GRADUATE DESTINATIONS A report on the work and study outcomes of recent higher education graduates

Transcription

1 GRADUATE DESTINATIONS 2011 A report on the work and study outcomes of recent higher education graduates

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3 Graduate Destinations 2011 A REPORT ON THE WORK AND STUDY OUTCOMES OF RECENT HIGHER EDUCATION GRADUATES

4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Bruce Guthrie was the principal author of this report. Dr Noel Edge (Executive Director, Graduate Careers Australia) is the project director of the Australian Graduate Survey. The author and project director wish to sincerely thank the graduates who took part in the research and to acknowledge the role of the participating higher education institutions and, in particular, the institutional Survey Managers who provided valuable support to the project. This project has been supported by the Australian Government Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education. The views expressed in this report do not necessarily reflect the views of that Department. Graduate Careers Australia cannot accept responsibility for any inferences or conclusions derived from the data by third parties Graduate Careers Australia Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied or reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publishers. Published by: Graduate Careers Australia Ltd. (trading as Graduate Careers Australia) PO Box 12103, A Beckett St, VIC 8006 Level 10, 313 La Trobe St, Melbourne, VIC 3000 t: f: e: research@graduatecareers.edu.au ISSN ii GRADUATE DESTINATIONS 2011

5 CONTENTS Introduction 1.0 All Graduates Bachelor Degree Graduates Field of Education 10 Further study 10 Full-time labour force Full-time Employment 14 Additional Tables and Figures 19 References 20 iv TABLES & FIGURES Table 1 Main activity of all survey respondents by level of award completed, 2011 (%) 1 Table 1a Graduates available for, by level of qualification and status, 2011 (%) 2 Table 2 Main activity of bachelor degree graduates, by sex, (%) 5 Table 2a Bachelor degree graduates available for, by sex and status, (%) 6 Table 4 Activity of bachelor degree graduates, by aggregated field of education, 2011 (%) 11 Table 4a Bachelor degree graduates available for, by aggregated field of education and status, 2011 (%) 12 Table 4b Bachelor degree graduates available for by work status in their final year of study, 2011 (%) 15 Table 4c Breakdown of bachelor degree graduates available for, by various cohorts, 2011 (%) 15 Table 5 Bachelor degree graduates working as a proportion of those available for, by aggregated field of education, (%) Figure 2 New graduates available for, broken down into those in, those seeking while not working, and those seeking while working on a part-time or casual basis, , Australian citizens and permanent residents, all levels of award (%). 3 Figure 3 New bachelor degree graduates available for, broken down into those in, those seeking while not working, and those seeking while working on a part-time or casual basis, , Australian citizens and permanent residents (%) 7 Figure 6 Employing sectors, bachelor degree graduates in, 2011 (%) 8 Figure 7 Size of employer, bachelor degree graduates in, by sex, 2011 (%) 9 GRADUATE DESTINATIONS 2011 iii

6 INTRODUCTION... new graduates... were surveyed... regarding their major activities, including participation in further study, full- or part-time, whether they were seeking, or were unavailable for work or study. The Graduate Destination Survey (GDS), conducted annually by Graduate Careers Australia (GCA) as a part of the Australian Graduate Survey (AGS), is a study of the activities of new higher education graduates. In the 2011 GDS, new graduates who completed the requirements for their qualifications in the calendar year 2010 were surveyed (about four months after course completion) regarding their major activities, including participation in further study, full- or part-time, whether they were seeking, or were unavailable for work or study. Separate reports that address graduate earnings and postgraduate destinations, Graduate Salaries 2011 (GCA 2012a) and Postgraduate Destination 2011 (GCA 2012b), are also available. The AGS also seeks information from graduates about their experience of higher education. Key findings from these data are presented in the reports Graduate Course Experience 2010 (GCA 2012c) and Postgraduate Research Experience 2010 (GCA 2012d). In 2011 we introduced a new condensed format for our range of reports, featuring less detailed discussion and concentrating on tabular and graphical representations of the data. The full set of tables and figures featured in previous editions of all our reports have still been produced for the 2011 data and are available for download in Excel format from the Graduate Careers Australia website at com.au/research/researchreports/ GraduateDestinations. A number of these tables and figures are discussed but not presented in our reports, and some are not the subject of discussion but all are still available. For continuity, this report maintains the Table and Figure numbering from previous reports, and this means that while numbering is not always consecutive within the current report, it matches that from previous years to aid comparisons. A supplementary report, Australian Graduate Survey 2011 (GCA 2012e) is also available from com.au/research/researchreports/ GraduateDestinations and this includes methodological information and a description of the AGS survey population, response rates and data. Most results discussed in a comparative manner in this report are statistically significant and footnoted as such. Statistically significant results are those unlikely to have occurred by chance. As such, a statistically significant difference observed in the AGS sample can be reliably inferred to exist in the overall graduate population. iv GRADUATE DESTINATIONS 2011

