Technological University of the Shannon (TUS ) has the highest number of honours degree graduates in the country in employment nine months after graduation.
According to the most recent HEA (Higher Education Authority ) Graduate Outcomes Survey, 86.9 percent of 2022 TUS honours degree graduates are in employment, the highest percentage in the country.
As many as 96.4 percent of these TUS engineering, manufacturing and construction graduates are in employment, outperforming the national average by almost 11 percent.
According to the national survey, TUS undergraduates are also more likely to take up employment in the regions served by its six campuses.
More than 60 percent of these graduates are currently in employment in the Midlands and Midwest regions, with a further 5.9 percent and 5.1 percent of these TUS undergraduates employed in the neighbouring counties of Galway and Cork.
Almost 20 percent of the 2022 graduates working in Westmeath have honours degrees in information or communication technologies. A further 21.3 percent of students working in the county have undergraduate honour degrees in the area of social science and information.
The HEA Graduate Outcomes Survey also found that as many as 92.7 percent of 2022 TUS taught postgraduates are in employment nine months after graduation, with 93.7 percent of TUS research postgraduates in employment.
“A key focus of TUS is that our graduates are work-ready, and the HEA finding that our graduates are the most employable in the country is a source of pride for us as a university and good news for the regions we serve. The fact that such high numbers are employed within our catchment regions reflects TUS’s commitment to collaborating with industry, businesses and organisations in the Midlands and Midwest.
“Our flexibility and ability to adapt to the ever-changing needs of our regions has ensured that graduates are skilled and work ready to take up employment immediately on graduating. As a result, more than 60 per cent of our 2022 honours degree graduates are working in the Midlands and Midwest, serving their communities, providing for themselves and their families, and supporting the local economy,” TUS President Professor Vincent Cunnane, said.
“We are incredibly proud to be recognised for our commitment to graduate employability. Our goal is to prepare our students for the ever-changing demands of the workforce, and this ranking is a validation of our efforts. Our Careers supports, Career Events and the integration of work placement across our programmes are major contributors to this result,” Dean of Flexible & Work-Based Learning Seamus Hoyne, added.
“The vast majority of our recent graduates are employed in jobs relevant to their course in TUS. As many as 84 percent of our 2022 honours degree graduates have stated that their degree is relevant to their new employment. Overall, our positive results on employment rates, job placements, salary levels and further pursuits all add to our commitment to work-ready graduates and our continuous fostering of connections with industry,” Careers & Employability Manager at TUS Midlands Denise Dolan, concluded.
