“Given the Melbourne curriculum is different to the majority of others in operation currently within the Australian higher education sector, the methodology underpinning this survey makes it difficult to draw direct comparisons from the available data in this report,” a spokesperson said.
The national standout university for landing full-time employment was Brisbane’s Charles Sturt University, where 89.1 per cent of graduates landed a job in 2024.
Avondale University in NSW followed with 88.1 per cent.
Dr Angela Baker, education director at the Social Research Centre, which conducts the survey, said post-pandemic gains in university employment outcomes across the country had slowed but job prospects for graduates were still better than before COVID-19.
“This year’s findings suggest that the gains in employment in the post-COVID labour markets of 2022 and 2023 are starting to ease in 2024, particularly for undergraduates,” she said.
“However, full-time employment rates are still higher at all study levels than prior to 2020, and graduate salaries continue to rise year-on-year.”
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The research also highlighted a stark and enduring gender gap in salary outcomes for men and women leaving university, with postgraduate men in some cases netting almost $20,000 more than their female counterparts after finishing their studies.
According to the survey, the median salary for postgraduate males studying health services and support was $19,400 more than a woman – $119,400 against $100,000.
Computing and information systems’ male postgraduates earned $115,000, compared to women on $100,000, while male engineering postgraduates earned $14,000 more than women ($114,000 versus $100,000).
But former Swinburne student Zuzanna Kaczynska is happy with her post-university outcome. The 23-year-old had not even finished her degree when she was offered a graduate position with the Queensland government.
Kaczynska has now completed a bachelor of arts, majoring in ethics, technology and computer science, and credits the practical focus of the course, including organising internships, for helping her land a job.
Swinburne University graduate Zuzanna Kaczynska is now working in policy for the Queensland government.
“There was a big emphasis on getting experiences wherever you could,” she said. “Through casual and part-time jobs, through volunteering, being involved with Swinburne University clubs, and I was part of student network leaders.”
She said the university had offered her many practical opportunities that helped her prepare to enter the workforce.
“As grads and recent grads from uni and young people, we have unique opportunity to bring a novel perspective to our workplaces,” she said.
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“I would say, don’t be afraid to be bold and put your ideas out there.”
The university’s deputy vice-chancellor in employability, Professor Laura-Anne Bull, said the survey results highlighted the institution’s commitment to ensure graduates were ready for the workforce.
“Our students are better paid and better prepared, leaving Swinburne with the confidence, skills and connections they need to thrive in their chosen careers,” Bull said.
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