Employment opportunities for graduates of Irish further education courses remain excellent, according to recently released statistics – and in fact, they are improving year-on-year. The latest findings came from the Graduate Outcomes Survey: Class of 2022 report, which presents the findings of a national analysis of higher education graduate outcomes in Ireland.
The results prove that the future is bright for graduates. Overall, 83 per cent of graduates in 2022 are in employment nine months after graduation. For the class of 2021, this was 81.9 per cent and for the class of 2020, this was 75.9 per cent. In terms of individual course graduates, employment is highest among graduates in education courses (93.9 per cent), possibly reflecting the current shortage of teachers in Ireland, and lowest for arts and humanities graduates (66.3 per cent).
“This really was a bumper year for graduates after the dip during Covid,” explained Valerie Harvey, head of performance evaluation, Higher Education Authority (HEA), who manages the Graduate Outcomes Survey for the HEA.
“We saw the dip two years ago for the class of 2020, followed by a big recovery the following year, and this year was even better. We are compiling data for the class of 2023 but we expect the figures to be roughly in line again this year.”
The survey also revealed that the proportion of graduates pursuing further study has decreased to 10.2 per cent for the Class of 2022, down from 11.9 per cent for the Class of 2021. “Graduates are coming out into a very strong labour market, and you can see that in the number of people going for further study,” continued Harvey. “When the economy isn’t doing quite so well, the number of people going into further study really increases; people take that extra year to get that higher qualification. But when the labour market is strong, graduates are in demand, and the jobs are there without the need to gain more qualifications in order to attract employers.”
Graduates still see Ireland as a good place to start their careers
Not all is positive, however. For the Class of 2022, 4.4 per cent of graduates are unemployed nine months after graduation, while for the Class of 2021, this was 4.2 per cent. Unemployment rates are highest in ICT (8.0 per cent) and arts and humanities (7.4 per cent).
In addition, despite the high employment rates reported in the survey, graduates are cautious about their chances of finding employment post-graduation, according to gradireland.
“Our latest research shows that 56 per cent of students and recent graduates believe it will be difficult for them to find a job after graduation,” said Gavan O’Brien, managing director, gradireland. “This is an increase from last year’s 52 per cent. The majority (71 per cent) of graduates are planning to go straight into a job after college. The good news is that graduates still see Ireland as a good place to start their graduate careers. Only 17 per cent intend to start their career abroad.”
Interestingly, courses at technological university (TUs) generally lead to higher employment rates than universities as more of their graduates tend to go directly into employment rather than pursue further study. This proves that TUs play a significant role in Ireland’s economy. In numerical terms, between 82 per cent and 87 per cent of primary degree graduates from TUs are in employment nine months after graduation, and 64 per cent to 85 per cent for universities.
Salary expectations remain high for graduates, according to O’Brien. “Graduates are expecting a starting salary of €41,717 on average, with 10 per cent expecting up to €25,000, 39 per cent between €25,000 and €35,000, 22 per cent hoping for €35,000 to €40,000 and 29 per cent aiming for more than €40,000. According to our employer research the average graduate starting salary across all sectors stands at €32,440, somewhat below the expectations of graduates.
“Positively, 70 per cent of students feel their course prepares them for the labour market. When asked what they are looking for from their first employer, the top responses were good work-life balance, career progression and interesting work.
“According to our most recent employer data, 83 per cent of graduate employers are planning to increase the number of graduate opportunities within their organisation. This shows that the graduate recruitment landscape in Ireland remains strong and vibrant.”
This commitment by organisations like the HEA and gradireland to collecting as much data as possible is positive for today’s students. “All this data is available on our website (hea.ie); school leavers can drill down into their chosen college and course and see what the outcomes are like for graduates,” said Harvey. “This helps them make informed decisions about their further education. We would encourage everyone to look at the data before making their choices.”
And gradireland hosts a hugely successful careers fair every year. “The gradireland Graduate Careers Fair attracts thousands of students and over 100 employers making it the biggest graduate careers fair in Ireland,” said O’Brien. “This year’s fair is set to take place on October 2 at the RDS in Dublin.”