7 1.0 ALL GRADUATES This section of the Graduate Destinations report examines the progress of new higher education graduates four months after course completion from all levels of study, comparing and further study outcomes. Examining outcomes for all graduates for 2011, we find that there has been no change in figures compared with those for 2010, which followed a downward shift relative to the comparable figures seen in the 2008 and 2009 GDS. Table 1 examines the broad outcomes of 2011 graduates by level of award. Outcomes include graduates available for (those in as well as those seeking ), those in study, those graduates interested only in part-time or casual (whether in it, or looking for it), and those who are unavailable for study or. We see that over two-thirds of higher education graduates (68.7 per cent 1 ) were available for at the time of the survey, a figure that has remained largely unchanged in recent years (fluctuating only between 68.4 and 71.0 per cent since 2003 GCCA ; GCA ). The composition of this group of graduates is described in more detail in Table 1a and Figure 2. Almost 15 in 100 (14.5 per cent 1 ) respondents went on to further study (see Table 1 and Figure 1). Those with a three year undergraduate diploma Table 1: Main activity of all survey respondents by level of award completed, 2011 (%) * Higher Degrees Available for fulltime (see Table 1a) In study In part-time or casual, not seeking Not working, seeking parttime or casual only Unavailable for study or TOTAL % TOTAL number Doctorate ,871 Masters Research Masters Coursework ,711 Other Degree G/PG Diploma ,619 Graduate Certificate ,828 Masters Qualifying ~ Bachelor Degree Graduate Entry ,524 Honours ,942 Pass ,112 3yr UG Diploma Other Level Assoc Deg/Dip Other Award Total % Total Number 72,320 15,279 11, , ,337 Figures might not add exactly to per cent due to rounding. * Table based on Australian citizens and permanent residents only, all levels of award. ~ Masters qualifying graduates have undertaken a degree to qualify the graduate to enter masters degree level study and not as an entry point to the labour market. Their small number and the nature of the qualification indicates the need to treat this figure with caution 1 No significant difference from the 2010 figure. GRADUATE DESTINATIONS

8 (30.0 per cent) or an honours bachelor degree (26.5 per cent) were the group most likely to continue their education. Table 1a examines the group of graduates available for (that is, in, or wanting to be in) in more detail. It shows that, of those available for, 79.7 per cent had found it by the time of the 2011 GDS. This figure was down from 80.1 per cent in and 82.4 per cent 2 in 2009 and represents a decline in outcomes for new graduates compared with recent years (see Figure 2). Of the remaining graduates who were available for, a further 12.4 per cent were working on a part-time or casual basis while seeking fulltime 1 and 7.9 per cent were not working while seeking a position 1 (see Table 1a). Both figures are essentially unchanged from 2010 but are up notably over (see Figure 2). Overall, these figures suggest that the global financial crisis, felt in Australia in late 2008 and throughout 2009, and the related economic and labour market uncertainties that spread into 2010, remained into 2011 and may have impacted on graduate rates in the last two iterations of the GDS, bringing to a halt the slow upward trend seen in the years following Table 1a: Graduates available for, by level of qualification and status, 2011 (%) * In Seeking - not working Seeking - working parttime or casual Total seeking TOTAL TOTAL % number Higher Degrees Doctorate ,231 Masters Research Masters Coursework ,308 Other Degree G/PG Diploma ,932 Graduate Certificate ,015 Masters Qualifying ~ Bachelor Degree Graduate Entry ,208 Honours ,396 Pass ,247 3yr UG Diploma Other Level Assoc Deg/Dip Other Award Total % Total Number 57,619 5,707 8,994 14,701 72,320 Figures might not add exactly to due to rounding. * Table based on Australian citizens and permanent residents only, all levels of award. ~ Masters qualifying graduates have undertaken a degree to qualify the graduate to enter masters degree level study and not as an entry point to the labour market. Their small number and the nature of the qualification indicates the need to treat this figure with caution. 1 No significant difference from the 2010 figure. 2 The 2011 figure was significantly different from the comparable figure in the 2009 AGS, p.< Both 2011 figures were significantly different from the comparable figures in the 2009 AGS, p.< GRADUATE DESTINATIONS 2011

