TOP OF THE CLASS

Regional unis best for jobs

TOWNSVILLE-BASED James Cook University and Central Queensland University have upstaged their capital city counterparts in landing jobs for graduates.

The 2018 Graduate Outcomes Survey, to be released today, shows the regional universities not only had the highest percentage of students securing full-time work immediately after graduating in Queensland, they were among the highest in the country. Almost 80 per cent of JCU and CQU students secured full-time employment immediately on graduating, the survey shows.

QUEENSLAND’S regional universities are outperforming some of the big names in the state’s capital in landing new graduates jobs and getting better pay, a surprising report reveals.

The 2018 Graduate Outcomes Survey, to be released today, shows Townsville-based James Cook University and Central Queensland University had the highest percentage of graduates securing full-time work immediately after graduating and were among the highest paid.

University of Southern Queensland had the highest graduate salary in the state at $67,700 a year, while JCU and CQU graduates earned about $66,000 in their first year out.

This compared with the national average starting salary of $61,000. QUT, University of Queensland and Griffith University graduates took home an average of $60,000 after completing their studies.

Almost 80 per cent of JCU and CQU students secured full-time employment immediately on graduating, compared to 66.8 per cent and 68 per cent for Griffith and QUT.

JCU vice-chancellor Sandra Harding attributed the regional institutions’ success to offering hands-on- experience and community connections.

“We’re able to engage very closely with employers and professional groups, and there are very real benefits in that for our graduates,” she said.

“Student placements, in which they gain hands-on experience, are an integral part of many degree programs and an essential part of our employment success story.”

The report noted that factors “beyond the quality of teaching, careers advice and the like, such as course offerings, the composition of the student population” could affect employment and salary outcomes.

Education Minister Dan Tehan said the number of students nationally finding full-time work within four months of graduation had increased 5 per cent since 2014 to 72.9 per cent.

The report by Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching was based on 120,564 survey responses from 2017 university graduates.

Universities Australia acting chief executive Anne-marie Lansdown said the results showed higher education was a strong investment.

“As the economy recovers from the global financial crisis, graduate employment rates and their salaries have continued to climb,” she said.