GRADUATE SALARY BONAN$A
USQ tops state’s universities for initial wage
DAVE Shinners scored a wellpaying job almost immediately after graduating from the University of Southern Queensland – and he’s not the only one.
USQ’s average graduate salary tops any university in Queensland, according to new research into the sector.
The Graduate Outcomes Survey, completed by Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT), put the university’s median starting salary at $67,700.
Mr Shinners, who completed his education degree in 2015 and now works at Clifford Park Special School, said he was well-prepared for life after university.
TOOWOOMBA university graduates enjoy the highest average starting salaries in the state, according to new research.
A strong demand for courses in engineering, education and health has pushed USQ’s graduate salary to $67,700, the highest in Queensland and third among universities in Australia.
The annual Graduate Outlook Survey, completed by the Australian National University’s Quality Indicators in Learning and Teaching, revealed nearly three quarters (72.8 per cent) of full-time eligible USQ graduates found work within four months of finishing.
More than 85 per cent of all graduates enjoyed the same success.
Vice-Chancellor Geraldine Mackenzie called the results a reward for the university, after spending the past 12 months focusing on graduate employment outcomes.
“This is what we’ve been concentrating on in the past year,” she said.
“We’re making sure students have basic skills like resumes and interviewing and opportunities for placements and traineeships as much as we can.
“There’s a high demand for areas like education, engineering and anything in health.
“There is also extremely high demand for anything with a professional focus, such as law and accounting.
“We have been consistent in (graduate outcomes) for years, and jobs are at the forefront of everything we do.”
Special education teacher Dave Shinners, who completed his USQ degree in 2015 after changing careers, found himself fielding job offers before he had even graduated.
He said the university prepared him well for life after study.
“Certainly I would (recommend it) – I found the program excellent, the staff were approachable. I couldn’t really fault it,” he said.
“Even in the lead-up to graduation, in my final semester, I was getting calls from the department to ask if I could start work from my degree.”