9 Not working, seeking Working part-time, seeking In Figure 2: New graduates available for, broken down into those in, those seeking while not working, and those seeking while working on a part-time or casual basis, , Australian citizens and permanent residents, all levels of award (%). GRADUATE DESTINATIONS

10 2.0 BACHELOR DEGREE GRADUATES Of those available for fulltime, 76.3 per cent were in within four months of completing requirements for their qualifications... The remainder of this report focuses on the destinations of pass and honours bachelor degree graduates, graduate entry bachelors and three-year diplomates (hereafter referred to collectively as bachelor degree graduates or simply graduates ) who are Australian citizens or permanent residents. Except where noted, all figures discussed in this report concern these graduates, which is by far the largest group of respondents (representing around 70.5 per cent of the 2011 AGS population 1 ). This focus on domestic respondents in reporting allows basic analyses to consider a set of responses from a group of graduates that is more cohesive through having similar levels of award and a higher response rate than for all graduates. In the 2011 GDS, 64.8 per cent of bachelor degree graduates were available for (that is, in, or wanting to find), compared to 64.7 per cent in and 66.0 per cent in (see Table 2). Of those available for, 76.3 per cent were in within four months of completing requirements for their qualifications, 0.1 of a percentage point up compared with the same group for , but 8.9 percentage points down from 85.2 per cent in (see Table 2a). Figure 3 expands on this time series to include all years from 1990 allowing the results from 2011 to be compared over a longer period. This extended time series allows us to see that while the figures for the last few years in isolation (as shown in Table 2a) illustrate a low point in figures in 2010 and 2011, the global financial crisis in did not have the immediate impact on graduate rates of the recession of the early 1990s. And while the figure for 2011 was only a little more than six percentage points above the figure of 70.3 per cent in 1992, it might flag a levelling out of the fall seen in recent years. Of those bachelor degree graduates available for in 2011, 8.7 per cent 1 were not working and still looking for at the time of the survey. While this 2011 figure is 1.7 percentage points higher than the average of 7.0 per cent for the past 10 years (see Table 2a), it remains considerably lower than the high point of 14.1 per cent recorded in 1992 (see Figure 3). For bachelor degree graduates, part-time or casual work can be both an important and a necessary interim destination while they seek. In 2011, 14.9 per cent were working on a part-time or casual basis while continuing to seek (down from 15.1 per cent in see Table 2a), and one of the highest points this figure has reached since 1992 (see Figure 3). Figure 3 also shows that the size of this group has been consistently greater than the group that was not working and seeking in all but one year (1991) since Of note in the current economic climate, Figure 3 shows figures since 1990 and demonstrates the effects of the recession of the early 1990s. Employment 1 Figure based on Tables 1 and 2 in The Australian Graduate Survey 2010 methodology report available for download from ResearchReports/agsm 2 No significant difference from the 2010 figure. 3 The 2011 figure was significantly different from the comparable figure in the 2010 AGS, p.< The 2011 figure was significantly different from the comparable figure in the 2008 AGS, p.< GRADUATE DESTINATIONS 2011

11 Table 2: Main activity of bachelor degree graduates, by sex, (%) * Males Available for (see Table 2a) In study In part-time or casual, not seeking fulltime Not working, seeking parttime or casual only Unavailable for study or TOTAL % TOTAL number , , , , , , , , , , year average ,431 Females , , , , , , , , , , year average ,323 Persons ~ , , , , , , , , , , year average ,869 Total Number (2011) 44,176 13,202 6, ,556 68,205 Figures might not add exactly to due to rounding. * Table based on Australian citizens and permanent residents only. ~ Figures for males and females might not add exactly to persons total due to missing data. GRADUATE DESTINATIONS

