Graduate employment rate plummets
MORE than a third of university graduates say their degree is not important for their job amid continuing concerns among students about the quality of teaching.
A comprehensive survey of more than 120,000 graduates, to be released today, shows 71.8 per cent of undergraduates get full time jobs within four months of leaving university, one of the lowest levels in the last decade.
The worrying findings come after a separate survey of more than 4000 employers found one in five businesses were dissatisfied with the skills of graduates.
The new graduate survey shows almost all pharmacy and medicine undergraduates quickly land jobs but the battle to find work is much harder for those who studied creative arts, humanities, social sciences, communications and science and mathematics.
The total satisfaction of undergraduates with their courses dipped below 80 per cent, with only 63 per cent happy with the standard of teaching.
Federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham said the data was a reminder for teenagers to choose their wisely.
He said the government wanted to help students make the “right choice”, putting in place new university transparency measures as well as linking future tertiary funding increases to strict performance criteria.
“Accepting an offer can be a life changing decision and it’s vital students have the tools they need to make the best possible choice,” Senator Birmingham said.