Stepping out

A large proportion of UCT graduates from the past few years have successfully secured either employment or a place for further study, a graduate study has found.

The UCT Graduate Exit Survey, which measured a three-year cycle from 2004 to 2006, recorded that around 15 000 students had graduated. The study tracked the employment, location, incomes, and further study of nearly 9 000 of these.

Nearly 70% of the survey's respondents had secured employment by the time of graduation, while a similar proportion seeking to study further had secured a study place. However, the three-year trend shows a small but gradual decrease in respondents seeking employment, in favour of an increase in studying further.

A significant number of these graduates found work that was directly related to their field of study.

The report noted that there was a close relationship between respondents' studies and first-destination employment across the 2004 - 2006 period. Quite large differences between various qualification levels were noted, with half of the graduates doing a three-year bachelor's degree compared to 85% of professional first bachelor, respondents indicating that they had found work that was directly related to their field.

The study also found that 40% of the graduates earned less than R9 000 in their current jobs while 33% earned more than R12 000, with the income of the graduates varying considerably by faculty and qualification level.

More than two-thirds of the students in the survey rated what they had studied at UCT as "adequate to excellent preparation" for employment.

In addition, "the overwhelming majority of the respondents were either satisfied or very satisfied with their overall experience of studying at UCT," says principal planning officer Ashraf Conrad.

According to the survey, "the trend of a large majority of respondents who are studying further opting to study at UCT was evident in all qualification levels and in respondents from all faculties".

When it came to preparations for further study, the report found that a large majority of the students felt that the university had prepared them adequately.

The full Graduate Exit Survey Trend Report is available on the UCT website.