12 Table 2a: Bachelor degree graduates available for, by sex and status, (%) * Males In Seeking - not working Seeking - working parttime or casual Total seeking TOTAL TOTAL % number , , , , , , , , , , year average ,740 Females , , , , , , , , , , year average ,084 Persons~ , , , , , , , , , , year average ,894 Total Number (2011) 33,725 3,815 6,515 10,330 44,055 Figures might not add exactly to due to rounding. * Table based on Australian citizens and permanent residents only. ~ Figures for males and females might not add exactly to persons total due to missing data. 6 GRADUATE DESTINATIONS 2011

13 Not working, seeking Working part-time, seeking In Figure 3: New bachelor degree graduates available for, broken down into those in, those seeking while not working, and those seeking while working on a part-time or casual basis, , Australian citizens and permanent residents (%) GRADUATE DESTINATIONS

14 fell sharply between 1990 and 1992 and took until 1995 to grow back towards the 80 per cent mark. In these years, the importance of part-time or casual work as a buffer against un is notable. The current economic downturn has again shown the same broad profile. If positions are hard to find, graduates tend to accept part-time work while continuing to seek. Previous Graduate Destinations reports show that high proportions of respondents in parttime or casual positions either were working professionally, or were in highly skilled work (see GCA 2010 and GCA 2009, for example). Male bachelor degree graduates (67.7 per cent) were more likely to be available for than their female counterparts (63.0 per cent see Table 2) at the time of the 2011 GDS 5, and they were also more likely to undertake further study (19.8 per cent compared with 19.1 per cent) 5. Males (75.8 per cent) were marginally less likely than females (76.7 per cent) to be in (see Table 2a 5 ). Males were more likely to be without work while seeking (10.4 per cent) than females (7.6 per cent) 5. Females were more likely than males to be in part-time or casual work while seeking (15.7 per cent compared with 13.8 per cent) 5. As found in previous years, the majority of males in at the time of the 2011 GDS were employed in the private sector (66.6 per cent see Figure 6), followed by health, government, and education (10.5 per cent, 9.0 per cent and 8.1 per cent respectively). Females showed a slightly different profile. While they were also most likely to be employed in the private sector (44.0 per cent), they were found in in health (24.0 per cent) and education (16.8 per cent) notably more often than males. Table 3 shows these figures for the years , illustrating a number of changes in terms of graduate. Most notable is the fall off in non-health government for new graduates, Males Females All Private Small Employer (2-19) Government Medium Employer (20-99) Health Large Employer (100 + ) Education Other Don t know Figure 6: Employing sectors, bachelor degree graduates in, 2011 (%) The figure for males was significantly different to that for females, p.< GRADUATE DESTINATIONS 2011

15 with males dropping from 22.0 per cent to 9.0 per cent between 2003 and 2011 and females dropping from 15.0 per cent to 7.1 per cent in the same period. Over the same period, the percentage of females employed in the non-health private sector rose from 36.9 to 44.0, with the figure for with males increasing from 53.5 to On the other hand, figures for health have remained relatively stable. In terms of the size of the employer, males and females had very similar destinations on a national basis (see Figure 7). Around 15 per cent of bachelor degree graduates in were working for a small organisation (defined as employing between 2 and 19 people), with a similar percentage working for medium sized organisations (employing between 20 and 99 people). Nearly two-thirds of employed graduates were working for large organisations (100 employees and more) Males Females All Small Employer (2-19) Medium Employer (20-99) Large Employer (100 + ) Don t know Figure 7: Size of employer, bachelor degree graduates in, by sex, 2011 (%) GRADUATE DESTINATIONS

16 3.0 FIELD OF EDUCATION... there can be marked differences in postgraduation activities between graduates from different fields of education. Tables 4 and 4a look in greater detail at the key graduate destinations (further fulltime study and work force participation) for bachelor degree graduates, examining them by aggregated field of education and allowing for an investigation into differences that may be related to course choices. The numbers in Table 4 illustrate that there can be marked differences in postgraduation activities between graduates from different fields of education. As shown, the percentage of graduates from each field who are available for, or in further study, can differ greatly. As the figures presented are percentages of the whole respective field of education, the differing propensity of graduates of some fields to continue in further study will impact on the percentages available for, and vice versa. This means that the greater the percentage of graduates going on to further study in a field of education, the smaller the percentage that can be available for (and other destinations) for that field. Thus, the direct comparison of outcomes, in particular the proportions who are available for between fields of education in Table 4 can potentially lead to misinterpretation of the survey results. FURTHER FULL-TIME STUDY Nationally, 19.4 per cent of bachelor degree graduates went on to further study in Reviewed by field of education, large differences were evident in terms of the percentages of new graduates electing to undertake further study. For some fields, an honours year, graduate diploma or higher degree are prerequisites for a professional career. In areas such as the sciences, humanities and related areas, and psychology, many students proceed directly to further study, including to an honours year or to the second half of a combined degree program. For other fields, proportions going immediately on to further study are low and it is likely that for the graduates in many of these fields, initial pre-requisites are met by the training they receive in their first qualification. Figure 4, shows the status of bachelor degree graduates who were in fulltime study at the time of the 2011 GDS and Figure 5 shows the status of bachelor degree graduates who were in parttime study. 10 GRADUATE DESTINATIONS 2011

