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New survey underscores importance of degrees
28 February 2009
As a record number of students commenced Semester 1 studies this week at USC, a recent set of survey results by the Graduate Careers Australia (GCA) were also released. Their findings strongly support the decision of students to undertake degree studies at a time when everyone is worried about the global financial crisis, and what impact it will have on jobs.
The GCA wanted to know the attitudes of employers about graduate recruitment, and fast-tracked the release of the survey results so that students could make informed choices in an increasingly problematic labour market.
Three in five graduate employers felt that the current world-wide instability would have an impact on recruitment in 2009, but three-quarters of that group said that they would definitely not cancel their graduate recruitment programs.
The GCA stressed that the continuing employment of graduates would be important in ensuring that those employers were well placed to maximise opportunities as the world emerges from this current economic crisis.
GCA also surveyed students about students’ career expectations and whether they were in line with employers of graduates.
Employers want three pre-eminently important criteria satisfied by graduates - interpersonal and communication skills; passion, a knowledge of the industry, drive and commitment, and critical reasoning and analytical skills.
Employers choose graduates on the basis of academic results, communication skills and level of extra-curricular activities.
The GCA say that employers are seeking ‘well-rounded’ applicants who have a range of core ‘job-ready’ employability skills.
GCA also point out that the current economic downturn is not the first that graduates have faced, and they have, over the years, recorded graduates responses.
Many continue full-time study to enhance qualifications and get an edge, over and above a bachelor qualification. Others take stop-gap jobs until the labour market improves, and in the interim pick up a new set of workplace skills.
GCA finalise their summary by pointing out that graduates may take longer than in previous years to find the job they really want, but as the Australian Bureau of Statistics data show, graduates aged 15-64 have an unemployment rate half that of non-graduates.
There has probably never been a better time to contemplate studying and graduating from a degree program.
Professor Paul Thomas AM is Vice-Chancellor and President at the University of the Sunshine Coast.