Straight from campus into a career, Trent University graduates are finding increased success in today’s competitive job market with 94 per cent of graduates securing jobs just two years after graduation and almost 90 per cent in jobs just six months after graduation, according to a new survey released by the Council of Ontario Universities (COU).
“Numbers like these really showcase the strength of an education at Trent University,” said Dr. Jackie Muldoon, interim provost and vice president academic at Trent University. “Employment rates for Trent grads have grown by two per cent in just two years. Through a continued focus on growing our innovative academic programing at both the Peterborough and Durham campuses, we are confident the employability rate of our graduates will continue to grow.”
The latest grad survey conducted for Ontario’s Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities also shows that two years after graduating from Trent, about 86 per cent of Trent University graduates who are employed full-time consider their work is directly related to the skills they developed at the University, and 77 per cent said their work is related to the program they studied at Trent.
“In a challenging employment environment, it is very encouraging to see that an ever-increasing number of our graduates are successfully connecting the skills they gained at Trent, to the qualities desired by employers,” said Waleska Vernon, director of Student Transitions and Careers at Trent. “The goal of the Career Centre is to guide students in identifying and promoting all the transferrable skills they have gained through their academic and co-curricular activities at Trent.”
Trent University’s Career Centre has many new initiatives that help students and recent graduates find a career in their chosen fields, including:
- Career and Further Education Expo provides students nearing graduation with a range of post-graduate options, including employment directly after graduation, post-graduate diplomas, graduate school and professional programs.
- Life after Trent networking event provides students the opportunity to meet and chat with recent alumni about the transition from an undergraduate program to the work force.
- Mentoring Opportunities, professional networking invites students to apply to be matched with alumni or community mentors who are well-established in their careers. Mentees receive guidance to help them navigate career options, learn invaluable skills for professional development and make new contacts to give them a competitive advantage in the job market.
In all, 76,625 students who graduated from undergraduate programs at Ontario universities in 2012 were surveyed between November 2014 and March 2015, with 28,448 responding.
Read the survey and view the infographic.
Posted on Wednesday, September 23, 2015.