The report of preliminary findings of the first National Graduate Tracking Survey in Cyprus is now published. The publication of the report was an interim target in the context of the project entitled “Development of a National Graduate Tracking Mechanism and Design and Implementation of an Employers’ Skills Survey” which is funded by the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility.

The report presents the implementation of the National Graduate Tracking Survey as well as the EUROGRADUATE 2022 survey in Cyprus but presents only national findings. Findings are presented in six thematic sections namely:

a)       education experience;

b)      labour market participation and labour market outcomes;

c)       international mobility of graduates after graduation;

d)      skills mismatch;

e)      career guidance and counselling; and

f)        upskilling and reskilling during employment.

The report of preliminary findings highlights among other things the following:

• Overall graduates are satisfied with their studies, and they indicated that it made a significant contribution to their professional and personal development.
• A low percentage of graduates (15%) reported participation in mobility programmes during studies.
• Most graduates (>80%) are employed, however, a considerable percentage of graduates (45%) reported being overeducated, that is they consider they have a higher level of education than is required by their job.
• The percentage of graduates who reported being horizontally mismatched, meaning those whose current employment is not aligned with the field of their programme of study was lower (15-20%).
• Graduates also reported significant over-skilling in almost all skills assessed. However, for graduates in specific fields of study (Health, Technology & Engineering, Services) findings revealed under-skilling in terms of hard and soft skills. This under-skilling was more evident among recent graduates (2020/21).
• Participation in career counselling activities during higher education studies was quite low (15-16%) in both cohorts. However, a high participation was found in upskilling and reskilling activities (>50%) during employment. These activities were offered by their employer, either on a compulsory or voluntary basis. The primary motive cited by most graduates for engaging in upskilling and reskilling activities was the acquisition of hard skills directly relevant to their current job roles.

More in-depth analysis is in progress for exploring significant relationships, such as factors influencing/predicting employment, factors having an impact on the acquisition of high levels of skills, factors having an impact on vertical and horizontal mismatch, etc. Future cycles of the National Graduate Tracking Survey will address the challenges faced during this first cycle such as contacting graduates, encouraging participation, exploring ways to make surveys more visible to graduates, current students and various stakeholders, etc. It is also considered important to explore the possibility of combining data from surveys with administrative data sources, as well as creating the legal basis for graduate tracking surveys.

Dr Terpsa Constantinidou, Director

Dr Alexandra Petridou, Education Officer

Department of Higher Education, Cyprus Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth