The latest Australian Graduate Survey has revealed 77 per cent of Bachelor graduates find employment within four months of completing their degree, with a further 15 per cent of graduates finding part-time or casual employment.

 

“This great result confirms that job prospects for university graduates in Australia remain very strong,” Federal Minister for Tertiary Education Senator Chris Evans said.

“Employers want graduates with good communication, team working ability and problem solving skills including the generic skills needed to compete in the global knowledge economy.

 

The survey canvassed over 168,000 graduates from Australian higher education institutions.

 

Graduate Careers Australian Research Manager, Bruce Guthrie, was more pessimistic in his interpretation of the results, saying that a soft labour market had constricted salary growth.

 

The research shows the median starting salary for bachelor degree graduates aged less than 25 and in their first full-time employment in Australia growing just $1,000, to $50,000.

 

Bachelor degree graduates from the fields of mining engineering, medicine and pharmacy achieved the best employment outcomes in 2010, with more than 97 per cent of graduates from these fields securing full-time employment within four months of graduation (see Table 2 in GradStats).

 

The findings come as recent figures show a 20 per cent increase in student places in the four years leading up to 2012.

 

“The Gillard Government remains on track to meet its target of 40 per cent of 25 to 34 year olds attaining a bachelor degree or higher by 2025,” Senator Evans said.

 

The full report can be found here