University College Dublin (UCD) was the only Irish university to be placed in the top 100 universities for graduate employability, according to QS World University Rankings 2018.
UCD ranked 75th in the world for its graduate employability records, which is an increase of its position of 151st in the previous year.
Trinity was ranked as number 2 in Ireland, with UL coming third and DCU fourth however, those three universities did not have any information under alumni outcomes, employer-student connections and partnerships with employers which may have affected their ranking.
DCU, National University of Ireland Galway and University College Cork were all ranked in the 301- 500 bracket, bringing to light the question; what really makes the difference in employability upon graduation?
The President of UCD, Professor Andrew Deeks, attributes their high percentage of graduate employability to the research that has become an integral part of UCD’s courses.
“Scholarship and research are at the core of UCD, and the fact that we are 75th in this ranking is a reflection on the quality of our faculty, the nurturing environment we provide for our students, the ambition we aim to instil in our graduates and the active partnerships we pursue with employers.
“Our reach and our impact goes beyond our shores. Our graduates are genuinely global citizens who have an impact on society in every arena from business to innovation, from scientific discovery to the arts,” he said in a statement.
The solidity of the relationships between DCU graduates and their employers is 27.5 percent, whereas with UCD graduates the strength of that relationship is 53.5 percent.
The employability of DCU’s graduates continually increases, according to a report the Higher Education Authority (HEA) released in March of this year. There was a growth of almost 5 per cent in graduates who gained employment 6 months after graduation, between the years 2012 and 2014.
In May 2017, DCU launched an e-portfolio which they believe will increase the employability of their graduates even further. They said it will provide a new, innovative way for graduates and employers to interact and hopefully, it will lead to future employment for many of them.
DCU were unavailable to comment on which methods or innovations they plan on implementing in order to continue to improve the employability of their graduates.
Shauna Bowers