Employment Survey. University of Alberta Graduates. Part 1 Findings. University of Alberta Career and Placement Services (CaPS) Prepared by:

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1 University of Alberta Career and Placement Services (CaPS) 2000 University of Alberta Graduates Employment Survey Part 1 Findings Prepared by: Tracy Kennedy, Research Coordinator Tanya Jackson Snicer, Research Coordinator Population Research Lab University of Alberta Wendy L. Coffin, Director Christine Gertz, Library and Information Specialist Joan Schiebelbein, Manager, Advising Services Career and Placement Services (CaPS) University of Alberta October, 2006

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3 Table of Contents Acknowledgements Career and Placement Services (CaPS) would like to thank all the alumni who took the time to respond to this survey and provide information that will be of great assistance to current and future students. We would also like to give special thanks to Donna Fong, David Odynak and all the interviewers at the Population Research Laboratory for their hard work and commitment to this survey. Executive Summary 2 Introduction 4 The Survey Respondents 5 Post-Graduation Schooling 6 Employment Patterns 6 Employment Experiences Six Months after Graduation 7 Relevance of University Education to Employment 8 Occupation of Graduates 9 Type of Industry or Sector 10 Size of Workplace 11 Location of Employment 12 Income Levels 12 Work Search Methods 14 Employment Experiences Three Years after Graduation 15 Changes in Employment Status, Income Levels 15 Employment Location, Work Search Methods 16 Relevance to University Education 16 Employment Experiences Five Years after Graduation 17 Employment Status, Income Levels 17 Type of Employer, Location of Employment 18 Type of Industry or Sector 18 Relevance to University Education 19 Work Search Methods 19 Skills and Abilities Used in Respondent s Job 19 Reasons for Changing Employment 20 Employment Survey of University of Alberta Graduates of 2000 Career and Placement Services 1

4 Executive Summary This report details the findings of a survey of 2,012 University of Alberta graduates who completed their studies in It provides a comprehensive profile of their employment experiences since graduation. The survey was administered in October and November It replicates two earlier surveys administered to 1995 graduates in 2000, and 1990 graduates in Many of the findings of the 2000 survey reported here are compared to those reported for the 1995 graduates. While most findings are similar, the employment experiences of the 2000 graduates are even more positive than those of the 1995 cohort. The report shows that since graduating in 2000, the majority of respondents have enjoyed steady employment and rising salaries. The vast majority of respondents indicated that their university studies were critical both in securing employment and performing effectively in the workplace. Some key highlights of the report: Only 2.3% of respondents were unemployed 2 six months after graduation. Five years after graduation, only 1.9% of respondents were unemployed (39 respondents of the total 2,012). Five years after graduation, there were no unemployed respondents from the faculties of Dentistry, Law, Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Rehabilitation Medicine, and the schools of Library and Information Studies and Native Studies. 1 Both the 1990 and 1995 surveys included a comparison of results with those of 1990 and 1995 surveys conducted by Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD) formerly Human Resources Development Canada and reported in The National Graduate Survey. As data from HRSD s survey of year 2000 graduates was not available at publication time, a similar comparison could not be included in this report. 2 Not working but actively looking for work. Five years after graduation, 68.4% of employed respondents were working in full-time, permanent positions. Over two-thirds (69.6%) of respondents reported that a university degree was required for the position they held six months after graduation. This rose to 80.6% three years after graduation and 85.1% five years after graduation. Six months after graduation, the median annual income range for employed graduates was $35,000 to $39,999. Five years after graduation, the median annual income range was $50,000 to $54, Employment Survey of University of Alberta Graduates of 2000

5 Five years after graduation, the median annual income range was over $75,000 for graduates from the faculties of Dentistry, Law, and Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Six months after graduation, 71.1% of employed respondents were in professional positions 3 ; 56.4% were professionals in education, government, health, natural and applied sciences, or social sciences. Five years after graduation, the figure rose to 80.6% of respondents, including 64% who were professionals in education, government, health, natural/applied sciences or social sciences. The proportion of respondents who were self-employed more than doubled between the six-month and five-year post-graduation intervals. Five years after graduation 8.9% of respondents were self-employed (solely or in part). Just over 38% of respondents returned to school at some point in the five years following graduation. The majority (52.6%) continued their studies at the University of Alberta. The most successful work search method six months, three years and five years after graduation involved networking. For all three periods, approximately 42% of respondents reported that they found out about the position they held from someone they knew. The CaPS Employment Survey of University of Alberta Graduates of 2000 included questions about employment as a student and a question about the industry or sector respondents worked in after graduation. These questions were not included in the two previous surveys. Close to 65% of respondents were employed at some point during the time they were a student (excluding summer jobs). Of these, 60.7% indicated that at least one of the jobs they held as a student was related in some way to the work they found after graduation. The majority of respondents worked in educational services, followed by health care and social assistance, and professional, scientific and technical services. These were the top three industries or sectors for all three periods (six months, three years and five years after graduation). Employment Survey of University of Alberta Graduates of The survey used the National Occupational Classification (NOC) system. See Table 5 for more information. Career and Placement Services 3

