Employers in Australia are satisfied with 83.6 per cent of higher education graduates, according to a new national survey.  

The 2017 Employer Satisfaction Survey (ESS) revealed the quality of education provided at Australian institutions, as supervisors provided feedback about generic skills, technical skills, and work readiness of recent graduates in the workforce. 

The survey found that graduates with higher education qualifications were equipped with the overall rate of 92.4 per cent foundational, 90.1 per cent adaptive, 85.9 per cent collaborative, and 93.9 per cent of technical skills.  

Minister for Education and Training Simon Birmingham said the ESS results were encouraging, but high education institutions also needed to focus on the work readiness of graduates. 

“Australia has excellent universities but they must place student outcomes at the forefront of their considerations to meet the needs of our economy, employers and ultimately boost the employment prospects of graduates,” Minister Birmingham said. 

Graduates in the field of ‘Engineering and Related Technologies’ received the highest rate of satisfaction at 89.9 per cent, with ‘Health’ coming second at 88.6 per cent. 

However, ‘Management and Commerce’ saw one of the lowest satisfaction rate at 79.8 per cent, followed by ‘Agriculture and Environmental Studies’ at 79.5 per cent. 

“These are the types of signals universities should be looking out for to ensure course offerings are aligned with the expectations of employers so as to ultimately improve the job prospects of graduates,” Minister Birmingham said.