According to the universities, the days of increasing unemployment among university graduates are coming to an end. Unemployment among recent graduates from Dutch universities has decreased in recent years from 10 per cent to 7 per cent.

Roughly 40 per cent of former students find work immediately after graduation, VSNU says. Among students who land a job for more than 12 hours a week within a year and half after graduation, 69 per cent find a job that calls for a university degree, 21 per cent find work requiring an hbo degree, 2 per cent work at a level requiring a high school education and the level of the remaining 8 per cent is unknown.

Preparations

The former students are generally satisfied with their education, but nearly 40 per cent were disappointed with the lack of careers advice and preparation provided by their university. The RUG has scored poorly in that regard for years. According to VSNU, this dissatisfaction can be explained by ‘the broad academic character of study programmes, which are by and large not focused on job placement in a specific profession and do not incorporate internships.’

A year and a half after graduating, the average full time monthly income for recent students is 2,865 euros a month, VSNU states. Alumni typically found 36.9 hours of work. The university union bases its findings on the results of the National Alumni Survey, which is biennial research conducted among recent graduates of research university master’s programmes.