6 Introduction In Fall 2005, the University of Alberta s Career and Placement Services (CaPS) sponsored a survey to compile a profile of the employment experiences of University of Alberta graduates of A similar survey was administered to graduates of 1995 in 2000 and to graduates of 1990 in The University of Alberta was the first university in Canada to undertake such a comprehensive sampling, across all faculties, of its graduates employment experiences. Purpose of the Survey University graduates employment experiences immediately after graduation are an important measure of how successful the institution is in preparing students for the workforce. Equally important, however, are graduates long-term employment experiences. It may take some university graduates, embarking upon a professional career, a number of years in the workforce to reach their employment potential. A key goal of this study, therefore, is to capture a dynamic picture of the employment patterns of University of Alberta graduates by tracking their employment experiences at six months, three years, and five years after graduation. Role of CaPS at the University of Alberta Career and Placement Services (CaPS), the survey s sponsor, is a University of Alberta service that offers students and alumni access to comprehensive career planning and work search services and resources. CaPS also creates contacts with, and maintains avenues of access to, employers to ensure that they recognize the quality of University of Alberta graduates and recruit them into their organizations. As well, CaPS acts as a central resource for the University of Alberta and the broader community on student employment and labour market issues. Who Uses This Report? Survey Methods The CaPS Employment Survey is a useful resource for many different groups who want to understand the work experiences of university graduates. It can be accessed by university faculty and administration for programming and allocating resources; by students and alumni for valuable information about career planning and work search; by career development professionals to assist clients with setting career goals and finding employment; and by employers for information on how graduates seek and find work. The University of Alberta s Population Research Laboratory (PRL), which administered the survey, is western Canada s largest university-based survey research organization. Established in 1966, the PRL is a unit of the Department of Sociology. The survey was administered by telephone and via the Web to 2,012 University of Alberta graduates. Residents of Canada and the United States were surveyed by telephone from late August to early November 2005 using the PRL s computer-assisted telephone interviewing system. A total of 1,992 questionnaires were completed this way. A questionnaire was administered on-line in October and November 2005 to University of Alberta graduates no longer resident in North America. This questionnaire varied from the telephone version in that respondents were asked questions only about their employment experiences five years after graduation. Twenty surveys were completed on-line. 4 Employment Survey of University of Alberta Graduates of 2000

7 The Survey Respondents Of the 2,012 respondents, 1,174 (58.3%) were female and 838 (41.7%) were male. The age range of respondents was 25 to 80 years, with a median age of 29. Approximate age range at graduation was 20 to 75, with a median age of 24. At the time of the survey, most of the respondents were between the ages of 26 and 35 (79.4%). The number of respondents who described themselves as members of a visible minority was 337 (16.8%). The number who identified themselves as Aboriginal was 46 (2.3%). Thirty-seven respondents (1.8%) described themselves as having a disability. Graduates of all faculties and schools at the University of Alberta participated in the survey (see Table 1). The Faculty of Education had the greatest number of respondents with 404 (20.1% of the total number of respondents). Table 1 also shows the percentage by faculty and school of year 2000 graduates who participated in the survey. The Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry, and Home Economics had the highest percentage of graduates participating in the survey (37.4%); Dentistry had the lowest (16.7%). Table 1. Faculty/School Number and Percentage of Respondents by Faculty and School Number of Respondents Of the respondents, 77.4% graduated with a bachelor s degree in 2000; 12.8% with a master s degree; 3.4% with a professional degree; 5.1% with a doctoral degree; and 1.3% with a diploma or certificate. At the time of graduation, 92.2% of respondents were full-time students. Almost all bachelor s degree students (96.5%) were enrolled full-time. Diploma and master s degree students were more likely to be enrolled part-time than bachelor s degree students. In master s programs, 31.8% of respondents were part-time. Significantly fewer graduates from diploma and certificate programs were part-time in 2000 (18.5%) than in 1995 (40.3%). Employment Survey of University of Alberta Graduates of 2000 Percentage of Total Percentage of Total Number of Graduates by Faculty/School Agriculture, Forestry, and Home Economics Arts Business Dentistry Education Engineering Faculté Saint-Jean Law Library and Information Studies Medicine Native Studies Nursing Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Physical Education and Recreation Rehabilitation Medicine Science Total Career and Placement Services 5

