Vast majority of Australian university graduates find full-time work quickly: survey

Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-11 10:39:35|Editor: Chengcheng
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CANBERRA, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Almost three quarters of Australian students find work within four months of leaving university, a government survey has found.

The Graduation Outcomes Survey 2018, which was released on Friday, revealed that 72.9 percent of 120,564 students who graduated from university in 2017 found full-time employment within four months, up from 68.1 percent in 2014.

It found that pharmacy courses had the best graduate outcomes, with 97.2 percent of graduates in full-time work within four months, followed by medicine (94.9 percent), rehabilitation (89.3 percent) and dentistry (86.8 percent).

On the other end of the spectrum, generalist courses such as creative arts and tourism were the worst-performed, with only 52.2 and 59.6 percent of graduates finding full-time work respectively.

Dan Tehan, Australia's minister for Education, released the data to coincide with secondary school students in New South Wales (NSW) and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) receiving first-round university offers on Friday.

"In this country, if you have a go, you get a go, and those Australians making the commitment to improve themselves, and improve their job prospects, through higher education should be congratulated," he said in a statement.

"Our government's economic management has seen a record number of jobs created and this means more opportunities for university graduates to get a job and kickstart their careers.

"Everyone who received a university offer today should see it as an incredible opportunity and a stepping stone to realizing their ambitions."

According to the survey, graduates have taken longer to gain a foothold in the workforce since 2008's global financial crisis (GFC).

Prior to the GFC, 85 percent of students found full-time work within four months of graduating. However, the long-term job prospects of university students are stronger now than ever before.

Anne-Marie Lansdown, acting chief executive of Universities Australia (UA), said figures proved that a university education was a worthwhile investment.

"As tens of thousands of student receive offers this week, they can rest assured that a university education will pay dividends-both professionally and personally," she told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

"This survey shows that universities are preparing students well for the world of work, with a record number of employers satisfied with the quality of university graduates."

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