New graduates get hired in 6 months: YÖK

ANKARA

The average time it takes for fresh graduates to get a job is around six months, with the satisfaction rate of employers with new graduates revealed as 78 percent, according to data from the Higher Education Council (YÖK).

YÖK prepared the "University Monitoring and Evaluation General Report-2023," which analyzes 208 universities in Türkiye in line with 74 different indicators.

The report was prepared by evaluating universities in categories such as education, social projects and research and development, according to their contribution to higher education and the outcomes they have achieved.

The "satisfaction rate of the business world regarding the qualifications of graduates," which was included among the indicators for the first time in 2023, is considered important in terms of responding to the quality of graduates and the expectations of the sector measured. The satisfaction rate of recruiters with graduates is 78 percent.

Another first-time assessment was related to employment. The data on the "time to start a first job in Türkiye" of university graduates showed that graduates started their first job in 6.4 months on average.

Social responsibility projects carried out at universities have increased. While the number of social responsibility projects in which students participated was 14,204 in 2022, the rate increased from 74.6 percent to 83 percent.

In the presentation section of the report, YÖK head Erol Özvar stated that the study aims to reveal the strengths and weaknesses of universities according to the standards determined by taking into consideration the unique conditions of the country.

"We observe that our higher education institutions carry out careful studies through monitoring and evaluation units based on the indicators determined. We believe these efforts will make a significant contribution to the data-based decision-making processes of institutions, and we are pleased that this process is carefully followed by universities,” Özvar said.