8 Post-Graduation Schooling Following graduation in 2000 and up until the time of the survey, 38.4% of respondents enrolled in another post-secondary program at some point. Of these, 52.8% enrolled in a program at the University of Alberta. Other institutions mentioned by more than 2% of respondents who had continued their post-secondary education were the University of Calgary, Grant MacEwan College, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), Athabasca University, and the University of British Columbia. The majority of respondents who continued post-secondary studies attended a university-based program (see Table 2); almost half of them pursued graduate studies (44.8%). Technical institutes and community colleges were mentioned by 7.8% of respondents. Almost 13% enrolled in a university after-degree program (12.9%). The two most popular fields of study for respondents returning to a post-secondary institution were education (16.5%) and business (13.6%). Table 2. Type of Post-Secondary Programs Taken after Graduation (n=773) Type of Program Number of Respondents Percentage Technical Institute/Community College University Undergraduate University After-Degree University Graduate University Professional School Professional Certificate Other Just over two-thirds (67.1%) of the respondents attended school full-time, while just over one-quarter (26.0%) attended part-time. These figures are close to those reported by 1995 graduates (68.6% full-time and 25.6% part-time enrollment). Employment Patterns Almost two-thirds of the 2000 respondents (64.7%) had been employed at some point during the time they were students (excluding summer employment). Most of them (71%) worked part-time. Just under one-fifth (17.9%) worked full-time and slightly more than one-tenth (11.1%) worked both full-time and part-time at some point. Most (68.4%) worked in one job at a time. Of the 31.6% who held more than one job at a time, 81.6% held two jobs and 17.4% held three. Following graduation in 2000 and up until the time of the survey, the majority (98.4%) of respondents had been employed some or all of the time. Of the small number (n=32) who had not, 68.8% indicated that going to school was the main reason they had not worked at a paid job since graduation. Three respondents indicated traveling as the reason they had not worked at all in a paid position since 2000; two mentioned family responsibilities as the main reason they had not worked. 6 Employment Survey of University of Alberta Graduates of 2000

9 Employment Experiences Six Months After Graduation Six months after graduating in 2000, 90.9% of respondents were employed. This rate is 6.4% higher than the rate for the 1995 graduates. The vast majority (86.9%) were working for an employer, while 4% were self-employed or both self-employed and working as an employee. Six months after graduation, unemployment levels were low for all respondents (2.3%). Among the seven faculties that had over 100 respondents, the unemployment rate varied from 1.8% for Nursing to 5.1% for Engineering. Respondents from the faculties of Business, Education and Nursing all had a rate below the survey s average. The unemployment rates for the faculties of Agriculture, Forestry, and Home Economics, and Arts, Engineering, and Science were slightly above the average. Faculty of Nursing respondents experienced the largest drop in unemployment when compared to their 1995 cohort, who reported 15.6% unemployment six months after graduation. Over four-fifths (83%) of respondents who were employed six months after graduating in 2000 held one paid job. This figure was much the same as the 1995 graduates (82.6%). There was also little difference between the two cohorts in number of those holding two paid jobs at the same time (14.7% for respondents who graduated in 2000 and 14.3% for those who graduated in 1995). The percentage of 2000 respondents who worked three or more jobs was 2.3%, compared with 3.1% for the 1995 cohort. The employment status of respondents was divided into full-time, part-time, and both full- and part-time. The majority were full-time employees (80.3%), followed by part-time employees (15.6%). A small percentage (4.1%) were working both full-time and part-time. Fewer respondents to the 1995 survey were working full-time (73.6%) and more were working part-time (20.9%) or both full-time and part-time (5.6%). Looking at levels of job permanency six months after graduating in 2000, 59.1% of respondents held permanent positions, 37.7% were in temporary positions, and 3.2% were self-employed. These percentages are very similar to those for the 1995 cohort (59.4%, 36.2% and 4.5%, respectively). Table 3 shows that holding a full-time position increased the chances of holding a permanent position. There was a slight decline in full-time permanent positions for the 2000 respondents (51.8%) compared to the 1995 cohort (53.8%). Table 3. Type of Position Held (n=1776)* Six months after graduation Percentage of Type of Position Held Full-time permanent Income Range 51.8 Full-time temporary 26.4 Part-time permanent 5.7 Part-time temporary 9.2 *Excludes respondents who were self-employed Employment Survey of University of Alberta Graduates of 2000 Career and Placement Services 7

10 Relevance of University Education to Employment Respondents who were not employed and not looking for work six months after graduating in 2000 (n=131) indicated that the main reason they were not looking for work was because they were going to school (68.7%). Traveling (17.6%) was reported as the second reason. Family responsibilities and wanting time off were reported by an equal number of respondents (5.3%). Respondents were asked whether they participated in some type of volunteer work six months after graduation. Almost one-third (30.8%) indicated they were actively involved in volunteering. At six months after graduation, over two-thirds (69.6%) of respondents agreed that a university degree was necessary for them to successfully fulfill their job responsibilities. This is over 5% higher than the number of 1995 respondents who reported that a university degree was required for the position they held six months after graduation. Respondents were also asked to rate how related their program of study was to their job using a scale of 1 to 7, with 1 being not at all related and 7 being directly related. More than half (52.9%) of the respondents reported that the job they held six months after graduation was directly related to their program of study. Fewer (46.8%) 1995 respondents reported that their program of study and position were directly related. The percentage who felt that their position was closely related to their university program (chose 5 or 6 on the scale of 1 to 7) was 19.7% for both 2000 and 1995 respondents. The degree of relatedness of education to employment differed along faculty lines. At six months after graduation, over 90% of respondents from faculties and schools that are known for preparing students for specific professional occupations (e.g., Dentistry, Law, Library and Information Studies, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Rehabilitation Medicine) reported that their program of study was directly or closely related to their job. Respondents from the Faculty of Arts reported the lowest levels of relatedness between education and employment. Close to 36% indicated that a university degree was required for the position they held six months after graduation. Over one third (34.8%) felt that their program of study was directly or closely related to their job, while a similar number (35.5%) felt that the two were not related at all. While less favourable than results for other faculties, these percentages are more favourable than for the 1995 Arts graduates. Only 32.5% of 1995 respondents from the Faculty of Arts indicated that a university degree was required for the position they held six months after graduation. Regarding how related their program of study was to their job, 30.2% indicated that the two were directly or closely related; 43.1% felt that they were not related at all. Table 4 shows a comparison of relevance of education to employment by faculty and school for respondents to the current survey as well as respondents to the 1995 survey. The percentages represent respondents who indicated that their program of study was directly or closely related to the job they held six months after graduation. 8

