Study and work to get a job quicker

Study to work, ABC Radio,
presented by Richard Aedy

Study to work: 2.6 years to get a job after uni (ABC Radio, 21 November 2019 5:30PM),  looked at how long it took graduates to get jobs. The program illustrated the the point that those studying vocationally related programs, with work integrated learning, got jobs quicker. The most satisfied graduate interviewed, had studied at TAFE, not a university. This graduate had a smooth transition from study to work, being employed where they had been previously getting work experience. The question for universities, and government policy makers, is how to encourage students to undertake vocational programs for in-demand jobs, and what happens to non-vocational programs?

The students I teach are likely to get jobs quickly, as computer professionals are in high demand, especially those who have experience working in teams for a real client. Just to polish their skills, the student's last task before they graduate is to write a job application, where they have to explain how what they learned is useful.

But what do we do for the students enrolled in programs which do not align to a specific career? What about degrees where the careers are in decline, due to technological change? How do we convince students to take up TAFE programs which have low academic prestige, but lead to high paying, in demand employment?

One way to address these issues would be at school. If a student is studying at TAFE while at school, they will be more likely to take up TAFE after finishing school. If students at school are given some more useful career advice, they are less likely to make poor post-secondary career choices.