LAST Tuesday, April 30th, may have seemed like any other Tuesday to students in the country's universities and RTCs but it was a red letter day for graduate employment.
In fact, it was the red letter day for graduate employment because on April 30th each year data is collated for the HEA's annual report on the first destination of graduates from the previous year, the bible for those seeking some indication of current trends in graduate employment.
Pre empting official reports is not, generally speaking, a good idea, but when the HEA report is eventually published it is likely to indicate another good year for graduate recruitment, with the trend set to continue for this year's graduates.
"This year has been a tremendous one," says Mary Sweeney, careers and appointments officer in UL, which has experienced more on campus recruitment this year than in any other year in recent memory.
According to the HEA's survey of 1994 graduates, graduate unemployment is at its lowest level since 1989.
In terms of graduate employment, the most obvious question to ask is where are all these graduates going? Surprisingly, the answer, at least where arts and social science, commerce and science graduates are concerned, is that many are being absorbed into the same employment area insurance; financial and commercial computer services, the single largest source of employment for graduates from these faculties.
In fact, it is estimated that 80 per cent of all new jobs created in the future will be in the private sector and already we are seeing a decrease in the levels of employment in the manufacturing sector, in the public sector and in agriculture.
According to the HEA's categories, the three largest occupation sections for graduates are social, personal, medical and religious (18.5 per cent of 1994 graduates); financial (15 per cent) and engineering/ professional (13.9 per cent).
The lowest rates of unemployment continue to be among the old reliables, veterinary medicine and medicine/ dentistry/ paramedical.
Unemployment among architecture graduates plummeted from its 1992 level of 16.1 per cent to only 2.3 per cent in 1992. Among 1994 science graduates, just over 10 per cent were still seeking employment in April 1995, while five per cent of business and commerce graduates were in the same position, an indication that the business areas, including banking, insurance, investment and fund management, have also picked up in recent years.
The most recent figures also provide arts and social science graduates with reason to be cheerful, as the levels of unemployment for arts and social science graduates actually dropped by 5 per cent in 1994 to 9.5 per cent.
"The general impression I am getting from this year's students (1995 grads) compared to two years ago is that there are far more graduates getting graduate level jobs," says Loretta Jennings, careers and appointments officer in Maynooth College, of the responses from arts graduates.
More employers are now considering graduates of any discipline for positions in general, almost half of all graduate jobs advertised in the UK are open to graduates of all disciplines - and there is evidence that Irish employers are now more willing than before to train graduates in house.
There is general agreement, though, that graduates with computer related disciplines are the most highly sought after and are likely to remain so.
"The obvious one is software engineering," says Muireann Ni Dhuigneain, careers and appointments officer in DCU. "There are opportunities where there is no one to fill them. The good quality science graduate is a much sought after commodity." "We haven't had enough people this year to fill the vacancies notified to us in the area of computer science and computer related qualifications," says Eileen Fitzpatrick, careers and appointments officer in the DIT. "Electrical/electronic is in a similar situation at both engineering and technician level."
Ursula Sherlock, careers and appointments officer in Dundalk RTC, concurs, adding also that manufacturing and mechanical engineering graduates continue to be in demand. "People with language skills are also being sought," she says. In fact, the trend in future is likely to be towards proficiency in two foreign languages in addition to one's mother tongue.
The technical colleges and the more technically minded universities are well positioned to exploit this demand for graduates with computer and engineering backgrounds.
"EMPLOYERS are looking for people who are technically competent, people who are able to slot in quickly and who have qualifications related to their specific needs," says Brendan Goggin, registrar of Cork RTC. "In many cases, such as mechanical or chemical engineering, there wouldn't be corresponding types of courses in the universities."
Business studies, accountancy and financial service qualifications continue to be in demand, as are marketing graduates, although Eileen Fitzpatrick points out that more and more employers are expecting marketing graduates to have a full driving licence.
Naturally, employment patterns are not uniform. Those entering the teaching profession should not set their hopes of quickly obtaining permanent employment too high since, in 1994, only 18 per cent of those entering primary teaching and six per cent of H.Dip graduates obtained permanent positions.
On a more optimistic note, most of those entering teacher training obtained some form of employment, albeit part time or substitute.
In 1994, the only faculty where the percentage of those seeking employment did not drop was food science and technology, where the level of unemployment rose from 11.8 percent in 1993 to 16.3 per cent in 1994, over twice the 1992 rate. The very small numbers graduating from this faculty meant that only eight people were affected.
In conclusion, then, 1996 graduates have reason to be optimistic. As UL's Mary Sweeney puts it: "They were very lucky they were born in the right year.