11 Occupation of Graduates Table 4. Relevance of Program of Study to Employment Six months after graduation By Faculty/School Agriculture, Forestry, and Home Economics 2000 Respondents by Percentage Respondents by Percentage 63.0 Arts Business Dentistry Education Engineering Faculté Saint-Jean Law Library and Information Studies 90.9 * Medicine Native Studies 60.0 * Nursing Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Physical Education and Recreation Rehabilitation Medicine Science *Numbers not available for The degree of relevance of education to employment increased by over 10% between the 2000 survey and the 1995 survey for respondents from the faculties of Business, Medicine, Nursing, and Physical Education and Recreation. The faculties of Education, Engineering and Law recorded an increase of over 5%. These positive increases from 1995 to 2000 may be attributed to a healthier job market due to a wealthier economy generally, a perceived need for certain skills, and a rebuilding of certain health care positions that were reduced over the past decade. The occupations graduates were working in were coded using the four-digit National Occupational Classification (NOC) system 4. Table 5 lists the top five occupational groups reported by respondents working six months after graduation. Examples of occupational titles for each group are included. The top five occupational groups reported by respondents were the same for 2000 and 1995 except for the fifth occupational group. More 1995 respondents (4.7%) were working in professional occupations in business and finance than in intermediate sales and service occupations (3.4%). The percentage of 2000 respondents working in professional occupations in business and finance six months after graduation was 4%. 4 The NOC is a systematic taxonomy of occupations developed by the federal government in Occupations are grouped together by skill level and skill type, and each occupational group is identified by a four-digit code. Several occupational titles are classified within each grouping and share the same four-digit code. The NOC contains 520 occupational groups and more than 30,000 occupational titles. Employment Survey of University of Alberta Graduates of 2000 Career and Placement Services 9

12 Table 5. Occupational Groups and Sample Occupational Titles Six months after graduation Occupational Group Professional Occupations in Social Science, Education, Government Services, and Religion Professional Occupations in Health Professional Occupations in Natural and Applied Science Middle and Other Management Occupations Intermediate Sales and Service Occupations Sample Occupational Titles Teachers, University Professors, Post-Secondary Teaching and Research Assistants, College/ Vocational Instructors, Psychologists, Social Workers, Lawyers, Counsellors, Policy and Program Officers/Researchers/Consultants Nurses, Physicians, Dentists, Pharmacists, Dieticians and Nutritionists, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Audiologists and Speech Therapists Physicists, Chemists, Geologists, Biologists, Forestry Professionals, Agricultural Specialists, Engineers, Urban and Land Use Planners, Mathematicians and Statisticians, Database Analysts and Administrators, Computer Programmers, Web Designers and Developers Financial Managers, Human Resources Managers, Engineering Managers, Managers in Health Care, Post-Secondary Administrators, School Principals and Administrators, Government Managers, Recreation and Sports Directors, Retail Trade Managers Travel Counsellors, Tour Guides, Outdoor Sport and Recreational Guides, Correctional Service Officers, By-Law Enforcement Officers, School Teacher Assistants, Sales Representatives Percentage of Respondents Type of Industry or Sector Respondents were also asked what industry or sector they were employed in. Their responses were coded using the six-digit North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). At six months after graduation, respondents reported employment in a diverse range of industries. Almost 30% were working in educational services. This was the largest industry reported and corresponds with the occupations most reported such as teachers, instructors and professors. Employment in health care and social assistance was the second highest (16.3%) sector, and professional, scientific, and technical services was third (13.7%). At six months after graduation, retail trade (6.3%) and mining and oil and gas extraction (5.2%) were the only additional industries reported by more than five percent of respondents. 10 Employment Survey of University of Alberta Graduates of 2000

13 Size of Workplace Just under half (48.9%) of respondents were working in large organizations of 1,000 employees or more six months after graduation. Table 6. Number of People Employed by Respondent s Employer Six months after graduation Percentage of Number of Staff Employed 1-24 Respondents ,000 or more 48.9 Respondents from the faculties of Dentistry, Law, and Physical Education and Recreation and the School of Library and Information Studies were more likely to work for smaller employers; respondents from Education and, particularly, Nursing found employment generally in larger organizations. Table 7. Employment in Small Organizations (1-24 staff) by Faculty or School Six months after graduation Percentage of By Faculty/School Agriculture, Forestry, and Home Economics Respondents 21.9 Arts 27.5 Business 16.0 Dentistry 81.8 Education 12.2 Engineering 16.9 Faculté Saint-Jean 0 Law 41.0 Library and Information Studies 36.4 Medicine 24.5 Native Studies 40.0 Nursing 4.2 Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences 25.8 Physical Education and Recreation 36.4 Rehabilitation Medicine 22.1 Science 15.2 Comparing the 2000 and 1995 surveys, in 2000 there was a sizable increase (12.3%) in Medicine respondents working in small organizations (1-24 staff) and an 11.7% decrease in Pharmacy respondents working in small organizations. Employment Survey of University of Alberta Graduates of 2000 Career and Placement Services 11