17 Table 4: Activity of bachelor degree graduates, by aggregated field of education, 2011 (%) * Available for (see Table 4a) In study In part-time or casual, not seeking Not working, seeking parttime or casual only Unavailable for study or TOTAL % TOTAL number Agriculture Architecture Building Urban & Regional Planning Humanities ,028 Languages ,270 Visual/Performing Arts ,231 Social Sciences Psychology ,223 Social Work ,236 Business Studies ,377 Accounting ,128 Economics Education - Initial ,389 Education - Post/Other Aeronautical Engineering Chemical Engineering Civil Engineering Electrical Engineering Electronic/Computer Engineering Mechanical Engineering Mining Engineering Other Engineering Surveying Dentistry Health, Other ,273 Nursing, Initial ,170 Nursing, Post-initial Pharmacy Medicine ,523 Rehabilitation ,603 Law ,839 Law, Other Computer Science ,792 Life Sciences ,992 Mathematics Chemistry Physical Sciences Geology Veterinary Science Total Total Number 44,176 13,202 6, ,556 68,205 Figures might not add exactly to due to rounding. * Table based on Australian citizens and permanent residents only. GRADUATE DESTINATIONS

18 Table 4a: Bachelor degree graduates available for, by aggregated field of education and status, 2011 (%) * In Seeking, not working Seeking, working parttime or casual Total seeking TOTAL TOTAL % number Had before May in final year of study and still with that employer at time of GDS ~ Agriculture Architecture Building Urban & Regional Planning Humanities , Languages Visual/Performing Arts , Social Sciences Psychology , Social Work Business Studies , Accounting , Economics Education - Initial , Education - Post\Other Aeronautical Engineering Chemical Engineering Civil Engineering Electrical Engineering Electronic/Computer Engineering Mechanical Engineering Mining Engineering Other Engineering Surveying Dentistry Health, Other , Nursing, Initial , Nursing, Post-initial Pharmacy Medicine , Rehabilitation , Law , Law Other Computer Science , Life Sciences , Mathematics Chemistry Physical Sciences Geology Veterinary Science Total Total Number 33,725 3,862 6,589 10,451 44,176 4,757 Figures might not add to due to rounding. * Table based on Australian citizens and permanent residents only. ~ Base figure is group in. 12 GRADUATE DESTINATIONS 2011

