Graduates and employers are feeling increasingly optimistic about graduates’ job prospects, new research shows.
Indeed’s Graduate Outcomes Survey 2021 reveals that high school graduates are now securing opportunities at a rate not previously seen during the pandemic.
According to the survey, which involved 253 Australian Tertiary Students graduating in 2021 or before mid-2022 and 260 Australian Graduate Employers, 19% who secured a role in 2021 were offered the job without having to formally apply.
Forty-nine per cent of graduate employers anticipate they will hire five or more graduates this year, compared to only 43% last year, while 65% of graduate employers see opportunity for graduates to fast-track their careers in 2022.
Kate Furey, Career Insights Specialist at Indeed, says graduate recruitment may be entering “recovery mode” and that graduates can expect opportunities to continue to grow in 2022.
“Graduate hiring is set to continue improving over the course of the year. Indeed’s research found that almost one in two employers predict they’ll hire five or more grads this year, compared to only 43 per cent last year,” Furey told The Educator.
“This indicates that graduates will have greater choice in the job opportunities available to them. Job opportunities for grads are currently high across the board, but the fields experiencing the strongest demand include healthcare, technology, finance, engineering, and education.”
Furey said the optimism among graduates and employers bodes well for school principals who are seeking to ensure their students leave school with accessible work opportunities.
“Students have had a tough time over the last two years, however what we’re seeing as a result are graduates that are more resilient, independent, forward-thinking and determined,” she said.
“These are soft skills that employers see great value in, and that will serve graduates well as they enter into the world of work.”
Furey said teachers and principals can help students to recognise the benefits and value of these soft skills – as well as others like communication, critical-thinking and conscientiousness – and help them further hone them.
“Many students believe that hard skills and final grades alone will dictate their future successes, but it’s important for teachers to remind them that soft skills are just as valuable and potentially even more sought after in the workplace.”