14 Location of Employment Six months after graduation, the percentage of respondents who found employment in Alberta was similar for 2000 respondents (83.6%) and 1995 respondents (84.6%). However, there was a shift in the percentage working in Edmonton (from 52.1% in 1995 to 60.1% in 2000) compared to those working elsewhere in Alberta (23.5% for 2000 respondents and 32.5% for 1995 respondents). The percentage of 2000 respondents who worked elsewhere in Canada was nearly identical to the 1995 cohort (10.3% and 10.2% respectively), while the percentage of respondents who worked outside Canada increased slightly (from 5.2% in 1995 to 6.1% in 2000). Income Levels All working respondents were asked to report their annual income (in increments of $5,000) from their main job six months after graduation. Total individual or total family income could not be calculated as many respondents held more than one job or had other sources of income. As questions about income are of a personal nature, and because of the difficulty after a five years time lapse of recalling income details, 7% of the respondents did not answer the question on income at six months after graduation. Table 8. Annual Income from Respondent s Main Job Six months after graduation Annual Income Ranges Respondent s Main Job Percent Less than 10, $10,000-14, $15,000-19, $20,000-24, $25,000-29, $30,000-34, $35,000-39, $40,000-44, $45,000-49, $50,000-54, $55,000-59, $60,000-64, $65,000-69, $70,000-74, $75,000 and above 4.6 Overall, the median income range was $35,000-$39,999. The median annual income range for the 1995 cohort was two ranges lower at $25,000-$29,999. While some of this can be explained by inflation alone, the proportion of those within the highest income ranges ($60,000 and above) doubled when 2000 respondents (11.4%) were compared to the 1995 respondents (5.6%) at six months after graduation. Table 9 shows income variation by employment status. For those respondents holding full-time, permanent positions, the median annual income range was $35,000-$39,999. Although the median annual income was the same for both 1995 and 2000 respondents holding full-time, permanent positions six months after graduation, the proportion of 2000 respondents reporting an income of $60,000 and above was 16.7%, compared to only 8.8% for the 1995 respondents. 12 Employment Survey of University of Alberta Graduates of 2000

15 Table 9. Annual Income: Respondents with Permanent Full-time Jobs Six months after graduation Annual Income Ranges Respondent s Main Job Less than 10,000 Percent 0.1 $10,000-19, $20,000-29, $30,000-39, $40,000-49, $50,000-59, $60,000-69, $70,000 and over 10.0 Annual income also varied by program of study. Table 10 shows median annual incomes by faculty and school at six months after graduation. The chart in Table 10 assumes the median income within each range is at the mid-position of the range. For example, incomes between $30,000 and $34,999 are represented as $32,500. Table 10. Median* Annual Incomes by Faculty and School Six months after graduation By Faculty/School Agriculture, Forestry, and Home Economics Median Income $37,500 Arts $27,500 Business $37,500 Dentistry $67,500 Education $37,500 Engineering $47,500 Faculté Saint-Jean $32,500 Law $27,500 Library and Information Studies $37,500 Medicine $37,500 Native Studies $22,500 Nursing $47,500 Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences $67,500 Physical Education & Recreation $32,500 Rehabilitation Medicine $42,500 Science $32,500 *Coded in $5,000 increments. Respondents from some professional faculties, such as Law, were still articling or in an internship position just after graduation. Their low income median reflects that situation. There were slight income differences by gender six months after graduation. The median annual income for female respondents was $32,500, one increment ($5,000) below that of male respondents. Both men and women respondents saw increases of one range three years after graduation, with women remaining one increment below men. Five years after graduation, men s annual income range was $60,000-$64,999 and women s was two ranges below men s ($50,000-$54,999). Employment Survey of University of Alberta Graduates of 2000 Career and Placement Services 13

