Celebrations for TUS as degree graduates boast highest employment rate in Ireland and milestone for Flexible Students

TUS degree graduates boast highest employment rate in Ireland. Photographed at this semester’s Career’s Day on the TUS Moylish Campus were David Roche, Work Placement Officer; Peter O’Reilly, Work Placement Officer; Saoirse Meaney, Careers & Employability Administrator; TUS Dean of Flexible & Work Based Learning, Seamus Hoyne; Joanne Holland, Careers Officer; Claire Mason – Work Placement Officer; Aoife Prendergast, Careers & Employability Service Manager; Tara Ryan, Work Placement Administrator; Rose Collins, Work Placement Officer.

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% of 2022 TUS honours degree graduates are in employment, the highest percentage in the country.

As many as 96.4% of these TUS engineering, manufacturing and construction graduates are in employment, out-performing the national average by almost 11 per cent.

According to the national survey, TUS undergraduates are also more likely to take up employment in the regions served by its six campuses.

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More than 60% of these graduates are currently in employment in the Mid West and Midlands regions, with a further 5.9% and 5.1% of these TUS undergraduates employed in the neighbouring counties of Galway and Cork.

Almost a third of TUS undergraduates from 2022 have taken up employment in Limerick, with 44.4% working in the Mid West region – including Clare and Tipperary.

The HEA Graduate Outcomes Survey also found that as many as 92.7% of 2022 TUS taught postgraduates are in employment nine months after graduation, with 93.7% of TUS research postgraduates in employment.

As well as this, TUS BSc graduates have recently celebrated a series of firsts at their graduation – the 15 flexible learning students were the first to be awarded the Bachelor of Science in Quality and the first graduates to achieve their award through the application of the university’s Recognition of Prior Learning Policy.

Under this policy each graduate completed three separate certificates in Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) & Data Integrity; Quality Management & Statistics; and Regulatory Affairs and Quality, online over a three-year period.

On competition of all three separate certificates the graduates were given the option to rescind or ‘cash in’ the three individual awards, and exit with a major award in Bachelor of Science Level 7 Quality Degree.

President of TUS Professor Vincent Cunnane said, “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 Mid West. 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% of our 2022 honours degree graduates are working in the Midlands and Mid West, serving their communities, providing for themselves and their families, and supporting the local economy.”

Dean of Flexible & Work Based Learning, Seamus Hoyne 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”

Careers & Employability Manager TUS Midwest, Aoife Prendergast added, “Our relationships and connections with industry in the Mid-West region is one of our most valuable assets. They are passionate about helping our students succeed, and they provide invaluable insights into the workforce. Almost 55% of our 2022 undergraduates in employment had accredited work placement or work experience as a component of their course.”

Careers & Employability Manager TUS Midlands Denise Dolan said, “The vast majority of our recent graduates are employed in jobs relevant to their course in TUS. As many as 84% 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.”

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