Uncertain economic times, combined with continued drought stress, may have caused a fall in the availability of full-time jobs for agriculture graduates in the first half of last year, but early indications suggest a turnaround this year.
The 2009 Australian Graduate Survey, conducted by Graduate Careers Australia (GCA), found the number of agriculture graduates in full-time work had fallen early last year.
GCA’s acting executive director, Bruce Guthrie, said the results showed 82.2 per cent of agriculture graduates in 2008, who finished studies in 2007, were in full-time work within four months, but last year that figure fell to 77pc.
Mr Guthrie said problems such as the drought could have been a factor for agriculture graduates, but added the survey did not consider the second half of last year when there was an improvement in the labour market.
He said the economic downturn in late 2008 and 2009 might have also been the reason it took longer for graduates to find employment compared with previous years.
Full story in The Land January 21.
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