Australia is famous for its lifestyle and quality education—or at least, that’s the pitch. However, recent ABS data and other research paint a more disconcerting picture: international graduates are struggling to find full-time work relevant to their degrees.
Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 55% of graduate visa holders are in full-time work. Sounds alright until you realise that 40% of them are stuck in low-skilled roles, like retail and hospitality. Considering there are 193,000 graduate visa holders now, compared to 94,000 pre-Covid, that’s a lot of people who’ve shelled out big bucks for an Aussie tertiary education only to serve flat whites or sweep floors.
Even if you look past the headline numbers, the details don’t get any rosier. A joint study by Deakin University and the University of Adelaide states only 36% of international graduates from 35 universities managed to land full-time jobs in their field of study. If you are gunning for high wages, it’s also grim. International undergraduates have a median salary of A$54,300, which falls short compared to the A$65,000 bagged by their domestic counterparts.
But why is this happening? Turns out, there are a few bumps on the road to employment utopia. For starters, a census data analysis showed that only 28% of foreign-born degree holders arriving post-2010 work as professionals. Various factors like skill shortages, employer attitudes, and language proficiency affect this. The International Education Association of Australia warns that these trends could dent Australia’s allure as a top study destination.
Now, I hear you. You’re saying, “But surely, policy can turn this around?” Well, an AFR article suggests beefing up graduate employability via curriculum changes, work-integrated learning experiences, and better career counselling. That’s all well and good, but employers also need a crash course on visas and work rights for international graduates.
It’s not the same everywhere, though. If you’re in Tasmania or Western Australia, you’ve got a better shot at employment as a temporary graduate visa holder compared to if you’re in the Northern Territory.
Tarric Brooker, Journalist & Analyst, brings another perspective to the table. He’s met international students whose families banked on Australia’s storied education reputation. These students returned home, degrees in hand, feeling short-changed. It’s a far cry from the era when an Aussie degree held hefty global weight, says Brooker.
So, what’s the takeaway? The Aussie dream of world-class education leading to a brilliant job might be fading for many international graduates. It’s time for educators, policymakers, and employers to collaborate and redefine what an Aussie degree promises — before it’s reduced to just an expensive souvenir.
Sure, you’ll still have the memories of beautiful beaches and the Sydney Opera House, but when you’ve paid a small fortune for an education, you’d hope for a better return on investment than a scenic Instagram feed.
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