A survey of graduates across the nation has once again placed Charles Sturt University on top of the pile when it comes to finding its students full-time employment.
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This year's Graduate Outcomes Survey, released in October, found that 86.4 per cent of graduates from the university had found full-time work soon after receiving their degree.
By comparison, the other 109 tertiary institutions surveyed returned only a 72.5 per cent rate of full-time employment.
It is the fourth consecutive year the institution has taken poll position in the survey.
"It makes me extremely proud to get this result again," said vice-chancellor Professor Andrew Vann.
"I think it is a testament to the commitment of our staff in making courses relevant to what employers want from their employees."
While the survey did not define whether those who had found full-time employment had done so in a field related to their study, Professor Vann expressed confidence in students' overall post-study satisfaction.
"I think we're attracting the kinds of students who do want those employment opportunities after their study, who are looking to fill the needs in their communities in a professional sense," he said.
The survey also found that graduates boasted some of the highest starting salaries in their professions, with most entering the workforce on an average of $67,100.
Across the nation, the average starting salary sits at $62,600.
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"We're constantly developing courses that meet the professional needs of the community," Professor Vann said.
"As far as we can, we try to get students into the workplace before they finish their study," he said.
"Many of our courses do include work placements to give them hands-on skills in their field, and to help them form those relationships with employers while they're still at uni."
With campuses in Wagga, Bathurst and Orange, Professor Vann said the success of Charles Sturt University has primarily come through focusing on the skills needs and shortages of regional Australia.
"Looking at Allied Health, we have an 80 per cent taking up positions in the region, and we see that it is a lot easier to keep them here in the regions when they've studied here, rather than trying to get them back from Sydney if they've moved away to study there," Professor Vann said.
"In the regions, we do have those massive needs in health care and aged care, we have nursing shortages and teaching shortages, and we're addressing that."
Filling the professional gaps and downfalls across the nation, Professor Vann said, comes from preparing students for any career path, regardless of its proximity to the field of study.
"I don't think there should be a distinction. I think universities need to educate their students to be good citizens and good professionals," he said.
"To me, they are the same thing. We train our students to think broadly and be able to work effectively with other people and that is what employers are looking for."