University joins commitment to advance employment outcomes for international students and graduates in Victoria
The University of Melbourne will join a Victorian Government-led initiative to ensure the high-calibre and diverse talent pool of international students and graduates continue to make a growing contribution to Victoria’s skills base and business needs.
Through signing a new Commitment to Action, the University will work alongside employers and industry bodies to address employment barriers and promote post-study pathways for global talent in the state.
International students and graduates can be excluded from equal employment opportunities in Australia because of standardised recruitment practices and perceived barriers. Currently, there is disparity in graduate outcomes between international and domestic students, as demonstrated in the QILT Graduate Outcomes Survey.
While this gap has narrowed compared to recent years – and is partly attributable to a consistently higher rate of international students going on to further study after graduating – the University is committed to reinforcing its support for international students’ employment outcomes.
The University’s international students are highly talented, and its graduates can help to fill Victoria’s current and future knowledge and skills gaps across a range of industries.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (International) Professor Michael Wesley said: “International students and graduates offer so much to our wider Melbourne community, providing diverse experiences and cultural perspectives, additional language skills to support our community and visitors, as well as linkages to international networks essential for diversifying and invigorating Victoria’s economy across STEM industries, commerce, management and biotechnology.”
The Commitment is part of Victoria’s International Education Recovery Plan 2025 and also aligns with the University of Melbourne’s commitments to create a vibrant, diverse and inclusive university community and to improving the student experience - particularly by uniting curriculum, careers and professions, as articulated in its Advancing Melbourneand Advancing Students and Educationstrategies.
Victoria’s Commitment to Action: Improving international student employment outcomes
The University pledges to these actions to help improve the employment outcomes of international students in Victoria:
- Employ more – Employ more international students and graduates in their fields of expertise.
- Offer more work experience – Facilitate international students’ access to quality and relevant work experience to build your talent pipeline and organisational diversity.
- Set targets – Make it part of your organisation’s goals by setting targets, or better still make an individual or team accountable for it.
- Remove barriers – Identify and resolve any real or perceived barriers within the organisation and seek professional legal/migration advice as necessary.
- Share success stories – Publicly share employment statistics, stories of success and/or advice for other employers.