Victorian graduates face employment woes

August 29, 2013

In light of reports that the state is on the brink of recession, graduates from six Victorian universities have reported starting salaries that are among the lowest in Australia, according to The Good Universities Guide 2014.

The Guide’s ratings expose Victoria as one of the poorest performing states for graduate salaries in the country, with Deakin University, La Trobe University, RMIT University and Swinburne University of Technology all receiving one-star ratings for ‘Graduate Starting Salary’.

The University of Ballarat and Victoria University fared only slightly better, receiving two stars.

The state’s graduate employment rates were also of concern, with Ballarat, Deakin, RMIT, Swinburne and VU all earning two stars or less for ‘Getting a Full-time Job’.

This indicates that, in comparison to other universities around the country, a higher proportion of their graduates have been unsuccessful in securing full-time employment within four months of graduating.

The Good Universities Guide’s data manager, Ross White, said that prospective students should consider their graduate outcomes before choosing a university, especially if the economic climate is stormy.

“University graduates are subject to the same market forces that impact everyone in the employment market, but that shouldn’t prevent them from choosing a university that’s performing well for graduate outcomes,” Mr White said.

“The latest edition of the Guide indicates that ACT, NSW, Queensland and WA universities, on the whole, performed much better for graduate outcomes than universities in Victoria, so perhaps prospective students should consider their options interstate.”

The University of Melbourne was the only Victorian university to achieve strong graduate outcomes ratings, receiving five stars for ‘Graduate Starting Salary’ and four stars for ‘Getting a Full-time Job’.

Melbourne’s Pro Vice-Chancellor (Equity and Student Engagement), Professor Richard James, attributes some of the university’s success in the graduates outcomes ratings to the adoption of its ‘Melbourne curriculum’, which is unique in Victoria.

“The University of Melbourne is focused on creating distinctive graduates who have outstanding career opportunities and outcomes — that's why we adopted an educational system that combines the best of European and US style university models,” Professor James said.

“We have created a curriculum that is highly suited to the contemporary needs of employers and to the community at large.”