Leveraging longitudinal survey data to enhance employment outcomes for higher education graduates.

What we do

Graduate employment outcomes continue to improve, but the positive outcomes are not shared by all. At ISSR, we leverage large-scale longitudinal surveys and administrative data to explore labour market trajectories and outcomes of graduates from equity groups in the Australian higher education sector — with particular attention to social inequality and the experiences of people and communities experiencing disadvantage.

With a strong focus on school-to-work transitions, we undertake advanced statistics and modelling to examine both individual and institutional-level factors that influence successful transitions and identify policy gaps and program improvements to support those students who require additional supports. Through rigorous data analysis, our research facilitates an improved understanding of the complexities of the labour market and provides evidence-based insights to inform policies and programs to provide equitable employment opportunities for all students.

Objectives

• Provide evidence of social inequalities in the labour market.
• Improve understanding of the links between educational trajectories and labour market outcomes.
• Identify groups that require additional support to succeed in the labour market. 
• Support policymaking through rigorous evidence on labour market outcomes across subpopulations.
• Provide partners, stakeholders, and communities with actionable, evidence-based learnings and recommendations to provide equitable employment opportunities for all students.

Project examples

• School-to-work Pathways: A Longitudinal Analysis of Linked Administrative Data
  New South Wales Department of Education
   
• Beyond graduation: Long-term Socio-economic Outcomes Amongst Equity Students
  National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education
   
• Transition Costs: Improving Young People's Career Choices and Post-school Pathways
  Queensland Government, Department of Education and Training
   
• Evaluation of the Try, Test and Learn Fund
  Australian Government Department of Social Services