New data shows Australian universities are producing graduates with the skills and qualifications that employers need, but that more work needs to be done to improve the experience of students.
Minister for Education and Youth Alan Tudge said the 2020 Employer Satisfaction Survey showed overall employer satisfaction remained high.
"Employer satisfaction was almost 85 per cent, with particularly strong results for graduates in engineering, agriculture, health, education and IT - all areas that we have focussed on in our Job-ready Graduates package," Minister Tudge said.
"Students studying in these are now paying less for their degree and are likely to top the list when it comes to impressing Australian employers."
The 2020 Student Experience Survey has also been released today and shows a significant drop in the overall rating of Australian universities by students.
"The results are of course impacted by COVID-19, but we can and should be doing better," Minister Tudge said.
"I want all universities to focus on their main purpose: educating Australians and giving them the skills and qualifications that will get them into a job.
"Some of our universities have lost that focus and it's time to return to core business.
"While the results were not unexpected, universities must ensure that as classes resume for 2021, they are focussed on giving local students the best possible education and learning experience.
"I am pleased that the "Student Support" category has remained at record high levels, which shows most universities responded well during the pandemic to ensure they were giving students additional support."
Results from both the 2020 Employer Satisfaction Survey and the 2020 Student Experience Survey can be found on the QILT website www.qilt.edu.au.
