- Title
- Australian International Graduates and the transition to employment: Final report
- Creator
- Blackmore, Jill; Gribble, Cate; Farrell, Lesley; Rahimi, Mark; Arber, Ruth; Devlin, Marcia
- Date
- 2014
- Type
- Text; Technical report
- Identifier
- http://researchonline.federation.edu.au/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/72582
- Identifier
- vital:6949
- Identifier
- ISSN:9780730000099
- Abstract
- Today’s generation of international students face a myriad of options when selecting a study destination. Key host countries such as the USA, UK and Australia now compete with a growing number of exporting nations, as many traditional source countries now move to attract international students to their own shores. Importantly, domestic provision has improved dramatically in many emerging economies due to increased investment in higher education and the presence of transnational programs that enable students to study for an overseas qualification without leaving home. The arrival of MOOCS1 and other forms of online education and credentialing are also leading to expanding choices for the growing number of higher education students globally. While international students face greater choice, they must also contend with new challenges. The growth in knowledge economies has led to changing skill and knowledge requirements while the massification of higher education has resulted in an expanding supply of tertiary educated graduates entering the workplace. For employers, globalisation has resulted in greater international competition, off-shoring and less certainty regarding their future labour requirements (Brown, Lauder, & Ashton, 2010). For graduates, this translates into heightened competition for entry level positions, far less certainty surrounding post-study employment prospects and the growing need to ‘stand out’ in a crowded graduate labour market. Consequently, international students face tougher competition in the post-study labour market both in the host and home country. The overall aim of this study was to investigate issues around the employment of international graduates from Australian universities into professions with skill shortages. A key challenge for the research team was negotiating a shifting policy landscape as Australia’s skilled migration program shifted from a supply side to a demand driven system. Changes to Australia’s skilled migration policy sought to remove any perceived link between education and migration. The focus shifted to attracting international students to Australia by offering a high quality higher education experience rather than future employment (Gribble & Blackmore, 2012). For many international graduates, the shift in policy meant finding alternate pathways to achieving long term residency in Australia. Despite the tightening of rules surrounding post-study migration, the study found that international students continue to place high value on remaining in Australia after graduation. For some, the goal is to remain permanently in Australia, while others hope to stay temporarily to gain work experience in their area of qualification. "From the executive study"
- Publisher
- Deakin University
- Rights
- Open Access
- Rights
- This metadata is freely available under a CCO license
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