Southern Cross University nursing graduate Sophine Longworth (left) on duty at the Tweed Hospital.
Southern Cross University nursing graduate Sophine Longworth (left) on duty at the Tweed Hospital.

Graduates in the health sciences and support disciplines from Southern Cross University have a 96.6 per cent success rate in finding employment, according to the latest snapshot of tertiary educational outcomes, and a great majority of employers are happy with the skills they bring to their work.

The QILT (Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching) suite of higher education surveys is funded by the Australian Department of Education. It includes the Employer Satisfaction Survey (ESS) of the views of 3,430 employers on the attributes of recent graduates from Australian higher education institutions. The study looked at how successfully graduates gained and settled into employment in terms of their professionalism, teamwork and interpersonal skills, and their ability to perform and innovate.

Southern Cross  University scored 83.5 per cent for employer satisfaction and 87.7 per cent in terms of graduate employability. The national overall satisfaction averaged 84.6 per cent in the 2020 survey.


The University’s highest employment outcomes were for careers in Health Services and Support  (96.6 per cent), Computing and Information Systems (97.6 per cent), and Engineering (98.3 per cent).

The ESS ratings are based on five skill sets, with foundation skills defined as general literacy, numeracy and communication skills and the ability to investigate and integrate knowledge.

SCU Vice President (Engagement) Ben Roche said given all the disruption of COVID restrictions in 2020, the results were encouraging.

“This survey evidences once again that Southern Cross University graduates are highly sought-after by employers and are on par with graduates from larger metropolitan institutions. We have built a sound reputation in key areas like health, the sciences, law and teaching that means our students can feel confident about their future employment opportunities once they graduate,” Mr Roche said.

“As more and more people relocate to regional Australia, this data reminds us that in addition to all the lifestyle advantages, there is no compromise on the quality and calibre of education. Southern Cross University continues to provide a quality education experience with deep local connections that is significant on the world stage.”

Link to resource https://www.qilt.edu.au/docs/default-source/ess/ess-2020/2020-ess-national-report.pdf?sfvrsn=2f3ed3c_2