The Agency for Science and Higher Education is a central place in the Republic of Croatia for employment tracking of graduate students on national level.
Systematic data collection and analysis on students’ employment have been prompted by practice of the European Union countries and acknowledged importance of those processes for advancement of higher education and its better connecting to the labor market.
The first research on the national level on students’ satisfaction with study programs and possibility of employment was conducted by ASHE in 2014.
2018
EUROGRADUATE: The outcomes of research on the employment rate of graduate students who finished their studies in academic years 2012/2013. and 2016/2017
The Agency for Science and Higher Education, in cooperation with the Faculty of Law at the University of Zagreb, conducted research on the employment rate of graduate students on a national level during 2018.
The research was conducted within the project EUROGRADUATE financed by the EU funds. Along with the Republic of Croatia, seven European countries participated in the project: Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Lithuania, Malta, and Norway.
The survey covered generations of graduate students who finished their studies in academic years 2012/2013 and 2016/2017, that is one and five years after graduation.
The goal of this project was the collecting of information on students’ experience and transfer into the world of employment and comparison of conditions of studying and living conditions of graduate students in various European countries.
Research results have been published in studies:
- EUROGRADUATE Pilot research – Key findings – translated into Croatian
- EUROGRADUATE – National report for Croatia
Summary:
- 7 European countries, along with Croatia, participated in research and those are Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Lithuania, Malta and Norway
- 21 000 graduate students from 8 countries had access to online questionnaire
- The percentage of filled in questionnaires (response rate) for each cohort:
- one year after graduation – those who graduated in the academic year 2016-2017 – 8,8%
- five years after graduation – those who graduated in the academic year 2012-2013. – 18,7%
- 58% participants finished their undergraduate studies ISCED 6
- 62% participants finished their graduate studies ISCED 7 (integrated studies included)
- The percentage of participants who finished university and professional study program:
- university studies were finished by:
- in 2012/2013 cohort – 69% participants
- in 2016/2017 – 70% participants
- professional studies were finished by:
- in 2012/2013 cohort – 31% participants
- in 2016/2017 cohort – 30% participants
- The percentage of those employed one year after graduation (2012/2013 cohort):
- bachelors 86,3%; with master’s degree 85,4%
- The percentage of those employed 5 years after graduation (2016/2017 cohort):
- bachelors 36,6%; with master’s degree 74,8%
- Croatia has the lowest employment rate (behind Greece) and a high unemployment rate of bachelors for both cohorts. Over 50% of graduate students of undergraduate studies continue with their studies and therefore they are not part of the workforce (regular students, military or other mandatory services, unable to work for health reasons)
- Croatia has the lowest employment rate (behind Greece) and the higher unemployment rate of masters in both cohorts.
Workforce status in 2018 for the 2012/2013 cohort and for the highest achieved degree
Bachelors
Masters
- • Workforce status in 2018 for the 2016/2017 cohort and for the highest achieved degree
Bachelors
The percentage of graduate students in 2018, one and five years after graduation (both cohorts), according to age in the time of graduation, gender, type of educational institution, highest education degree, and the beginning of studies
- The conducted research in eight countries shows that the unemployment rate among the young people was:
- the highest in Greece (39,9%) and Croatia (23,8%)
- the lowest in Germany (6,2%)
- 5 years after graduation, 4 out of 5 graduate students in each country has a contract for indefinite period – more men than women have the contract for indefinite period
- Highest salaries are in the field of technology and engineering, and the lowest ones are in the field of education, art and humanities
- Out of all participants, 13% experienced studying abroad, mostly through EU mobility programs. The lowest participation in mobility was among participants from Greece and Croatia
- Graduate students employed in another country from the one where they graduated earn approximately 30 percent more than those who stayed in the country, even on lower-ranking jobs
- Greek graduates stand out in particular, earning the average of 2000 Euros more than those who stay in Greece
- Norwegian graduates have the opposite situation since those abroad earn approximately 2000 Euros less than those in Norway
2017
The outcomes of research on employment rate of graduate students who finished their studies in academic year 2015/2016
The Agency for Science and Higher Education, in cooperation with the Faculty of Organization and Informatics at the University of Zagreb conducted a research on employment rate of graduate students on national level during 2017. Research was conducted within the project SKAZVO – Improvement of Quality Assurance and Enhancement Systems in Higher Education, financed by the EU funds.
The survey covered students who graduated in the academic year 2015/2016.
The goal was collection of data on students’ satisfaction with their preparation for the labor market within higher education institutions and on transfer from the higher education system to the labor market and the first employment..
The outcomes of this research have been published in publication What comes after diploma?
Summary:
- 7 201 participant had access to the online questionnaire
- The percentage of filled in questionnaires (response rate) is 57 %
- 48,4 % participants finished undergraduate studies
- 51,3 % participants finished graduate studies
- 23,9 % participants finished professional studies
- 75,8 % participants finished university studies
- 85,6 % were employed within a year after graduation
- 78 % were employed six months after graduation
- Those unemployed state as the main reason for their unemployment the insufficient supply of jobs within their profession (49,1 % participants)
- The largest number of particants (59 %) found their first job in the private sector
- The most frequent strategy of finding the first job is via the Croatian Employment Service (25 % participants)
- 78,2 % participants got their jobs within the profession
- 21,8 % participants did not get their jobs within the profession
- The average satisfaction grade with the first job is 3,72.
- The average sallary: the largest number of participants (46,4 %) has a salary between 3 500 and 5 000 HRK.
2014
The outcomes of research on students’ satisfaction with the study programs and preparedness for the labor market – students who were enrolled for the study programs in 2010 – pilot project on employment tracking
The Agency for Science and Higher Education, in cooperation with the Faculty of Economics at the University of Split, conducted a trial (pilot) research on employment of graduate students on national level in 2014.
The survey covered students who were enrolled for the study programs in 2010 when the system for central application for undergraduate, professional, or integrated study programs at higher education institutions in the Republic of Croatia was introduced.
The goal was to explore the extent of Croatian students’ satisfaction with the study programs and their possibilities of employment, but also to test the methodology and the Agency’s capacity for similar types of research in the future.
The outcomes of this research have been published in the study The outcomes of research on students’ satisfaction with the study programs and preparedness for the labor market.
Summary:
- 4234 participants had access to the online questionnaire
- The percentage of filled in questionnaires (response rate) is 10,2%
- 12,3 % participants were continuously (over 6 months) working on a job that they had started while still studying
- 22,3 % participants started working after finishing their studies
- 19 % participants are employed
- 8,5 % of the total number work within the profession.