Bulletin Spring‧Summer Autumn‧Winter 1999

Career Destinations of 1989 Graduates The Office of Student Affairs conducted a survey on the 1989 graduates and diplomates to obtain information about their career destinations after graduation. The survey covered all first-degree (except medicine) and full-time higher-degree graduates and diplomates of 1989. Out of a total of 1,137 full-time first-degree graduates, 1 ’051 returned completed and valid questionnaires, giving a response rate of 92.4 per cent. The response rates of part-time first-degree graduates and of full-time higher-degree graduates and diplomates were 91.5 per cent and 91.9 per cent respectively. Unless otherwise indicated in the text, percentages quoted in this report are based on the number of respondents in employment. Full-time First-Degree Graduates Des t i na t i ons Respondents to the survey numbered 1,051. Of these, 881 had started wo r k locally, 120 were pursuing further studies, 11 were working overseas, 34 were still seeking suitable employment at the time of analysis, and five remained umemployed for various personal reasons. Emp l o y me nt S i t ua t i on General Trends As in the previous year, the commerce and industry sector was the major recruiter and absorbed about 54 per cent of the graduates. The percentage of graduates entering the education sector rose again this year to 26.2 per cent after a four-year downward trend since 1985. The percentages of those who joined the government and the social services this year were 9.7 per cent and 6.9 per cent respectively. The major career fields for the graduates were teaching (25.4 per cent), administration/management (13.6 per cent), computer (9.1 per cent), marketing (8.6 per cent), banking / finance (7 per cent), accounting (6.9 per cent) and social services (5.3 per cent). Arts Graduates As i n the past, the education sector remained the major outlet for arts graduates (59.7 per cent). There was a slight increase i n the percentage of graduates joining the education sector as compared with 1988's figure (57.1 per cent). The percentage of those who joined commerce and industry remained more or less the same as the year before at about 26 per cent. Business Administration Graduates The employment pattern o f business administration graduates was similar to that of 1988. The commerce and industry sector again attracted over 80 per cent of the year's business administration graduates. Science Graduates The percentage of science graduates who secured appointment in the commerce and industry sector dropped by 11.6 per cent to 64.1 per cent. The survey also shows that there were more science graduates entering the education sector as compared with the year Trends of Employment, 1985-1989 s t u d e n t s -19