ANU students on a winner: University tops employability survey

If you are contemplating studying at the Australian National University or already there, it will be reassuring to know that you are more likely to get a job than are the graduates of any other university in Australia.

ANU graduates have been ranked Australia’s most employable graduates and are listed among the world’s most sought-after employees, with the ANU rated number one in Australia for the fifth consecutive year in the Times Higher Education, Global University Employability Ranking.

ANU was ranked 21 in the world for employability, up 11 places on 2015 and up one place on 2016, based on the survey of 2,500 recruitment managers from 22 countries and a panel of 3,500 international managers around the world.

ANU was the only Australian university ranked in the top 30 by the Times Higher Education rankings, with the University of Sydney ranked 48 and the University of Melbourne 50.

The survey ranks universities based on the perceptions of both national and international companies about the employability of their graduates.

Acting ANU Vice-Chancellor Professor Margaret Harding said the results highlighted the high quality of ANU students and the great teachers who were drawn to ANU from around the world.

“These results show ANU graduates are in high demand by governments, industry and business in Australia and overseas,” Professor Harding said.

“Our global outlook at ANU means we attract some of the best and brightest students, who benefit from our smaller class sizes and our top-quality teachers.”

She said ANU students also had a global outlook and the University encouraged them to seek experiences and opportunities to travel overseas as part of their education.

“ANU offers great education and research with a focus on helping to solve some of the great challenges facing the world,” Professor Harding said.

“This all helps ensure ANU graduates are well prepared for the challenges of the modern workforce and ensures they are highly sought after by employers.”

Bachelor of Engineering student Annamalai (Ed) Muthiah will graduate at the end and of the year and has already lined up a two-year graduate position with BAE Systems in 2018.

“I’ve developed a lot of technical skills at ANU. ANU has provided me with the core technical skills and a holistic problem solving approach that has allowed me to achieve my childhood dream of building rockets,” Mr Muthiah said.

PhD scholar Haihan (Helen) Jiao from The John Curtin School of Medical Research said ANU academics have taught her to challenge herself beyond her limits.

“Studying at ANU is a fantastic experience because it provides us the opportunity to do good research and to form collaborative relationships with other scientists,” she said.

“In the end we are able to develop a holistic set of skills that enable us to tackle a health problem. Studying at ANU has given me the opportunity to build a solid foundation and a great confidence to face what is lying ahead.”

Darius Mic will graduate with a Bachelor of Accounting and Economics at the end of the year, and is looking forward to working at KPMG in 2018.

“At ANU I have been able to learn from lecturers who have worked in the private sector, they have a lot of knowledge about what is happening in the world. This has given me great insight into some of the challenges I will face going out into the world,” Mr Mic said.

Alan Wu graduated with a Master of Laws in 2016 and now works for Australia’s Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.

“ANU attracts and nurtures an exceptional cohort of change makers who are curious and open minded and who leave the institution ready to tackle the big issues of our time,” Mr Wu said.

The California Institute of Technology retains its position at the top of the ranking: one of seven US universities in the top 10, and one of a number of technical universities that rank highly. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is fourth on the list; Stanford University, famed for its Silicon Valley-bound tech graduates, is seventh; the Technical University of Munich is eighth and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology is 12th.

Survey respondents, from a range of firms and industries, were also asked about the skills that they believe graduates need if they are to adapt to the digital revolution, and which countries and institutions they feel are best preparing students for it.

Technion Israel Institute of Technology was rated highest, with the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and UCL coming joint second.

Are you an ANU student or alumni? How well do you think the rankings reflect the quality of education at the ANU? Share your experiences with us by commenting below.