Employers rank Western Sydney University graduates highly in new national survey

Western Sydney University graduates are highly sought-after by today’s employers, according to the latest data from the Federal Government’s Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching Employer Satisfaction Survey.

Western Sydney University graduates were rated 10th across all Australian universities for overall satisfaction and were the second highest-rated graduates of universities surveyed in NSW and the highest rated university in the Sydney region, receiving an 85.6 per cent satisfaction rating from employers, compared to 84.0 per cent for graduates of all universities.

The national Employer Satisfaction Survey is the largest survey of its kind, evaluating the feedback of more than 4,000 employers, inviting their views on the skills, attributes and work readiness of recent graduates from higher education institutions.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Professor Denise Kirkpatrick, says the survey results affirm the quality of Western Sydney University’s degrees and reinforce how highly valued our graduates are in the workplace.

“This is an excellent outcome which recognises the strength of our programs and the quality and relevance of our teaching,” says Professor Kirkpatrick.

“Our programs focus on developing students' skills in working collaboratively and across disciplines. Our students graduate with the essential workplace skills of critical thinking, problem solving and teamwork and collaboration.

“We are proud to be a University that prepares career-ready graduates who are adaptable and think creatively for today’s modern workplace.  We help them to extend their professional skills so they are equipped to meet the challenges of a complex  globalised world.”

Western Sydney University graduates were also rated higher than the average for:

  • Foundation skills (general literacy, numeracy and communication skills and the ability to investigate and integrate knowledge), with 93.5 per cent satisfaction.
  • Collaborative (teamwork and interpersonal) skills, with 88.7 per cent satisfaction.

The Employment Satisfaction Survey adds to an impressive list of credentials for Western Sydney University, with the University ranked in the top 2 per cent of universities worldwide according to the prestigious Times Higher Education rankings, and also in the top 100 of young universities in the world.

Full results of the Employment Satisfaction Survey can be viewed on the Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT) site (opens in a new window).

ENDS.

12 January 2018

Media Unit