19 FULL-TIME LABOUR FORCE If we restrict our analysis to only those bachelor degree graduates who were available for (either working or seeking work, including those who were working on a part-time or casual basis while seeking fulltime ) it is possible to assess how readily graduates gained work in It is worth noting at this point that there are some differences between these figures and those produced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) which limit comparisons because: the AGS figures separate individuals who were working part-time and seeking work the ABS figures would count both groups together as employed. many of the individuals covered in the GDS are entering the labour market for the first time, whereas ABS statistics relate to all persons. An overall assessment of graduate outcomes (including both new and existing graduates) can be gained from the ABS Education and Work (ABS 2011) survey. Their figures show that the graduate un rate is well below the un rate for non-graduates. So, looking at the wider population, ABS figures for May 2011 show that, in the general labour force (aged 15 64), 3.0 per cent of bachelor degree graduates were unemployed (up from 2.7 per cent in 2010). The comparative figure for those with a postgraduate degree was 2.6 per cent, and for those with a graduate or postgraduate diploma it was 2.7 per cent. For the total population (with or without non-school qualifications), the un rate was 5.1 per cent and 7.1 per cent for persons with no post-secondary qualifications. Notwithstanding short-term delays in finding as new graduates transition to the work force, these figures indicate that the longer-term prospects for those with higher education qualifications are very positive. Table 4a gives a breakdown of the graduates described as being available for in Table 4 (this definition can more loosely be described as those wanting to be in, including those in, or looking for, ). It should be noted that factors specific to some fields (and their related labour markets) can affect the proportions in. For example, medical graduates always have high proportions in due to the requirement that they serve an internship in a public hospital for a period after graduation. Table 4a also demonstrates that graduates in some fields were more likely than those of other fields to have had their postgraduation in their final year of study (that is, to have been already working with their current employer while in their final year of study). Most commonly, it s students studying on a part-time basis who are also in concurrent. Some students might be studying in order to improve their position with a current employer or simply working to support their study. Alternatively, when graduates of a particular field are in strong demand, it might be possible for students to find degree-related work during their later study years. In 2011, 14.1 per cent of graduates in fulltime already had that same job before May 1 in their final year of study 2. Differences in these figures across fields of education may relate to recruitment practices and job search behaviour specific industries or occupations, or to study attendance patterns and options ( or part-time, internal or external, for example) relating to the institution type, which can affect the way in which is found. So examining these differences can help to contextualise the percentages of graduates in, but not always in ways that might be expected, as they can be influenced by other external factors. 1 We use the May cut-off to differentiate between graduates who were working during their study years, and cases where graduates who made have been made offers in their final year of study for roles beginning post-graduation. This analysis filters out respondents who were hired after May in their final year of study. 2. The 2011 figure was significantly different from the comparable figure in the 2010 AGS, p.<.05. GRADUATE DESTINATIONS

20 4.0 FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander graduates had notably strong prospects (86.8 per cent in compared with 76.3 per cent of all graduates)... Table 4b shows these figures from a different perspective, highlighting the advantage (in terms of the post-graduation job search) of having during the study years. Of the graduates who had in their final year of study, 95.6 per cent were in at the time of the GDS, leaving only 4.3 per cent seeking. Of those who had part-time work at any time in their final year of study, 74.7 per cent had found a fulltime position at the time of the GDS. While this was a few percentage points lower than the figure for all graduates (76.3 per cent), this group was the most likely to have had a parttime job while seeking a position (20.4 per cent, well above the national total of 14.9 per cent) with 5.2 per cent not working and seeking (compared with 8.7 per cent nationally). Of those who did not work in their final year of study, only 62.0 per cent had found at the time of the GDS with 37.9 per cent seeking. This group was also by far the most likely to have been seeking work and not working (27.7 per cent). Table 4b demonstrates the obvious: those who had before they completed their degrees are more likely to have had at the time of the GDS (95.6 per cent) compared to those who had no work (62.0 per cent). Graduates who had part-time work in their final year of study were also advantaged in their job search compared with those who had no work in their final year. However, as noted previously, these figures are based on a national average and can be influenced by other external factors, not least of which is the field of education studied itself. Additionally, there are a number of fields of education that had relatively few graduates in in their final year of study but strong figures at the time of the GDS (see Table 4a). Table 4c examines these figures in greater detail for various bachelor degree sub-groups. Of note: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander graduates had notably strong prospects (86.8 per cent in compared with 76.3 per cent of all graduates) graduates from a non-english speaking background had lower figures four months after graduation, compared with the total group of graduates (67.0 per cent in ) graduates who reported having a disability also had low figures (66.2 per cent). These latter two groups were the most likely, of those in Table 4c, to be still seeking at the time of the GDS. Graduates who had studied on a mainly part-time basis were more likely to have been in at the time of the survey (83.7 per cent) than those who had studied mainly (75.2 per cent). However, part-time students often already have which continues 14 GRADUATE DESTINATIONS 2011

