Demand for graduates increasing

Press release by the Victoria Univerity of Wellington

Despite gloomy economic predictors, employer demand for university graduates is growing significantly.

The number of graduate vacancies on the NZUniCareerHub website to the end of April has doubled compared to the same time last year with nearly 60 per cent more employers using the website to advertise internships, scholarships and graduate positions. 

The website, which is available free to students, is run by University Career Advisers of New Zealand (UCANZ). It represents Auckland University of Technology; Lincoln and Massey Universities; the University of Auckland, Canterbury, Otago; and Victoria University of Wellington.

UCANZ spokesperson Liz Medford, manager of Career Development and Employment Services at Victoria University, attributes the growing demand as recognition among employers of the value that graduates add to small and medium sized organisations as well as to larger corporates. 

”Smaller organisations have recognised the CareerHub system provides an effective, low cost way of reaching a large number of students targeted to their specific requirements.

More than 900 employers are registered on CareerHub and use the services for participating in campus career expos, employer presentations and advertising to specific student target groups or courses. 

“The increase in graduate vacancies follows global trends. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers in the US, employers are planning to hire 19.3 per cent more new university graduates this year than in 2010.”   

More than 19,000 students in New Zealand have registered to use CareerHub and have logged on over 100,000 times this year.