Education

Graduates’ career survey maps competence needs and affects the funding of universities

Published on 28.9.2023

Tampere University

Katunäkymä, taustalla raitiovaunu violetissa värissä.

Photo: Karu Films

Monday 2 October will again see the launch of national career monitoring surveys. Graduates are approached by SMS, letter or email.

The survey will be sent to persons who graduated as Masters of Science in Technology and architects from Tampere University of Technology in 2018 and to Masters, Licentiates of Medicine and Bachelors of Education (early childhood education teachers) who graduated from the University of Tampere in the same year. A doctoral career survey will be sent to persons who completed a doctoral degree at Tampere University in 2020.

The surveys will be conducted by the Aarresaari career services network of Finnish universities.

Universities have monitored graduates’ employment and early careers with joint surveys for almost 20 years. The shared survey provides a broad picture of the labour market of higher education graduates and the competences required in working life. The survey data is commensurate regardless of the university or field of study, meaning it highlights differences between educational fields. Career monitoring data is utilised in diverse ways in teaching, academic guidance and the planning and development of education.

Survey yields data on the labour market

In 2022, the results of Tampere University’s career monitoring survey showed that the respondents had found employment quite well as 75% of the respondents reported having a steady job. Fifty-nine percent of doctors said that they had a full-time permanent position, which was slightly more than in the previous years.

“Large enterprises employ master’s graduates the most, but variation between the sectors is big. Municipalities are the biggest employer in the fields of education, health, and welfare services while doctors most often find employment at a university,” says Senior Specialist Hanna-Leena Hietaranta-Luoma who is responsible for organising career surveys at Tampere University.

Participation also affects universities’ funding

The master’s career survey is part of the universities funding model determined by the Ministry of Education and Culture, meaning that each response also has a direct impact on the funding universities will receive. The average monetary value of one reply is approximately EUR 5,000. At Tampere University, career survey-based funding will amount to more than EUR 5 million in 2024.

“Each answer provides the University with more information about the working life of our graduates and – at the same time – money, which we can use to develop education to better serve working life needs,” Hietaranta-Luoma points out.