16 Work Search Methods One of the objectives of this survey was to find out the methods University of Alberta graduates used to find work. To this end, the survey participants were asked how they found out about the job they held six months after graduation (multiple responses were allowed). The top response (42.7%) was personal contacts (e.g., friend, professor), followed by contacting employers directly (42.1%). Close to 31% of respondents had previous work or volunteer experience with their employer. Of these, 34.4% had had a practicum, internship or co-op placement with their employer. These methods are part of what is often referred to as networking. This supports the findings of other research studies, including the CaPS survey of 1995 University of Alberta graduates, which maintain that networking is the most effective strategy for finding work. The most significant differences between the survey of 2000 graduates and the survey of 1995 graduates were the use of print advertisement and the Internet: 11.5% of 2000 respondents found out about the job they held six months after graduation from a print advertisement, compared with 25.9% of 1995 respondents. Only 1.4% of 1995 respondents used the Internet to search for work, while 12.5% of 2000 respondents found out about their job through the Internet. Just over half of that 12.5% found out about their job from a posting on their employer s website. Respondents also reported that they found out about the job they held six months after graduation by using a career or employment centre (16.5%) or through a listserv or newsgroup to which they belonged (2.5%). Comparing work search methods and education, respondents from the faculties of Education, Law, and Medicine were more likely than other respondents to find work by contacting employers directly. Respondents from the School of Library and Information Studies and the faculties of Education and Physical Education and Recreation used personal contacts equally with contacting employers directly. Respondents from Agriculture, Forestry, and Home Economics, Arts, Business, Dentistry, Engineering, Faculté Saint-Jean, and Science relied mostly on personal contacts to find work. Finally, respondents from the faculties of Agriculture, Forestry, and Home Economics, Engineering, and Science were more likely to find employment through on-campus job postings than respondents from other faculties. Previous work or volunteer experience with their employer appears to be of different importance to graduates from different programs of study. No respondents from Dentistry found employment as a result of having previous work experience with their employer. In contrast, 53.2% of Nursing graduates, 45.6% of Rehabilitation Medicine graduates, 41.2% of Pharmacy graduates, and 31.7% of Education graduates cited previous work experience as important in finding the position they held six months after graduation. This may be explained in part by the fact that graduates of these faculties have a work experience component as part of their academic program. 14 Employment Survey of University of Alberta Graduates of 2000

17 Employment Experiences Three Years After Graduation All survey questions were repeated for respondents who reported a change in their employment situation (e.g., job change, promotion, change in employment status from part-time to full-time, change from unemployment to employment) between six months and three years after graduation. All respondents were asked questions about their income at each of the intervals. Where applicable, responses for the three-year post-graduation period are combined with responses from those who did not report a change in their employment circumstances in order to provide an overall picture of graduates employment experiences three years after graduation. Changes in Employment Status, Income Levels Two-thirds (66.6%) of respondents indicated that their employment status had changed during the period six months to three years after graduation. Many respondents went back to school, moved into career-related employment, were promoted within their organization, or found better opportunities with other employers. The proportion of respondents in the workforce increased slightly, from 90.9% six months after graduation to 91.1% three years after graduation. Both of these numbers are higher than the proportion of 1995 respondents (84.5% and 88.6% respectively). The unemployment rate dropped from an already low level at the six-month point (2.3%) to only 1.1% three years after graduation. The unemployment rate for 1995 respondents three years after graduation was also low at 1.3%. Unemployment levels also declined substantially among respondents from certain faculties and schools. Three years after graduation no respondents from the following programs reported unemployment: Agriculture, Forestry, and Home Economics Dentistry Faculté Saint-Jean Law Library and Information Studies Native Studies Nursing Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Physical Education and Recreation Rehabilitation Medicine The proportion of employed respondents working full-time rose from 80.3% six months after graduation to 84% three years after graduation, while the percentage working part-time declined from 15.6% to 10.6%. Temporary employment dropped from 37.7% six months after graduation to 23.9% three years after graduation. This latter figure is 3.5% higher than that for the 1995 cohort three years after graduation. Three years after graduation, 65.6% of employed respondents held full-time, permanent jobs (excluding those who were self-employed). This figure is a substantial increase over the percentage who held full-time, permanent positions at the six-month point (51.8%) but lower than that reported by 1995 respondents at the three-year point (72.2%). Part-time temporary work dropped 1.7% from the six-month point to three years after graduation. Employment Survey of University of Alberta Graduates of 2000 Career and Placement Services 15

18 Income changes were positive. Few respondents experienced decreases in income between six months and three years after graduation. The median annual salary range increased by two salary ranges ($10,000), from the $35,000-$39,999 six months after graduation to $45,000-$49,999 three years after graduation. Table 11. Change in Income Range of Employed Respondents Reporting a Change in Employment Circumstances Between Six Months and Three Years After Graduation (n=969) Change in income range for respondents reporting a change in employment circumstances Percent Experienced an increase in income 76.9 Experienced a decrease in income 14.1 Experienced no change in income 8.9 Not surprisingly, salary changes also showed some variation by faculty and school. While the majority of graduates moved up an average of two salary ranges, graduates from Law experienced an increase of seven salary ranges (from $25,000-$29,999 to $60,000-$64,999). This increase matches their 1995 cohort and is the result of moving from an articling position at six months after graduation to being admitted to the bar and earning a regular salary at the three-year point. Rehabilitation Medicine respondents from 2000 saw an increase in their salary of two ranges between the six-month and three-year point, unlike their 1995 cohort who remained at their six month salary range three years later. Employment Location, Work Search Methods The proportion of respondents working outside Edmonton dropped very slightly between six months and three years after graduation (see Table 12). Respondents who moved outside of Edmonton went to other sites within Canada or outside of Canada instead of other locations within Alberta. Fewer 1995 respondents worked in Edmonton at both six months and three years after graduation (52.1% and 47.2% respectively), while more worked in other areas of the province of Alberta (32.5% and 34.8% respectively). Table 12. Location of Respondent s Employer Location of respondent s employer six months and three years after graduation Percentage at six months Percentage at three years Edmonton Other Alberta Other Canada Outside Canada The successful methods respondents used three years after graduation to find work were not substantially different than those used six months after graduation. Networking continued to be the most successful method of finding work. Use of the Internet increased between the two periods, from 12.5% and 19.3%. Relevance to University Education The proportion of respondents indicating that a university education was required for the job they held three years after graduation was 80.6%, a sizable increase compared with 69.6% at six months. Fewer 1995 respondents (78.2%) reported that a university degree was required for the job they held three years after graduation. When asked to indicate how closely the job they held three years after graduation related to their university program, 77.1% of 2000 respondents felt that their job was directly or closely related to their university program, compared with 74.9% of 1995 respondents. 16 Employment Survey of University of Alberta Graduates of 2000