21 Table 4b: Bachelor degree graduates available for by work status in their final year of study, 2011 (%) * Work status in final year of study (at any time) In Seeking, not working Seeking, working parttime or casual Total seeking TOTAL TOTAL % number Had work in final year of study ,454 Had part-time work in final year of study ,181 Had any work in final year of study ~ ,835 No work in final year of study ,085 All graduates ,176 Figures might not add to due to rounding. * Table based on Australian citizens and permanent residents only. ~ Includes cases where respondent did not nominate the full- or part-time nature of the work. Table 4c: Breakdown of bachelor degree graduates available for, by various cohorts, 2011 (%) * In Seeking, not working Seeking, working parttime or casual Total seeking TOTAL % TOTAL number Total ,176 Aged less than ,904 Graduates with a disability ,127 Graduates with an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander background Graduates from a non-english speaking background ,275 Studied mainly ,104 Studied mainly part-time ,998 Studied mainly internally (on-campus) ,944 Studied mainly externally (distance) ,255 Mixed mode (internal and distance) ,929 October round ,977 April round ,914 Double/combined degree ,861 Single degree ,835 Regional resident ,610 Capital city resident ,143 Figures might not add to due to rounding. * Table based on Australian citizens and permanent residents only. Cases with missing data excluded. GRADUATE DESTINATIONS

22 Table 5: Bachelor degree graduates working as a proportion of those available for, by aggregated field of education, (%) # Agriculture Architecture Building Urban & Regional Planning Humanities Languages ~ Visual/Performing Arts Social Sciences Psychology Social Work Business Studies Accounting Economics Education - Initial ~ 74.9 ~ 78.5 ~ 80.2 ~ 83.9 ~ 89.7 ~ Education - Post/Other ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Aeronautical Engineering Chemical Engineering Civil Engineering Electrical Engineering Electronic/Computer Engineering Mechanical Engineering Mining Engineering Other Engineering Surveying ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Dentistry Health, Other Nursing, Initial Nursing, Post-initial ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pharmacy Medicine Rehabilitation Law Law, Other ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Computer Science Life Sciences Mathematics Chemistry Physical Sciences Geology Veterinary Science All Graduates % All Graduates n 23,488 24,207 23,407 23,112 22,220 23,886 24,988 26,315 28,580 32,079 33,788 33,155 35,397 Graduates seeking ~ A different coding scheme for fields of education used until 1987 means that some fields are impossible to disaggregate from others. Initial and post-initial education figures are combined for the years 1982 to GRADUATE DESTINATIONS 2011

23 Avg ,504 44,286 39,759 41,093 39,433 37,138 38,794 39,018 34,999 34,360 35,858 36,470 36,805 36,481 33,164 32,084 33,725 32, # Figures for years before 1990 are based on all graduates, and not just Australian citizens and permanent residents. Figures from 1990 on are based on Australian citizens and permanent residents only. Figures prior to 1995 might not match those from previous reports due to being recalculated on Australian citizens and permanent resident responses only. GRADUATE DESTINATIONS

24 after graduation and this gives them an artificial advantage in terms of such unadjusted figures. Graduates who studied mainly externally (or by distance often part-time students) have seemingly better figures than those who studied mainly internally (86.6 per cent cf per cent). But again, many of these graduates may have had while they studied. Also of note in Table 4c: graduates with a combined or double degree have better figures (81.4 per cent) than those with a single degree (75.7 per cent) graduates who resided in regional areas at the time of the GDS were more likely to be in (78.8 per cent) than those who lived in a capital city (75.4 per cent). Table 5 shows the percentage of graduates in each field of education in at the time of the GDS (approximately four months after course completion) as a proportion of those available for for the years 1982 to Those available for include respondents working on a basis, those working on a part-time or casual basis while seeking, and those not working and seeking. Differences in GDS figures (in Table 5) for the various fields of education might be seen as variations in the take-up rate for those graduates. So, for instance, the take-up rate of humanities graduates (with a lower percentage in at the time of the GDS) is slower than that for medical graduates (with a higher percentage in at the time of the GDS). From 1990, Table 5 shows figures for Australian citizens and permanent residents only. Prior to that, it shows figures for all bachelor degree graduates (including overseas graduates). A previous GDS report (GCCA 1997) showed that, in the great majority of fields of education, there is less than half a percentage point difference between these two groups. The final column of Table 5 shows an average of the figures for each field of education for the period that data was available (this is either , or for some fields ). Of the 40 fields of education, only 13 had their figures for 2011 close to (within 2.0 percentage points), or above, the long-term average for that field of education. For the remaining 28 fields of education, their 2011 figures were lower than their average for the period of time for which we have data. These discrepancies are not necessarily a reflection of the recent global financial crisis, but might be part of longer-term labour market changes seen over the years covered in Table GRADUATE DESTINATIONS 2011