Bright-eyed University of Tasmania graduates marched through Launceston on Saturday, donning gowns and mortarboards.
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Proud family members lined the streets to watch the annual town and gown parade, as graduated students took another step towards beginning careers in their chosen fields.
Some have already started graduate jobs in recent weeks – others have jobs lined up for 2018.
It’s an incredibly exciting time.
But for many new graduates, that uncertain transition from education into full-time work is a daunting one.
Finding your first job can be difficult, and in some fields more than others.
Just last week, a national study found nearly one in five people aged 15 to 24 fell into the long-term unemployment category.
That, of course, takes into account both teenagers and young adults looking for work after university, and job seekers who don’t have a university degree.
Last week, The Examiner spoke with University of Tasmania student Dakoda Leary, who spent two years looking for a job to supplement his studies before eventually finding a cafe that “was specifically looking for someone they could train up”.
The 19-year-old said his experience was far from unique.
“I know a lot of people who have been without a job for more than a year,” he said.
“So many of us are stuck relying on Centrelink to get by fortnightly, which everyone knows is definitely not enough to get by on for even a week.”
It is tough out there in Tasmania’s job market, and the state should be doing everything it can to support young people looking to find employment – whether that be casual work while they study, or full-time work after high school or university.
That support begins at school, with quality education around developing resumes, applying for jobs and facing interviews.
Many university students need to find casual or part-time work in order to support themselves through their tertiary study, like Dakoda, which is great experience to take with them throughout their future careers.
Despite the difficulties our new graduates face, it’s fantastic for the state to have a large new pool of fresh talent, keen to get started in their prospective fields.
Hopefully we can offer a good proportion of them employment and keep them in Tasmania.