Growth in demand for Mid-West graduates

The number of graduates from the University of Limerick getting work in Ireland has risen from 45% to 50% over the past year, but 13% still emigrated to find employment.

College president Prof Don Barry, addressing a conferring ceremony, said only 8.5% of graduates were out of work, compared to the national unemployment rate of 14.8%.

He said the figures highlighted the continued growth in demand for UL graduates by employers.

“Traditionally UL’s graduate employment figures trend well above the national average. Despite the challenging environment, UL’s graduate employment rate has continued to rise and our 2011 figure for primary degree holders is now 16% higher than the [Higher Education Authority’s] recently-available national average figure, which is 46% for 2010.”

A survey of UL’s 2011 graduates showed that 88% were either employed or pursuing further study.

Prof Barry said: “Our doctorate students are also very much in demand, with 86% of last year’s PhD graduates currently in employment.”

In recent years, the Mid-West was the most popular region of employment for UL graduates, but this year Dublin accounts for 32% of jobs, followed by the Mid-West at 28%. The popular other location was the UK at 34%, followed by the Middle East at 16%. There was a fall in graduates opting for further study or research, from 27% to 25%.

More than 79% of those who completed a postgraduate diploma in 2011 found employment in Ireland, with only 10% working abroad.