75% of International Graduates in jobs – 62% in Ireland
Gerry O'Sullivan
Posted: 18 February, 2019
75% of international graduates are in employment or about to start a job according to the latest Graduate Outcomes Survey – Class of 2017. The report which is published by the HEA is the result of a survey of over 29,000 individuals who graduated in 2017 from Irish higher education institutions. It found that 78% of that class are now working while 14% are in further education or training, 5% are seeking work and up to 4% are engaged in other activities (eg travel) (rounding occurs).
The performance of international students is largely along similar lines to the overall graduates patterns. 62% of international students work in Ireland with a further 38% working overseas. The comparable figures for all graduates is 91% and 9% respectively.
Paul O’Toole, Chief Executive of the HEA, commented, “There is clearly a demand in Ireland for the high quality graduates that are coming out from our higher education institutions. It is also noteworthy that over two thirds of non-Irish graduates who go into employment, choose to remain in Ireland. Skilled graduates are going to continue to be essential for our talent driven economy and to help meet societal challenges.”
The survey, conducted nine months after graduation, asked respondents what they were doing, where they were working, how much they were earning and their views on their course of study. This is the most comprehensive study of this kind conducted to date as it includes all universities, the institutes of technology and other colleges. Just over half of all graduates in 2017 responded.
