Charles Sturt University (CSU) has been rated above average by its graduates, according to the 2007 Australian Graduate Survey released on Tuesday 11 December by Graduate Careers Australia (GCA).

 

CSU Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Ian Goulter, said CSU graduates were shown to be well prepared to commence work, with over 87 per cent of domestic students in full-time employment within four months of completing their degrees. This is nearly three percentage points above the national average.

 

“Fewer of CSU graduates were working part time and seeking full-time employment. Only 8.3 per cent of our graduates were in this category, compared with a national rate of 10.5 per cent. Similarly, only 4.4 per cent of CSU students were not working and seeking full-time employment, better than the national average of five per cent.

 

“These figures highlight the fact that CSU’s distinctive programs prepare our graduates for work. Employers recognise that the appropriate course content, the practical experience and close ties between industry and our courses allows our graduates to hit the ground running when they start work with them.”

 

Individual CSU courses also performed well in the 2007 Australian Graduate Survey, highlighting positive employment trends for CSU graduates. For example, all CSU pharmacy graduates that responded to the survey were in full-time employment within four months of completing their course.

 

Other courses that showed high full-time employment were nursing, with 98 per cent of responding graduates employed within four months, accounting (98 per cent), rehabilitation (93 per cent), computer science (90 per cent) and agriculture (84 per cent).

 

The Australian Graduate Survey highlights the high employability of people with bachelor degrees. Australian Bureau of Statistics data from 2006 highlights this result, with only 2.4 per cent of graduates in Australia looking for full-time employment, compared to the national average of 5 per cent.

 

“With many school leavers now considering their future, the report demonstrates the high value of a university degree for those suited to tertiary education,” Professor Goulter said.