career development centre

Preparing students for the

graduate labour market

Jason Brown

Manager, Career Development Centre

La Trobe University

career development centre

Overview of session

• What employers seek in graduates

• Graduate labour market

• Career education strategy at La Trobe

career development centre

What employers seek in graduates

‘Very important’ competencies:

• Oral communication – 89%

• Teamwork – 85%

• Interpersonal skills – 83%

• Problem solving skills – 79%

• Written communication skills – 73%

Source: AAGE Employer Survey 2009

career development centre

Graduate Employment Programs

• Offered by around 200 of Australia’s top private

and public sector organisations

• Recruit around 8500 grads each year (5%)

• Applications close March / April in final year of

studies

• Time consuming process for students – average

company uses 7 different techniques in selection

process

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Graduate Employment Programs

• Grad programs run between 1 – 2 years

• Provided with training, mentoring, job rotations

• Some obtain postings overseas

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Grad program selection process

• Behavioural based interviews – 93%

• Panel interviews – 85%

• Aptitude testing – 67%

• Group exercises / interviews – 55%

• Telephone screening – 54%

• Personality questionnaires – 53%

• Skills-based interviews – 52%

• Written exercises – 47%

• Presentations – 39%

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Where do graduates go?

73

11

11

5

FT Employment

Further study

PT Employment

Not studying or working

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Where do graduates go?

• Large employers (100+) – 68.9%

• Medium employers (20-99) – 15.8%

• Small employers (2 - 19) – 15.3%

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Graduate Labour Market 2009

• Overall employment figures for grads decreased

6% compared with 2008

• Biggest falls in employment

– Architecture (↓ 17%)

– Visual/performing arts (↓ 15%)

– Geology (↓ 13%)

– Mathematics (↓ 12%)

– Social Sciences (↓ 12%)

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Graduate Labour Market 2009

• Highest proportion in FT employment:

– Pharmacy (97%)

– Nursing (96%)

– Medicine (96%)

• Most likely to be seeking employment:

– Visual and performing arts (48%)

– Life sciences (35%)

– Humanities (32%)

– Psychology (28%)

– Mathematics (26%)

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What happens in 5 years?

• 1/4 complete a postgraduate qualification

• 64% working in a field related to their

undergraduate degree

• 75% working full-time, 16% part-time, 9% not

working

• Marked gender differences, males more likely to

be working full-time (83% v 68%), females part-

time (20% v 9%)Coates & Edwards (2010) Higher Education Quarterly

career development centre

How do graduates find work?

Method Percent

Advertisement – internet 25

Advertisement – print media 6

University (careers, expo, lecturer) 20

Canvassing 10

Networking 27

Employment agency 3

Internet posting 2

career development centre

How do graduates find work?

Method Percent

Advertisement – internet 25

Advertisement – print media 6

University (careers, expo, lecturer) 20

Canvassing 10

Networking 27

Employment agency 3

Internet posting 2

Other 7

Source: GradStats 2010, www.graduatecareers.com.au

career development centre

Strategies at La Trobe

• Career education

(face to face, online, in-class delivery)

• Direct contact with employers

– careers fairs

– WIL

– information sessions

– industry speakers

– career mentoring programs

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Career education

• Way Ahead program

– 2 day workshop

– delivered at 5 campuses

– aimed at final year students

• Graduate / Vacation employment program

preparation workshops

– 6 hours of content, delivered prior to expos

• Lunchtime seminars

– 6 x 1 hour workshops weekly during semester

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Career Development Program

• Developing online

program of 10 modules

• Recordings of

workshops; videos;

written examples; text

• ‘On demand’ service

delivery

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References

Coates, H., Edwards, D. (2011). The Graduate Pathways

Survey: New insights on education and employment

outcomes five years after bachelor degree completion.

Higher Education Quarterly, 65(1), p74-93

GradStats 2010

www.graduatecareers.com.au/Research/ResearchReports/GradStats/index.htm

The AAGE Employer Survey 2009

www.aage.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=74&Itemid=64

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Contact

Jason Brown / Career Development Centre

• www.latrobe.edu.au/careers/

• jason.brown@latrobe.edu.au

• LinkedIn:

http://au.linkedin.com/in/brownjasonl

• Twitter:

@LTUcareers

• Facebook:

www.facebook.com/LaTrobeCareers