This article is from page 2 of the 2008-09-02 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 2 JPG
DESPITE gloomy economic predic- tions, Clare students are bucking the trend with employment of University of Limerick graduates at the highest level in more than a decade.
As the University of Limerick cel- ebrates four days of conferring cere- monies which will see 2,326 students graduate – many of them from Clare – UL President, Professor Don Barry has welcomed the positive results of a recent UL graduate survey which indicate an increase in demand for UL graduates by employers.
More of those who get jobs are tak- ing up employment in the mid-west rather than having to uproot and move to work, the survey shows.
The information is based on the results of a recent survey, which records the current status of more than 2,500 graduates who completed full-time courses in UL during the year 2007.
74 per cent of UL graduates find employment within a few months of graduation, the survey shows. This is the highest employment rate since 1995 and records an increase of five per cent from last year.
The employment figure includes those working in Ireland and over- seas, with 67 per cent employed in Ireland and seven per cent overseas.
The most popular region of employ- ment is the mid-west which accounts for 35 per cent of jobs, followed by Dublin, at 33 per cent. This reflects a
considerable shift in graduate prefer- ences in recent years as more gradu- ates choose to remain in the mid- west, the survey found.
“Graduate emigration has been consistently low over the past dec- ade, reflecting the range and quality of graduate employment opportuni- ties in Ireland.
“This clearly demonstrates that Irish graduates prefer to work in Ire- land, assuming they can find suitable work,’ Professor Barry said.
“Major graduate employers delib- erately target UL graduates because of their combination of intellectual abilities, personal qualities and rel- evant work experience.
“As a result, the employment rate of UL graduates is significantly higher
than the national average,’ the UL President said.
High employment is a feature across all disciplines with graduates from 30 UL degree courses register- ing zero unemployment.
Graduates in health science dis- ciplines, including nursing, physi- otherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy, had the highest employment record.
The survey shows that 18 per cent of the class of 2007 went on to do some form of postgraduate study or research.
Salary levels were also recorded and the average starting salary is in the region of €28,000 with more than 20 per cent of graduates earning salaries in excess of €33,000.