Professional development workshop for secondary careers teachers, presented at La Trobe University 13 May 2011.

1. career development centre
Preparing students for the
graduate labour market
Jason Brown
Manager, Career Development Centre
La Trobe University

2. career development centre
Overview of session
• What employers seek in graduates
• Graduate labour market
• Career education strategy at La Trobe

3. 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

4. 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

5. career development centre
Graduate Employment Programs
• Grad programs run between 1 – 2 years
• Provided with training, mentoring, job rotations
• Some obtain postings overseas

6. career development centre
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%

7. career development centre
Where do graduates go?
5
11
11 FT Employment
Further study
PT Employment
Not studying or working
73

8. career development centre
Where do graduates go?
• Large employers (100+) – 68.9%
• Medium employers (20-99) – 15.8%
• Small employers (2 - 19) – 15.3%

9. career development centre
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%)

10. career development centre
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%)

11. career development centre
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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. career development centre
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

16. career development centre
Career Development Program
• Developing online
program of 10 modules
• Recordings of
workshops; videos;
written examples; text
• ‘On demand’ service
delivery

17. career development centre
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

18. career development centre
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