Graduates seeking employment can expect many more opportunities in 2010, according to findings from the 2009 Graduate Outlook Survey.
The research, conducted by Graduate Careers Australia (GCA), revealed that about 21 per cent of surveyed employers intended to increase the scale of their graduate recruitment program in 2010. This came after a difficult period for graduate jobseekers.
The research also revealed that 29 per cent of surveyed employers indicated they had decreased the scale of their graduate recruitment program in 2009 as a direct result of the global financial crisis (GFC). A further five per cent of surveyed employers indicated that they had cancelled their graduate program.
GCA Acting Executive Director, Bruce Guthrie said this suggested that the graduate employment market was recovering from the downturn brought about by the GFC.
“It is encouraging to see that graduate recruitment in Australia is on the way to returning to pre-crisis levels,” Mr Guthrie said.
“An investment in graduate employees is also an investment in the future of the recruiter, so this is good news for the Australian economy as a whole,” Mr Guthrie said.
The Graduate Outlook Survey also examined what employers looked for in their graduate employees. Employers generally considered interpersonal and communication skills above all else when evaluating potential employees, although their industry knowledge, drive and commitment, and attitude were also very important.
The survey, now in its fifth year, is an annual investigation into the state of the graduate labour market in Australasia. More than 400 graduate employers completed the 2009 survey.