19 Employment Experiences Five Years After Graduation Only respondents who reported that their employment circumstances changed between three years and five years after graduation were asked the full series of questions again. Where applicable, their responses are combined with responses from those who did not report a change, in order to provide an overall picture of graduates employment experiences five years after graduation. Employment Status, Income Levels Just over half (52.3%) of respondents experienced a change in their employment circumstances between three years and five years after graduation. There was a slight drop in the employment rate between these two periods (from 91.1% to 89.6%) and a slight increase in an already low unemployment rate (from 1.1% to 1.9%). Respondents who were not looking for work five years after graduation (8.3%) reported furthering their education and family responsibilities as the first and second reasons. Several respondents named maternity leave as their reason for not looking for work. Five years after graduating, no respondents from the following faculties and schools reported unemployment: Dentistry Law Library and Information Studies Native Studies Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Rehabilitation Medicine Five years after graduation, 88.2% of employed respondents had acquired full-time work, compared with 80.3% six months after graduation and 84.0% three years after graduation. Just over one-quarter (75.3%) of employed respondents were in permanent positions five years after graduation. This compares with 59.1% six months after graduation and 71.8% three years after graduation. A comparison over the five-year period shows a steady increase in the proportion of respondents in full-time, permanent employment (see Table 13). Table 13. Change in Permanent Full-time Positions among Employed Respondents* Six months, three years, and five years after graduation Change in permanent full-time positions Percentage at six months Self-employment also continued to rise five years after graduation (see Table 14). While many respondents from the Faculty of Law finished their articling and moved into their own practice five years after graduation, fewer did so than their 1995 cohort. Half of the 2000 respondents from Dentistry reported being fully self-employed at six months after graduation, while two-thirds were fully or partially self-employed five years after graduating. Employment Survey of University of Alberta Graduates of 2000 Percentage at three years Full-time permanent Other employment *Excludes self-employed Percentage at five years Career and Placement Services 17

20 Table 14. Self-Employment as a Proportion of Total Response (n=2012) Six months, three years, and five years after graduation Self-Employment Percentage* Six months after graduation 4.0 Three years after graduation 5.7 Five years after graduation 8.9 *Includes those who were solely self-employed and those who were self-employed and also worked for an employer. The majority of respondents (81.4%) reporting a change in employment circumstances also reported an increase in income (see Table 15). This compares with 77.2% for the1995 cohort. The number of 2000 respondents who received salary increases of $20,000 or more (49.2%) was substantially greater than the number of 1995 graduates (36.5%) who received similar increases. Table 15. Change in Respondent s Salary Range (n=1368) Six months to five years after graduation Change in Respondent s Salary Range Increase by $20,000 or more Percentage 49.2 Increase by $15, Increase by $10, Increase by $5, No change 10.4 Decrease by $5, Decrease by $10, Decrease by $15, Decrease by $20,000 or more 2.8 Not unexpectedly, respondents from Law, Dentistry, and Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences led with the highest median incomes five years after graduation (all above $75,000). Medicine and Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences graduates reported a significantly higher median income than did their 1995 cohort five years after graduation. Type of Employer, Location of Employment Five years after graduation, the numbers of respondents working in large organizations (1,000 employees or more) had increased slightly from 48.9% at the six-month point to 51.4% at the five-year point. Almost 17% of the respondents worked for small employers with fewer than 25 staff members five years after graduation, just over 1% less than the number working for small employers at the six-month point. The proportion of respondents working in Edmonton five years after graduation was 56.2%, a small decline from the percentage working in Edmonton six months after graduation (60.1%) Type of Industry or Sector As at six months after graduation, more respondents (34.5%) worked in educational services five years after graduation than in any other industry or sector. Health care and social assistance (17.8% of respondents) and professional, scientific, and technical services (15.8% of respondents) continued to hold second and third place respectively. Five years after graduation, 5.8% of respondents worked in mining and oil and gas extraction services, with engineers and computer programmers the most likely to be employed in this area. Public administration (3.9%) was also in the top five sectors or industries respondents were working in five years after graduation. 18 Employment Survey of University of Alberta Graduates of 2000

