jobless four months after graduating
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.
Analysis shows that across many courses and fields of study, students are overwhelmingly enjoying and excelling during their time at university. Across all 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.
But, the news isn’t so rosy once students attempt to enter the workforce. When it comes to life after university, the employment outcomes are not as positive. The Good Universities Guide graduate outcome data shows that across the country, Australian university graduates struggle to secure a job and earn a reasonable salary, with around 30% graduates without full-time employment within four months of graduation.
The Guide 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 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.
“These outcomes correlate with Job Outlook predictions. Australia’s ageing population will increase the need for qualified professionals in health-related fields, offering a pathway for students that will continue to expand and evolve throughout their career journey”, says Lester.