More than three quarters of higher education students are in employment nine months after graduation, with employment being highest among education graduates.
According to the Graduate Outcomes Survey Class of 2020 National Report, which was carried out by the Higher Education Authority, employment after graduation is lowest among arts and humanities graduates.
Furthermore, those who study arts and humanities are most likely to pursue further study nine months after graduation.
Of the 64,858 graduates across 23 higher education institutions, 53.3 per cent identify as female and 46.7 per cent identify as male.
When it comes to earnings, the average full-time earnings for younger graduates is €32,596, with ICT graduates accounting for the highest proportion of graduates earning more than €40,000 nine months after graduation.
What were postgraduate taught graduates of 2020 doing in March 2021?
👩💼 85% were employed
🏫 4% were in further study
🔍 9% were unemployed
❓ 2% were doing something elsehttps://t.co/vV5psHqjo6#graduateoutcomes #wheretonext @hea_irl pic.twitter.com/d9If2dTq3XAdvertisement— Graduate Outcomes Survey (@GradSurveyIRL) February 7, 2022
The most common fields of study were found to be business, administration, and law at 25.9 per cent followed by health and welfare at 15.1 per cent and arts and humanities at 12.4 per cent.
Commenting on the report, Higher Education Authority CEO, Dr Alan Wall, said: “This comprehensive report provides institutions, policymakers and future graduates with a thorough analysis of early career and further study outcomes after graduation.
“This year’s report is particularly relevant as it shows the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on our recent graduates.
“This detailed dataset will help institutions and other stakeholders in providing students with appropriate career advice and relevant information on their course choices.”
The survey also found that just over 64 per cent of graduates are on permanent or open-ended contracts, which were found to be most common among ICT graduates.
Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris welcomed the report, particularly because it provides “key information on the destinations and outcomes for our recent graduates.”
“It gives new insights about the impact of Covid-19 on student employment and further study, during a period of unprecedented change in key parts of the economy.
“The interactive format of the report gives easy access to a wealth of useful data of interest to our future graduates on where their studies might take them in their future careers or continued learning.”