21 Relevance to University Education Work Search Methods Skills and Abilities Used in Respondent s Job Five years after graduation, 85.1% of all respondents viewed their university degree as a requirement for their job, an increase over the 80.6% who held this view three years after graduation. The proportion of 1995 respondents who felt that a university degree was required for the job they held five years after graduation was 81.7%. Five years after graduation, 77.7% indicated that the job they held was directly or closely related to the university program from which they graduated. This compares with 68.7% for the 1995 cohort. Networking continued to be the most successful work search technique used by respondents five years after graduation, the same top method reported by respondents at the six-month and three-year points. Of respondents who reported a change in their employment between the three- and five-year points, 42.9% found out about the job they held five years after graduation from personal contacts (e.g., friend, professor), while 29.9% contacted their employer directly and 29.5% had previous work or volunteer experience with their employer. The percentage of 2000 respondents who used the Internet to find work increased substantially across the three time intervals. Six months after graduation 12.5% of respondents reported that they used the Internet to find work. This figure increased to 19.3% at the three-year point and to 25.7% five years after graduation. The figures for the 1995 cohort group were 1.4%, 2.8% and 9.1% respectively. One-third of the 25.7% of respondents who used the Internet five years after graduation found out about the job they held from their employer s website. The growing use of the Internet for work search was accompanied by a decline in the use of printed advertising. Six months after graduation, 11.5% of 2000 respondents found out about their job from a newspaper ad compared with 8.4% five years after graduation. The proportion of 1995 respondents who found out from a print advertisement about the job they held five years after graduation was 27.5%. Respondents who were employed at some time or all of the time after graduation were asked a series of questions about the extent to which they used different skills in their main job. The list of skills was based on requirements regularly identified as essential skills for work. Respondents were asked to rate each skill using a 5-point scale, with 1 indicating the skill was not used at all and 5 indicating it was used a great deal. Table 16. Importance of Various Skills in Respondent s Job (n=1977) Five years after graduation Importance of Various Skills five years after graduation Employment Survey of University of Alberta Graduates of 2000 Percentage 1995 respondents Percentage 2000 respondents Writing Speaking Critical Judgment Creative Thinking Problem-Solving Computer Leadership Working Independently Working with Others Speaking/Writing a Language Other than English * 4.4 *Figure unavailable Career and Placement Services 19

22 Table 16 shows the proportion of 1995 and 2000 respondents who indicated they used certain skills a great deal (5 on the 5-point scale). As might be expected, there were sizable differences between respondents from different programs of study. Writing skills were rated highest by Law graduates (93%); only 16.7% of Dentistry graduates said they used writing skills a great deal. Speaking skills were rated highest by graduates from Rehabilitation Medicine, Education, Faculté Saint-Jean, Nursing, Physical Education and Recreation, and Law (rated above 88% by each). Respondents from the faculties of Law, Medicine, Nursing, and Rehabilitation Medicine all gave highest ratings for critical judgment (rated above 93% by each). Creative thinking skills were rated highest by Education graduates (76.9%) and lowest by Dentistry graduates (8.3%). Nursing graduates rated problem-solving the highest (88.5%) and graduates from Law, Education, Native Studies, and Rehabilitation Medicine all rated problem-solving above 80%, well above the average of 72.8%. Library and Information Studies graduates rated computer skills (81.8%) the highest, followed by Engineering graduates (56.5%), and Science graduates (50.9%). Not surprisingly, respondents who reported use of computer skills least were from Rehabilitation Medicine (14.3%) and Dentistry (8.3%). Leadership skills were rated the highest by graduates from Education (71.6%). Graduates from Law, Physical Education and Recreation, and Dentistry gave the highest rating for working independently (rated over 83.0% by each). Nursing graduates (88.5%) and Rehabilitation Medicine graduates (88.6%) reported the highest use of teamwork skills. Reasons for Changing Employment Just over 77% of 2000 respondents had a change in their employment status at least once in the five years since graduation. This compares with 79.9% for the 1995 cohort. Respondents cited a variety of reasons for changing their employment status (see Table 17). Table 17. Selected Reasons for Change in Respondent s Employment Status 1995 and 2000* graduates Change Reason Percentage 1995 Graduates Percentage 2000 Graduates Laid off/downsizing Found New Job Promoted Personal/Family Responsibilities Go to School Moved Job in Career Area Permanent Job Better Pay Personal Fulfillment *Reported by more than 5% of 2000 respondents. Personal fulfillment (25.8%) was the primary reason given for changing employment status. Better pay (20.3%) and going to school (18.8%) were the next most common reasons. Compared to the 1995 cohort, a substantially higher proportion of respondents who graduated in 2000 reported returning to school as a reason for a change (8% increase). As well, respondents graduating in 2000 reported they were less likely than 1995 graduates to change jobs in order to move into one more related to their career. With a generally healthy economy, rising salaries, and the high employment rates experienced by nearly all the 2000 graduates within six months of completing their university program, the decline in moves toward a career-based job can be partly explained by respondents satisfaction with the employment opportunities in their field or program. 20